Maximilian Hacker is 25 years old and the owner of BRComposites. He absolved his training as procedural mechanics of plastic and rubber technology, specialized in fibre composites.

 Activities previous to his self-employment:

1. Fischer & Entwicklung Landshut
2. Pilatus Aircraft Schweiz
3. Company with Formel 1 experience   (company name is not mentioned because of legal reasons)

CE: COMPOSITES EUROPE Team

MH: Maximilian Hacker

CE: Please introduce yourself. Who are you and what is your responsibility at BRComposites?

MH: BRComposites has exists for two years now. We are a young and very innovative company with a continuous strong growth. Furthermore, we think that  well-trained employees and to the original rules of craftsmanship are very important.

I am proud to say that we are already training employees. In my opinion there is still a lack of skilled workers in the composites industry.

We develop and offer individual production to our customers. Productions up to 10,000 standard parts are easily possible. In this way the volume of production is growing. Our production is done without autoclaves and everything is hand-made.

BRComposites

CE: So how did you experience the COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 show? What are your impressions?

MH: This is the first time for BRComposites as an exhibitor at the COMPOSITES EUROPE. Actually we have been planning the first exhibition in 2016. At least that has been the conclusion of a family dinner. However, by coincidental, I got a phone call from the COMPOSITES EUROPE team the next day. During this conversation I received information about a funding possibility through BMWi. Because of the funding possibility and the sponsoring by Jost Chemicals, which is a close partner, we decided to book a booth for the COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011.

Mr. Hacker was reacting spontaneously when we asked him about his feelings as participant of the CE 2011. He was euphorically describing the exhibition as gigantic. The company had a huge success, a great number of good meetings and contacts. The booth was constantly busy because so many visitors were interested in their products. In his opinion, the exhibition service and the whole organisation was very commendable.

We closed the interview by talking about the presentation of innovations brought by BRC.

BRComposites presented flexible carbon protectors which is already used e.g. by the v. The jacket (have a look at the picture) in the background is specially made for extreme mountainbikers and is equipped with flexible carbon protectors. All visitors have been wondering what kind of material this is. However, we could not get any detailed information.

Thank you so much for the interesting and open conversation with Mr. Hacker.

Q: Question

MS: Answer of Michael Scharmer

Michael Scharmer (man on the right side on the picture) www.msc-polymer.com/

Q: Please introduce yourself and MSC Polymer AG.

MS: MSC Polymer AG is a capital markets company LC. I am in the bord of directors as a director of technology and the Chief Executive Officer. 1988 the company was founded as a technical consulting company. Later on it had been developed towards a distributor of materials. Glass fibre reinforced epoxy laminates are the backbone of the classical PCB. Our customers already expected that we supply materials for premanufactured and pretooled. So we had to invest in suitable machinery and step by step we became a manufacturer of glass fibre reinforced parts for broad applications (despite PCB, our core business). We are at at the COMPOSITES EUROPE show because we had more and more inquieries asking for new materials as they are being shown here.We knew nobody in this industry, now we know a lot! Exhibitions are not only to attract new customers, but also to come in touch with the industry. We wanted to find new suitable suppliers and tool makers. In addition, we have a lot of contacts, for example to science institutions. It is really worth to come here. The next time in Düsseldorf we will bring more examples with us made of carbon fibre. In a few years we want to become an important European player in the manufacture of 3D-parts for many application industries, especially for the machinery industry.

Q: So how did you come to the COMPOSITES EUROPE show?

MS: We observed the development within the composites industry and the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade show. I asked myself where is this industry going? Looks like it is getting really important. I would have come as a visitor anyway. So why not taking a booth? The stand is also a meeting point. It can not be replaced by google or other social platforms. In the evening you also meet your visitors in the same hotel at the bar. This trade show is very well organized, not bureaucratic at all and our administration efforts to manage our participation were markable low compared to other major German exhibitions.

Moreover, it takes place in one of Germany’s most beautiful exhibition centres!

Kegelmann Technik presents it’s product range here. The company offers prototyping and small-series production for complex prefabricated parts made of metal and plastic.

Kegelmann Technik at COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011, Mr. Weber, http://www.ktechnik.de/

80 employees work at the location of Rodgau-Jügesheim. In this way Kegelmann Technik unifies 100% in-house production depth in one company, from the design, construction, rapid-prototyping technology, model making, tool making to injection moulding.

