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.

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.

Part 2:

Food safe insulator
Sandwich elements feature exceptional insulation characteristics when a fiber-reinforced composite (GRP) is combined with PU or XPS foam. The decisive factor in this respect is the composite material’s low thermal conductivity, which also gives it a distinct advantage over steel sheeting and aluminum. It can thus be used to build effectively insulated refrigerated containers and refrigerated vehicle bodies. For example, the insulation effect in a sandwich element consisting of two-millimeter thick layers of GRP and a fifty-millimeter thick layer of polyurethane foam can be compared with that of a forty-millimeter thick cavity block wall. As the material is also optionally produced with a pore-free surface, it can also be used for temperature-controlled transportation, haulage of foodstuffs and in vending trucks. Fitted as an interior face sheet, it can be very easily cleaned and leaves no residues and is thus able to comply with strict hygiene requirements. LAMILUX fiber-reinforced composites are also food safe, which means they do not release toxic substances into foodstuffs. This quality is substantiated by test certifications.

Highly resistant and an attractive surface finish
In addition to these important features, LAMILUX materials also excel due to their long service life and their durability. When used as a component in sandwich elements, they provide such an efficient stabilizing effect that side walls and floors are easily able to withstand the high compressive and flexural stresses experienced in the trucking industry. GRP roofing will also not be dented as a result of a heavy hailstorm. Another advantage lies in the fact that if damage should still occur, even on a large scale due to an accident, the damaged parts can be easily repaired or whole GRP sections can be replaced. Excellent resistance to UV light, weathering and corrosion also ensure a long service life and color fastness. These outstanding characteristics have been demonstrated by extensive, internationally recognized test methods such as the XENO test, long-term weathering tests, and the salt spray test in compliance with DIN EN ISO 9227.
In addition to these physical and chemical properties, fiber-reinforced composites also impress due to their attractive surface finish. Besides high-gloss and high-grade finishes, the material can be manufactured in a variety of colors, such as those in the RAL and NCS color systems, or customer-specific colors. GRP offers the advantage that color particles are worked directly into the material during the production process. As a result, applying a subsequent paint finish is unnecessary. Moreover, the surface won’t chip due to corrosion or mechanical effects, unlike conventional paint finishes on steel sheeting or aluminum.

Up to 92% of the fuselage of the A350 XWB aircraft will consist of composites made using the “Viper” machines.  These parts account for over 50% of the structure’s weight. 14 other MAG composites plants are also in use at Airbus and its European partners – four “Viper” and ten “Charger” ATL tape laying systems which are deployed to produce body parts, wing elements, jet engine casings, stabilisers and other structural components for the A320, A330, A340, A380 and A400M models.

MAG will be one of the exhibitors at the international Composites Europe (CE) trade fair, to be held from 14 to 16 September 2010 in Essen. Composite materials for the aerospace industry will play a major role here, with numerous companies servicing this segment.  Flugzeug-Union Süd GmbH (FUS) is one example; it supplies materials like vacuum films, separating foils, tear-off fabrics, liquid separating agents, sealing tapes and absorbent non-wovens to nearly all the major producers in the aviation industry. These are used to produce e.g. horizontal stabilisers and fins, wings, landing flaps, radomes, pressure bulkheads, interior fittings, doors, rotor blades and fuselage segments.

Tajima GmbH is presenting its machine technology for preform manufacture. Its TFP machines are distinguished by the fact that the fibres – be they CRP, GRP, or aramid – are arranged in the same way as later in the component itself. The size of the laying field, the number of heads and the fixing device for the carrier material can be individually adapted.  The Tajima machines are used to produce structural frame parts and also parts of the aircraft skin.

The Krempel group supplies prepreg materials with thermosetting and thermoplastic matrix systems, complex fibre-reinforced components, filament-winding tubes, extruded plastic profiles and plates to the aerospace industry. The composite materials have been fitted in different types of Airbuses for over 20 years now. The handles of the emergency exits in the Airbus A 320, for example, are made from Wacosit profiles manufactured by Krempel.

