IFC and Ackermann are also part! Have a look at the programme: http://bit.ly/veJXrf
Good luck and see you at COMPOSITES EUROPE 2012 in Düsseldorf!

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.

The energy policy of the German government includes giving greater support to offshore wind farms. The remuneration for this power is to be raised to 15 cents per kilowatt hour. Operators of onshore wind turbines will continue to receive up to 10.2 cents per kilowatt hour. 0.5 cents are paid for power from new wind parks if the old equipment went online before 2002. The new turbine should also deliver twice the amount of power than the old one.

Example of how the crystal structure could be used in the rotor blade of a wind turbine. (Photo: Wüstefeld)

These factors therefore represent healthy prospects for the future of the wind power sector. The manufacturers of fibre-reinforced composites are also expecting to benefit from this development – because modern wind turbines are inconceivable without glass and carbon fibre-reinforced plastics. The organisers of the international Composites Europe (CE) exhibition, to be held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Stuttgart, recognised this early on and are giving the industry the platform it deserves. Well-known producers and processors of fibre composites for the wind energy sector and the relevant machine producers and suppliers get together each year at the event.

But it is not only the presence of the big names which makes a visit to the exhibition so worthwhile. Jens-Hagen Wüstefeld from Starnberg, for instance, has developed a crystalline structure as a lightweight construction element. It yields an 85 percent reduction in weight, lower manufacturing costs, outstanding rigidity and design flexibility in comparison to a solid material. Starting out with a geometric concept, he made a three dimensional lattice from triangles, similar to a crystal structure. Any forces applied to such a symmetrical grid are distributed optimally to adjacent surfaces and edges.

These lightweight elements can be manufactured to any scale, from any materials and in any form – including those appropriate for wind turbines. The resulting reduced weight of the tower would allow the foundation to be simplified. And the lower weight of the rotor would result in lower bearing loads and therefore reduced wear and greater efficiency in the entire turbine. The reduced amounts of materials required would also reduce production costs. Individual segments can easily be joined together, simplifying both transportation and erection.

In collaboration with the machinery manufacturer Voith, the Audi engineers are setting up the industrial-scale manufacture of fibre-reinforced materials for the series production of cars; their main goal is to develop a fully automatic process chain. With series production their ultimate target, both partners are devoting themselves not only to the creation of processing engineering and mass production methods for conventional fibre-reinforced plastics but also to the development of new and innovative high-tech materials.

The long flap of the folding top cover and the large rear side panels of the Audi R8 GT Spyder are made from CFRP. (Photo: Audi)

To date, Audi has only used CFRPs in its high-priced super sports cars such as the Audi R8 GT Spyder. The long flap of the folding top cover and the large rear side panels of the recently launched 560 PS version of the sports car are made from CFRP. The material is also used in the modified front spoiler, in the fixed rear spoiler and in the new rear bumper. These components account for total weight savings of 5.5 kilograms.

“Low-fat vehicles” featuring fibre composites will also be highlighted at the international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair, to be held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Essen. The BMW partner SGL Carbon will be there to demonstrate its expertise. The company supplies the carbon fibres for the Megacity Vehicle. This is the first time in which CFRP parts have been used in large-scale series production. This takes the company a step closer to producing affordable lightweight vehicles suitable for mass production based on fibre composites – putting BMW a nose ahead in the technology race. This is shown by the efforts of the rivals who are doing all they can to catch up. Take Audi, for example: it has set up an interdisciplinary carbon fibre research unit at its Neckarsulm plant aimed at adapting the CFRP technology processes for use in series production. The sister marque Lamborghini has also set up a research unit for carbon fibre technologies at the new Advanced Composites Research Center (ACRC) in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

Q: Please introduce yourself – who are you, what are your responsibilities at Scheurer Design & Eng.?

A: I worked as F1-Composite Engineer during the past 10 years. My career started at Sauber. 2005 I moved to  Toyota F1 based in Cologne. 2009 I launched my own company Scheurer Design & Eng. My current role is CEO and CAD-Designer.

Q:  Could you give us a quick overview of Scheurer Design & Eng.?

A: We do mainly CAD-Service, Composite Design, Production Support. Our main business is motorsport. We’re currently involved in two F1 Teams and different LeMans Teams. Next to them we do interesting projects in the marine sector. We work very close with our production partner “Germa Composite”. In this way we’re able to deliver high quality composite products to our customer.

Q: What kind of projects have you undertaken for clients?

A: Mecca Clock Tower (Carbon Clock Hands & Crescent)
     Lotus F1 car design
     …the ongoing projects are confidential

 Q: How did you come to be involved in the Mecca clock project and what challenges have your experienced with this project?

A: The German CEO Hannes Waimer of Premier Composite Technologies based in   Dubai  contracted us. We started with designing the up to 23m long carbon fiber clock hands. This project included mould design, composite engineering, ply flattening and we provided ply books for the shop floor. 2010 Premier called us to support them doing the biggest Crescent ever been built. The size of the mould was similar to a big yacht mould. The most challenging thing on this project was simply the size of the parts. It was a great experience for us to see what’s possible with using composite materials.

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

A: It would be great to see more composite material in the architecture sector. Light and  strong is what we need if we like to  have buildings up to one  kilometer high in the future.

Q:  Please, name some of your favourite composite  components?

A: Oxeon’s TexTreme carbon fabric! Great material and it looks good.

Q: Finally, are you looking forward to the Composites  Show in Stuttgart?

A: It’s a great show. Good solution to meet interesting people.

The International AVK Conference in the ICS International Congress Center Stuttgart has a brand new concept.