We asked Mr. Weber (on the picture) if Kegelmann Technik alsways worked in the field of composites.  He answered “Yes, we have worked in the field of composites technology for many years now. At the COMPOSITES EUROPE show we present the RTM-production technology in the prototyping phase.”

So how was their impression of our show? Kegelmann Technik is a new exhibitor this year! The answer is “Positiv. COMPOSITES EUROPE is a specialised exhibition. Here you can find the market place for the area of composites manufacturing.”

Come to the show and meet Kegelmann Technik in hall 4/booth E65! http://www.ktechnik.de/

Q: Question

SK:  Stephan Knappe

Q: Please introduce yourself – who are you, what are your responsibilities at NETZSCH-Gerätebau GmbH?

SK: Chemical engineer, International Sales and Applications Manager, dedicated to polymer and composite applications. Currently also responsible for sales in Southern Europe.

Q: Could you give us a quick overview of NETZSCH-Gerätebau GmbH?

SK: NETZSCH group with now approx. 2500 employees is coming from high-temperature field such as ceramics. Selb is a porcelain town. The business unit Analyzing & Testing with approx. 360 employees (NETZSCH-Gerätebau is the head company here, established in 1962) is also focusing polymer and composite applications for thermal characterization since approx. 1990. Rolf Preuß from our marketing department can send you our press release regarding our company itself.

Q: Has your company always worked in the field of composites?

SK: see above point 2.

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer

Q: What kind of projects have you undertaken for clients? Do you have a current project?

SK: We have customers from the automotive, aircraft, electronic industry who use our instrumentation for composites. We have key customers and projects with the target of the substitution of metals with polymer-based composites.  Further on we have customers for renewable industry, e.g. rotor blades for wind power plants who use our instruments.

Implantable Dielectric Sensors of NETZSCH

Q: Looking to the future, where do you think the composites industry is headed? What are you looking forward to seeing?

SK: As soon as the resin manufacturers develop fast-curing resins (curing time of approx. 1 min) it makes sense for the production of large numbers of parts, e.g. covers and spoilers for automotive industry. Currently the curing times are still too long and therefore dedicated to bigger parts with lower amounts per day (as e.g. aircraft industry). We as NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing do not only manufacture instrument hardware but also software. With our Thermokinetics software package we can simulate and optimize curing process with the target to receive the best degree of curing in a certain limited time at a defined temperature.

Q: What other companies do you think are doing really good work in the composites industry?

SK: Since the use of composites is increasing there are many companies – also small developing companies – who have a very nice potential for this market. Nowadays it is important that already during development everybody is sitting in the same boat: resin manufacturers, fiber manufacturers, polymer processors, mold makers, engineering companies for automatic handling devices and – last but not least – companies like NETZSCH for advanced analysing and testing the material and the final products.

Q: Finally, are you looking forward to the COMPOSITES EUROPE show?

SK: Yes I will be there: 27-28 of Sep.

Q: Question
A: Answer

UHU Indutry adhesives - new exhibitor at COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 in Stuttgart - http://uhu-profi.de/

Q: Please introduce yourself – who are you, what are your responsibilities at UHU?

A: The Company of UHU is divided into several business sectors. I am the divisional director, in charge of the division “Industry and Handcraft”. We are a young team of seven colleagues. Our ambition is to make UHU Industrieklebstoffe (UHU Industry adhesives) more known and famous and to offer the best solutions for our customers.

Q: Could you give us a quick overview of UHU GmbH & Co. KG?

A: UHU Industrieklebstoffe offers innovative glues for a wide variety of applications. We are a full-range supplier in the segment of technical glues and glue technologies. Alongside to epoxy- and acrylate adhesives, silane modified polymers and silicone-based products, our range also contains cyanoacrylate – and solvent adhesives. According to the customer’s preference, the application can be done manually, semi-automatically or automatically by using robots. During the COMPOSITES EUROPE this year we are looking forward to developing and working on individual complete solutions for the visitors. For that we are working together with selected machine experts like Hilger & Kern, Nordson EFD Deutschland, ViscoTec Pumpen- und Dosiertechnik and Vieweg GmbH. Our main focus is of course on glues but we also recommend machine experts for both small and large applications to our customers.