Roughly 100 customers in the aviation industry use adhesives, laminating resins and self-extinguishing materials in aircraft interiors supplied by Axson GmbH. Thanks to their self-extinguishing properties these materials are ideally suited for this purpose. A further company active in this field is Huntsman. The company has developed a new nano-hardened epoxy adhesive paste with good mechanical properties for joining and piecing together metal and composite aircraft structures.

For those who cannot wait until the technology show in Essen, an event will be held in just two months focusing on the latest developments in the aerospace industry. Aerospace Testing, Europe’s leading get-together for the aerospace industry, will be held from 18 to 20 May in Hamburg. The event brings together experienced developers and the leading trade suppliers: plenty of valuable technical information will be on offer.

The second is a luxury sports car delivering  570 PS and accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds. It can achieve speeds of up to 325 km/h. The third combines both characteristics in a 4×4 electric roadster delivering 640 Nm. All three – the Rinspeed UC, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and the Protoscar Lampo2 – have one thing in common: they are lightweight, fuel-saving and were all unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Autosalon motor show. Their low weight and fuel consumption are possible thanks to the use of fibre composites.

Weighing only 1,340 kilograms, even the Lamborghini consumes just 13.5 litres over 100 kilometres – a very low figure for a sports car. This is scarcely surprising as “Superleggera” means “super light” – the low weight being achieved by the extensive use of exterior and interior components made from carbon-fibre reinforced plastics. The Swiss engineers at Rinspeed enlisted the services of Esoro AG to help them complete the UC project. Esoro manufactures car parts weighing up to 30% less than their steel equivalents using their new E-LFT process. The eye-catching body of the Lampo2 with its striking rear wheel fenders is also made from composites.

Numerous exhibitors at the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair – including Spheretex GmbH from Hilden and First Composites GmbH from Neuwied – are actively involved in the automotive industry and will be presenting their new products for this sector.

Spheretex has a flat textile base made from woven, knitted or fabric-type fibres which is volumised by embedding thermoplastic microspheres. It is the core product of Spheretex. The resulting end products include side walls, floors, air deflectors, bumpers, flaps, doors and alcoves fitted in mobile homes, caravans, trucks and buses. In cars and SUVs the Spheretex material is used primarily in floor assemblies, spoilers, accessories and interior parts. Hand lay-up laminate, wet pressing, vacuum infusion, RTM and RTM-light are the main production methods used.

First Composites is involved in the production of Class A surfaces in integrated parts, i.e. sandwich structures incorporating sight carbon for the automotive industry. The company has specialised in the RTM process. The focus here lies on complex components which emerge more or less ready for assembly from the mould. Over the last few years it has built up the necessary expertise both in prototype production – such as show cars or concept vehicles – and also in the production of small and medium-size series.

The stick was used by the Swiss Team at the Hockey World Championship 2009 and was also praised by the Russian, Austrian, Latvian and French teams.  The new, patented nanotechnology provides the hockey stick with its specific strength and thus improves its impact characteristics as well as its reaction where bending, resistance and torsion are concerned.  In addition, the energy released by the player is passed directly and efficiently to the puck due to the one-piece design.

New OLED markets for Araldite® Highly Flexible Composite, HFC
For the first time you can see how Huntsman is helping the Organic Light Emitting Devices, OLEDs, market to broaden its market. Huntsman has in conjunction with the Philips Holst Centre won a major award for its Araldite® HFC for a new multi-layered composite foil. This composite foil combines OLED technology with the award winning Araldite® HFC to open up an enormous range of new generation lighting and signage design opportunities.

Designers have the scope to create lighting and signage in shapes and forms that will not shatter or splinter on impact on a scale that has never before been possible. Plus the composite foil has the potential to be 70% more energy efficient and is more environmentally friendly than other light sources.

Corporate logos, brand names or warning signs can be creatively displayed on the spoilers of sports cars or motorbikes. Interior designers can add light sources on to flat carbon surfaces on furniture, aerospace and car interiors. And for the fashion conscious designer, he can add style and safety features to items such as skis, snowboards and yachts. The list is endless.

