COMPOSITES EUROPE 2010 Blog

Following double-figure annual growth rates posted in recent years, the global economic crisis put the brakes on the rapid growth of wood-plastics-composites (WPCs) in 2009. But only temporarily as, according to the AVK (Federation of Reinforced Plastics) experts, these materials have the potential to act as substitutes for glass fibres and, thanks to their specific areas of application, can help open up entirely new markets.  In 2007 the WPC market volume for Europe as a whole was 120,000 tonnes. In contrast to many markets which are already saturated, there is potential for strong growth here.

Experts are predicting that biopolymers (polymers based on starch, cellulose and PLA) will Read Full Post

When the new Airbus A350 XWB (XWB stands for eXtra Wide Body) takes off on its maiden flight in two years time, this will also represent a milestone for the composites industry. 50% of the fuselage of the wide-bodied aircraft, which is being developed as a competitor to the Boeing 787, is made of composite materials. Last summer, Airbus purchased Read Full Post

The significance of wind energy is increasing throughout Europe.

A study carried out by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) shows that capacity increased by just under 20% to almost 65,000 megawatts in 2008. The possibility for growth is Read Full Post

The first is 2.59 meters long with an efficient electric motor designed for nipping round towns and cities (top speed 120 km/h).

The second is a luxury sports car delivering Read Full Post

Fibre composites for the sports and leisure sectors are also one of the main features from 14 to 16 September 2010 at the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair, at which numerous exhibitors will also present solutions for sporting applications.  

One of these is Saertex GmbH & Co. KG from Saerbeck.  The company produces so-called non-crimp multi-ply fabrics.  These are characterized by Read Full Post

2009 was also a difficult year for the processors of fibre composites.  According to the information given by the Federation of Reinforced Plastics (AVK), the demand for and the production of duroplastic SMC and BMC components was determined by market developments in the main automobile and electronic applications. 

The “Envirez” material from Ashland Performance Materials is used in boatbuilding (Photo: Ashland).

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Während des Dritten Deutschen WPC-Kongresses war ein besonderer Höhepunkt die Vergabe des WPC-Innovationspreises, der weitere neue Anwendungen offenbarte.

Um den WPC-Innovationspreis 2009, der von der Firma Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG (Troisdorf) gesponsert wurde, hatten sich 15 Unternehmen beworben, die im Jahr 2009 ein neues WPC-Produkt auf den Markt gebracht hatten. Eine Jury aus Sponsoren, Partnern des Kongresses und Mitarbeitern des nova-Instituts nominierte drei Unternehmen für den Preis. Auf dem Kongress stellte jedes Unternehmen sein Produkt in einem Kurzvortrag vor, anschließend wählte das Publikum den Sieger:

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Steigender Absatz von Holz-Polymer-Werkstoffen (Wood Plastic Composites) auch in der Wirtschaftskrise. Der Dritte Deutsche WPC-Kongress in Köln (2. und 3. Dezember) kann sich mit 300 Teilnehmern aus 26 Ländern sowie 30 Ausstellern als europäischer Leitkongress der Branche weiter etablieren.

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With new themes, new special forums and a 15-percent increase in exhibitor numbers, the COMPOSITES EUROPE 2009 specialist fair is gaining momentum. At its fourth edition to be held from 27 to 29 October in Stuttgart, more than 300 exhibitors will present technologies and products covering the entire value creation chain of fibre-reinforced plastics. The spotlight will be on innovative solutions for important application industries such as vehicle construction, aircraft construction and aerospace as well as the building and construction sector.

Key players of the industry such as AOC Resins, Exel Composites and Huntsman will once again be present in Stuttgart. In Krauss-Maffei, RAMPF Tooling, Henkel, DSM Composites Resins, Carbon Composites e.V., Zoltek and Cam Elyaf, however, COMPOSITES EUROPE could also win major new exhibitors this year. The organisers succeeded in bringing almost the entire sector of automated cutting to Stuttgart with Gerber Technology, Lectra, Expert Systemtechnik, Topcut-Bullmer and Zünd Systemtechnik AG.

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Despite the increase in production capacities, the demand for carbon fibres continues to be far greater than the supply. This is evident from the annual market survey by the AVK – Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V. The worldwide capacity in 2007 is estimated to have been 55,000 tons. The applications are multifarious and consist primarily of the sports sector, wind energy, the oil industry, the automobile and transport sector as well as civil engineering. By 2010, an annual increase in the demand for CRP is predicted to be between 14 and 16 per cent. This is due to the development of new applications over and above the previous use. Current new developments can be found, e.g. with hydrogen tanks, although the main application continues to be aviation. Experts think that even though fibre production will experience a double-digit increase as expected, there will continue to be bottlenecks at least in the medium-term. Read Full Post