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.

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.

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

COMPOSITES CHINA will be held for the first time from 13 to 15 July 2011 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre. The objective of COMPOSITES CHINA is to cater to the requirements of the market. The demand for composites in China has been growing for years and is particularly pronounced in the application industries wind power, automotive construction, aviation and shipping. Today, China is the world’s largest market in the construction of wind parks.
Similar to COMPOSITES EUROPE in Dusseldorf, the trade fair in Shanghai will be held in combination with ALUMINIUM CHINA which has developed into one of the most important meeting places for the Asian aluminium industry since 2006. The network of specialist fairs in the materials sector will be rounded off by the MAGNESIUM trade fair which will also celebrate its premiere in 2011. The combination of trade fairs will generate synergies for the visitors from the major application industries for the respective materials.

Get more Information:  http://www.facebook.com/composites
http://www.industrialmaterials.com.cn/Composites-China/

In February 2009, the third generation of the permanently occupied Neumayer research station in the Antarctic inaugurated, with the target, to gather long-term and precise data of climate, geophysics and environment in the Antarctic. The operation is designed for 25-30 years, the entire project will cost 39 million €.Besides the main directions of meteorology, geophysics and atmospheric chemistry that are researched since the 1980s, there have been five years, research on infrasound and since 2005 on marine acoustics. All interior rooms of the station are composed of containers which are conjoined with each other, without adjacent inside walls or with a gangway connecting passage, depending on the room size and which all are adjacent to a central connecting passage. All bottoms, ceilings and walls of these living containers have been bonded with COSMOPUR 890/805 to a high strength connection onto the steel frame. The produced container has to withstand a load of 3.000 kg (certified by the “Germanische Lloyd”), cold resistance up to -60°C with sufficient flexibility and flame retardant properties of the adhesive according to Wheelmark (verification certificate of SEE-BG). COSMOPUR 890 / 805 by Weiss Chemie + Technik fulfils all these conditions.

Weiss Chemie + Technik is a producer of adhesives and special cleaners for the manufacturing of PVC-, aluminium- and wood windows and doors.
They furthermore offer a wide range of products for the fields of industry, automotive, navy and trade. Meet them at COMPOSITES EUROPE in Essen  show (14-16 September 2010) in Hall 10-11/C04.

Webcams at Neumayer Station III: http://www.awi.de/NM_WebCam/

The effects that composites have on the environment are also subject to scrutiny.  In response to this trend the AVK (Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V. (The Association of Reinforced Plastics)) took the initiative and formed a “Sustainability” team last year. The objective is to create a platform to discuss experiences and to learn more about the real impact composites are having on the environment and in turn the risks and opportunities they present us with. It is hoped that an evaluation of composites as an eco-efficient solution will be the outcome.

Gabriel Thomas from Ticona GmbH, also The Managing Director of the AVK and Ben Drogt from DSM Composite Resins are the initiators of this team. 
The International AVK Conference traditionally marks the beginning of the COMPOSITES EUROPE.  This is the place where 500 international experts spend two days talking about relevant subjects regarding fibre-reinforced materials.

Also exhibiting at CE 2010 is the French company Nidaplast Composites, the designer of extruded polypropylene honeycomb materials, and who is a leader in terms of sustainable development.  Nidaplast’s goal is the reduction of greenhouse emissions and will therefore reveal a “CO2 balance sheet” for the first time showing the level of CO2 emitted during the life-time of thermo-plastic honeycomb structures.

The honeycombs are light-weight (95% hollow space) and are sandwiched between two panels, thereby making this sandwich structure economical and environmentally friendly. “Nidaplast honeycombs provide advantages for the protection of the environment: firstly their consumption of raw materials is low, and secondly they are lightweight. These factors contribute to lowering the level of greenhouse gases emitted during manufacture and also during transport,” explains Luc Nuttens, the company’s Head of Product Development.

The “CO2 balance sheet” confirms Nidapast’s commitment to providing its clients with solutions in the field of environmentally-friendly design. The “CO2 balance-sheet” was developed by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency ADEME and is a standardised method for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions resulting directly or indirectly from an activity.

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.

Experts are predicting that biopolymers (polymers based on starch, cellulose and PLA) will substitute roughly three to five percent of the roughly 15 million tonnes of plastics processed annually in Europe by the packaging industry in the next few years. In Europe, the annual demand for roughly 450,000 to 750,000 tonnes has been met by a supply of less than 200,000 tonnes.

Germany in particular, however, is investing in expanding capacities. The first industrial PLA production plant in Europe is currently being set up in Guben in Brandenburg. The target of the Pyramid Bioplastics Guben GmbH project is to establish production facilities with a total capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year by mid 2012. The company has invested almost EUR 100 million in constructing the planned plant and facilities.

A “Biopolymer Application Centre” is also being established in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institut for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) in Golm. A further project, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), was also launched last year to investigate the use of biomass material in the form of biopolymers. The aim is to substitute synthetic polymers in packaging materials and foams using new techniques, and to create polymer and fibre additives with sought-after material properties. The results should be available by the middle of 2012.

The AVK experts are well aware of the development potential of the bio-materials. Sustainability and new materials will be the main topics of the discussion to be held by roughly 500 international experts expected at the international AVK Conference. This traditionally forms the start of the Composites Europe (CE) trade fair.