Q: Has your company always worked in the field of composites?

A: We have always worked in the sector of new materials because we see a huge potential in it. This year will be the first time for us as an exhibitor at COMPOSITES EUROPE after having visited it in the last few years. Through our presentation on COMPOSITES EUROPE, we want to enlarge the publicity of the business division for industry and handcraft solutions.

Q: To whic industries do you deliver your glues?

A: Our main target groups are electrical engineering, automotive industry, metal processing, woodworking, plastics engineering and building materials. We are intentionally serving niches in which customers are thankful for new solutions. Especially the fields of fibre composite and lightweight are interesting for us. Our goal is to bring innovations to the market.

Q: Looking to the future, where do you think the composites industry is headed?

A: My impression is very positive and full of expectations. The industry is greedy for fibre-reinforced plastics because it implicates massive economic advantages. We believe that the composites market is a future market. That is why we are continuously working on new product developments. The composites market is very attractive because of it’s big economical potential.

Q: Do you have current projects?

A: We are always working on projects and product developments and try to present them as fast as possible. I would like to point out our project with the university of applied sciences in Landshut and Prof. Reiling. If a constructing engineer, for example in the automotive industry is making a load test nowadays, he can use clear characteristic values for a steel bolt with metric head which are listed in a register for strength classes. Goal of our project and of the measurements carried out by the UAS Landshut was to identify characteristic values for our different adhesives, so that engineers have the necessary parameters for their numerical calculations. Our project is leading in this area worldwide. Moreover, it is independent and neutral because it has been carried out by a university.

Q: How did you get to COMPOSITES EUROPE?

A: My tasks are the market monitoring and research. It is important to discover new potential markets for us and to keep observing them. Through my research I have noticed the COMPOSITES EUROPE exhibition and I have already been there as a visitor. This year we finally decided on exhibiting at the fair.

Q: Finally, are you looking forward to the COMPOSITES EUROPE show?

A: The whole team is looking forward to it. I always look forward to trade fairs. You can meet outgoing people, take suggestions with you and learn a lot from the visitors. Furthermore, you always find out about new innovations on the market.

A few weeks ago we met each other again and he told me that development went well but he had some challenges regarding german law for using rims on
german streets. Although there are no thermal problems by heating the discs i.e. government gave him note that these kind of rims are not desired.

However, he started a new project: Innovative Process for manufacturing Carbon Composites

In combination with research and development on carbon wheels an innovative process for resin infiltration was discovered. This RCI-process combines the
advantages of classical autoclave process (simple moulds) with the advantages of RTM-process (short time). Suitable applications for structural carbon parts manufactured by RCI-process are in aerospace, automotive, sports or medicine.

Therefore cooperation partners for development are welcome. Get more information on: http://www.at-carbon.de

Wish you a nice Wednesday,

Frank

BUFFALO, New York – October 13, 2010 – Eastman Machine Company, a U.S. based manufacturing company specializing in cutting equipment, announces that it has appointed RH Schneidtechnik (Solingen), Germany, to represent its line of automated cutting systems, material handling equipment and design software.

RH Schneidtechnik specializes in cutting technologies, applications and engineering consultation for the composites, technical textile and apparel industries. RH Schneidtechnik’s central European location will enhance Eastman’s sales, service and support network for new and existing customers throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. Eastman and RH Schneidtechnik will coordinate efforts to establish a demonstration showroom and technical service support center servicing all European customers by the end of 2011.

Eastman has installed over 1000 automated cutting systems worldwide. Automated cutting systems offer optimum material yields while reducing labor and operating costs for manufacturers cutting single and multiple-ply composite and industrial fabrics in the aerospace, transport, marine, apparel and safety industries.