Ground breaking Fuel Cell Resins
Two new awarding fuel cell resins for lighter weight ground breaking graphite composite fuel cell bipolar plates offer significant benefits. The resin for cars is based on benzoxazine and the resin for back-up power and stationary power applications is based on bismaleimide. Every major manufacturer in the world is considering how best to utilise fuel cell technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the reliance on fossils fuels and these new resins represent the way forward.

Materials to meet new solar technology demands
Huntsman is exhibiting a range of materials suitable for the solar energy market. This is a market with unique requirements where products may have to withstand high temperatures. Materials on display include Araldite® 2015 which is used in heat removal devices which improve solar panels efficiency.

Nanotechnology improves performance
Araldite® EP1000, the patented new concept based on nanotechnology which significantly improves fracture resistance without affecting other properties. It is ideal for the aerospace sector. Also there is Araldite® nanotech toughened RTM – the extremely small size of the nanostructures coupled with their extremely high surface-to-volume ratios leads to improved performance factors such as strength, stiffness and wear resistance. It has been used for high impact sports sectors such as at ice hockey world championships.

Huntsman working with Busch S.A. has developed a world beating “one piece” hockey stick which was used by the Swiss team at the recent world Ice Hockey Championships and is now being considered by other world ice hockey teams such as Russia, Austria and France.

New building blocks added to the Araldite® Epoxy Resin Range
The first building block is Araldite® MY 816. This bi-functional resin based on a Naphthalene backbone presents good balance between temperature resistance and toughness together with lower water uptake and good flame resistance. The second new Araldite® building block is Araldite ® MY0610 which is a high purity version of the now famous meta-aminophenol based, trifunctional epoxy resin Araldite ® MY0600.

Araldite ® MY0610 provides the same features as Araldite® MY0600. It increases modulus, increases toughness compared to other multifunctional resins, whilst it also shows improved stability on storage and much lower viscosity. Those two new building blocks are added to a range of specialty epoxy resins suited for making high performance formulations intended for composites parts manufacturing in high end applications such as Aerospace and Formula One Racing.

Latest additions to the Araldite 2000+ range
Also on show are the recent additions to the Araldite® 2000 Plus range which include the latest polyurethane adhesives with their ability to bond plastics and a new methacrylate adhesive which because it requires minimal surface treatment is ideal in dynamic environments such as boats and for road and rail transportation.

Consequently, the American Tesla Roadster has everything a sports car needs, apart from the sound. This is now being provided by BRABUS, the German tuning specialists. The company from Bottrop and its Zero Emissions Division, is cooperating with Tesla Motors Inc., and is providing the sports car with an appropriate soundscape.  For this, the electricians developed a so-called space sound generator, which can imitate the sound of a V8, a racing car or various fantasy sounds. The intensity of the sound matches the current performance of the electric motor.

To keep the weight low, the body rests on a stuck aluminium frame and consists of glass fibre reinforced plastic.  Consequently, the 4.0 metre long sports car only weighs around 1,240 kilograms. This demonstrates the increasing importance of composite fibres for automobile construction. At the Composites Europe Trade Fair, which will take place in Stuttgart from 27 to 29 October 2009, this trend will also dominate the presentations of numerous exhibitors.

For example Dieffenbacher GmbH + Co. KG from Eppingen has developed a process in a joint project with Esoro AG, Weber Fibertech, Smart GmbH as well as Acts GmbH & Co. KG, which is used in the manufacture of the tailgate for the Smart. E-LFT stands for Endless-fibre-reinforced Long-Fibre Thermoplastic and is a further development of the long-fibre thermoplastic direct process which eliminates the costly production of semi-finished goods.

The basis is a structure of long-fibre thermoplastic which provides designers with virtual freedom in their designs. In the process, the reinforcing fibres are drawn into the already molten plastic matrix as endless rovings. Consequently, the component gains stability, which is essential where crash safety is concerned. In addition, the function elements can be directly integrated in the process, which eliminates the assembly and testing stages.