In two series of lectures, prominent experts offer their insights into the many and diverse applications for fibre reinforced plastics. In order to reflect the needs of the different interest groups even more closely at the conference, the two series are divided into thematic blocks presented by executives and technology specialists respectively.

The speakers will focus on current developments and innovations in technologies, materials and new processes as well as on the general condition of the GRP and CRP market.
Some of the fascinating lectures include:

• “Structural lightweight applications made from thermoplastic composites” by Joachim Graefe, Quadrant Plastic Composites AG
• “Thermoplastic composites for the A350 XWB” by Dr. Klaus Edelmann, Airbus Operations GmbH.
• Dr. Walter Aichholzer of Mercedes-Benz talks about the SMC decklid used in the premium automotive segment.

AVK represents the interests of all companies and institutions in the value chain involving components made of fibre-reinforced plastics and engineering thermosets

In a special lecture block “Research for practical application” professors from renowned universities and institutes report on trends, comparative studies of materials, series manufacturing applications and the wide range of design possibilities offered by fibre reinforced plastics.
The conference closes with a panel discussion titled “The future of fiber composites and plastics in the automotive sector” in which well-known participants from the automotive industry and its suppliers consider the current state of technology.

Have a look at the AVK conference programme now here.

You can register online here.

The Airbus A320 NEO is to be launched in 2015 and consumes 15 percent less fuel than the current model (photo: Airbus/Fixion).

The undisputed top model was the Airbus A320 NEO. The medium-haul aircraft featuring a new type of engine (NEO = New Engine Option) is to be launched in 2015 and its fuel consumption will be roughly 15 percent lower than that of the current model. One order placed by the Malaysian budget airline Air Asia attracted a great deal of attention: the airline ordered 200 Airbus A320 NEOs to the value of EUR 12.8 billion – the largest single order in the history of the EADS subsidiary.

The fact that the low-consumption aircraft is in such demand is due in part to its consistent use of fibre-reinforced composites to reduce weight. Components made from aramid fibre-reinforced plastics are used, for example, for the lower fuselage panelling. In addition, the front edge of the tail fin and the panelling covering the transition from the fuselage to the tail fin are made of glass fibre-reinforced plastic. The rest of the tail unit and most of the flaps are constructed from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The A320 is therefore the first production civil aircraft in which this material is used for the entire tail unit.

Numerous Airbus suppliers will be coming together at the international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair in Stuttgart from 27 to 29 September 2011, underlining the significance of the event as a platform for fibre-reinforced composite solutions for the aerospace industry. Fibre placement systems and tape laying systems from MAG, for instance, are used for the production of fuselage parts, wing elements, turbine casings, stabilisers and other structural elements. The Preiss-Daimler group in partnership with Diehl Aircabin produces body shell parts for both Airbus and Boeing from glass fibre mesh and plastics using an innovative processing method.

SGL Carbon is also investing in this field. At the end of May the company opened an ultramodern pilot plant for researching into further potential applications for carbon fibres in the aerospace industry. The EUR 11 million facility is a central part of the “AirCarbon” project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Technology (BMWi) in which, for the first time in Europe, industrial partners headed by the SGL Group are working specifically to develop carbon fibre reinforced innovations for the aerospace industry.

With ColorForm, multiple-component parts - including those made from fibre-reinforced plastics - can be coated in a single process to give them a high-quality surface - as seen in this tool case.

The latest development here is a process called ColorForm which the machinery producer KraussMaffei, the tool engineering specialist Hofmann and the surface systems producer Panadur, have developed. The combination of ColorForm and LFI (long fibre injection) technology allows large components to be made with glass fibre reinforcement; the shiny surfaces are created directly in a single process in a closed mould.

In conventional coating methods, the products have to be cleaned and in some cases primed or masked separately. The newly developed technique permits coating processes which offer superior time, energy and cost-efficiency. The solution is an interdisciplinary fusion of technologies which includes injection moulding and reaction engineering. It permits single-stage manufacture of multiple component parts with extra functions, optimised haptic properties and a high-quality surface.

The solvent-free, highly reactive material is injected into the mould using a high pressure injection method. The carrier material, e.g. polyurethane, epoxy or polyester resin, is then introduced to the open or closed mould to create an adhesive bond with the coating material. Composites are ideal here for reducing weight. At the end of the reaction time the moulded part is removed from the mould. The result is a part with a shiny, matt or textured finish, depending on the mould.

KraussMaffei and Panadur are just two of the project partners appearing at the exhibition for fibre composite solutions, the Composites Europe (CE). The international trade fair is to be held from 27 to 29 September 2011 in Stuttgart. Lightweight materials for consumer goods figure prominently and numerous companies will be presenting their latest developments in this field.

I just got information that in 2011 AVK-conference set up a new new concept.

Compressed into two lecture series high-level speakers inform about various applications of fiber reinforced plastics. Thematically, the two series be divided into decision-makers and technicians blocks. In this way the needs of stakeholders are met even more.

• Structural lightweight applications of thermoplastic composites by Joachim Graefe, Quadrant Plastic Composites AG
• Carbon-thermoplastic manufacturing for the A350 XWB – From Idea to Series Production by Dr. Klaus Edelmann, Airbus Operations Ltd.
• SMC tailgate, which are used in automotive premium segment by Dr. Walter Aichholzer, Mercedes-Benz.

These are just some Topics for 2011 convention. As I am a big supporter of panel discussions I am looking forward to this: “Future prospects of fiber reinforced plastics in the automotive”.
Stuttgart is well known for Automotive so I guess there will be some interesting heads discussing this.

See you there!

More Information:
International AVK-Conference
26. bis 27. September 2011
ICS Internationalen Congresscenter, Stuttgart
http://www.avk-tv.de/