Equipment available from Eastman:

• Static Cutting Table – capable of marking, drilling and punching virtually any flexible material at speeds of up to 60 inches per second (152.4 cm/s).
• Conveyor Cutting System – continuous conveying cutting system designed for cutting pattern pieces that can exceed the length of the table with speed and accuracy
• Multi-Ply Cutting System – capable of cutting up to 5cm (MPC-5000) and 7cm (MPC-7000) of compressed material for high volume throughput
• A variety of straight and round knifes; rotary shears and end cutters suitable for hundreds of materials

For more information on RH Schneidtechnik, please visit www.rh-schneidtechnik.de or COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 in hall C2 stand J17 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Eastman Machine Company (www.eastmancuts.com) established itself more than a century ago as a world leader in developing advanced techniques and innovative technologies for the cutting room. Today, Eastman delivers engineering-based solutions that make real differences to facilities using new and high-tech materials. Eastman’s world headquarters are located in Buffalo, New York, U.S.A. with sales offices, agents and distributors around the world. The company was established in 1888 and is a fifth-generation, family-owned business with a broad base of elite customers in the wind energy, marine, composites, military, aerospace and industrial fabrics industries.

Holland Composites Pavilion with the awesome glider.

and BioConcept Car – made by Natural fibres.

I also very happy to welcome www.Kunststoffe.TV on our show. They produced some nice little movies for their next Feature: COMPOSITES EUROPE
I Look forward to tomorrow. If you have impressions of COMPOSITES EUROPE or you would like to tell your favorite booth/product send us your comment.

Cheers, Frank!

The Iltis09, which is the vehicle’s name, is a single-seated racer developed and constructed by the Bodensee Racing Team (BRT). This team is comprised of students from different departments of the University of Constance (HTWG), namely technology, business and design – and Harke Chemicals supports those ambitioned young academics as sponsor.
Each year the team of students develops and constructs a new and improved Iltis. For up to twelve months the young professionals focus their thoughts on areas like design and construction. Moreover, they develop amongst others a business plan and, thus they accompany the project from a business studies perspective as well.
As there are numerous highlights regarding construction and performance there can be mentioned just a few exemplary ones: acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, 599 cubic centimeters of displacement, 63 kW performance at the rear wheels, anti-torsion steel tube spaceframe construction, vacuum-cured and hand-laminated carbon fiber body panels, launch control system, double piston
brake calipers with floating brake discs, energy-absorbing foam crashbox or Ethafoam head restraints.
The Iltis has already proved its powers in many Formula Student races. The latter is a competition during which students from all over the world compete with each other in their self-constructed racers.
The ultra light-weight but also extremely stable chassis of the Iltis is a spectacular example of just one of the manifold fields of usage of modern epoxy resins. Apart from those resins the product portfolio of Harke Chemicals also contains diluents, hardeners and additives, which can be individually tailored according to the customers’ needs.

Booth Harke Chemicals: Hall 10 – 11 / booth no D21

Realistic material data from experimental tests, which take all important influential parameters into account, are needed in order to design components with the necessary fatigue strength. This means that attention has to focus on the selection of the test specimens, the correct introduction of the mechanical stress in the specimen and the simulation of environment loads. The latter have a great influence on the stress that a thermoplastic polymer can bear.
Often the determination of realistic material data requests convenient test facilities and also experiences for the performance of fatigue tests with thermoplastic polymers. The Fraunhofer Institute of Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF has experiences in the field of structural durability for many years. One of the latest developments provides the possibility to test polymer specimens in liquid media bath, which can be warmed up. Beside harmless media like water or soapsuds also aggressive media like brake fluid and fuel can be used. The convenience of these test performances is to determine realistic material data for the numerical dimensioning of components, which includes beside the effects of the single influencing parameters e.g. temperature, notches or liquid on the mechanical properties continuative the independencies between these single parameters.

Hereby in the design process uncertainties, which lead to under- or overdimensioning, can be reduced. This kind of design opens a wide range of applications like vehicle or engine construction for the thermoplastic composites.

About the Fraunhofer LBF

With its comprehensive expertise in the fields of structural durability, adaptronics and system reliability, the Fraunhofer LBF develops, evaluates and implements customised solutions for all safety components – ranging from the materials to whole systems and from the first idea to the product. It works in conjunction with the associated System Reliability and Machine Acoustics department (SzM) of the Technical University Darmstadt and benefits from the experience of a team of around 300 staff. Cooperation projects with renowned partners exemplify its particular closeness to the industry. Automotive and commercial vehicle engineering, rail transportation technology, shipbuilding, machine and plant engineering, aviation, energy technology and other sectors utilise the proven expertise and cutting edge technology provided in the laboratory and testing areas that extend across more than 17,000 m2.

More information on: www.lbf.fraunhofer.de