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Kevin Bialas - Product Development and Engineering Manager, Composite Resources
Kevin Bialas has over 17 years experience working with composites. He has worked primarily as a process engineer in the motorsports sector with such firms as Downing Atlanta, Elan Motorsports, Riley Technologies, and USF1. He was recently hired by Composite Resources, a firm that offers design, prototype and manufacturing of composite solutions for clients in a variety of industries, including motorsports.
What will you do in your new position?
I manage a staff which focuses on product development and process engineering. We work with all different types of customers, ranging from independent inventors to motorsport firms and even the military. We take their ideas for products they want to make and create building prototypes and also design tooling for production manufacturing so that we can take their products into real production beyond just making 1 to 2 parts.
Are there any challenges moving from design to manufacturing?
The biggest thing is coming up with a design that can actually be manufactured. Many people have come across situations where something looks great in computer-aided design (CAD) but they can’t actually manufacture it. Or even if they can make it, it’s not really optimized for production. You can spend a lot of time making one or two parts, but a lot of times we make small changes to a part that can have a huge impact on how easy it is to produce. It can go from a 10 to 15 a month part production to thousands per month with a design change. It just depends on the individual job, but that’s one of the big things we look at, to make sure customers are designing something to be manufactured in a manner to suit their end use. Sometimes their component might be a low-volume part not able to produce thousands of, but other times they want to make it as easy to produce as possible.
Are there manufacturing methods unique to motorsports?
I don’t think they’re necessarily unique to motorsports. They do a lot of vacuum bag and autoclave curing. There’s also some use of trapped rubber molding and bladder molding. These processes are used in other industries as well, but I think the biggest thing with motorsports is that they’ll take on the challenges of making complex parts out of composite materials, sometimes more so than other industries.
Why do they take on those challenges?
There are fewer limits in motorsports. Typically there are fewer budgetary constraints; it’s more about what is the best way to produce the part. It might be more economical to produce it as a fabricated metal part, but to really optimize the part for a motorsport application, to save the most weight and still have it be functional—composites are the way to go. In Formula One, it’s par for the course to make suspension members and gear box cases out of composites. But you won’t see that on a road car. For those applications, there are budgetary constraints.
Will we ever see composites in those products on a road car?
As composite processing gets more automated and becomes more cost-effective, it’s a possibility in the future. Do I think it’s two years away? Probably not.
Why is that adoption so distant?
It’s primarily due to those budget constraints. The processes being used to create those products are very labor-intensive. Trying to produce a component like that for a road car will remain way too expensive until more automated processes are developed.
What work is being done with automated processes?
I don’t know specifically for that application. Composite manufacturers, as well as automotive companies, are trying to come up with new ideas and materials and process methods to combat that issue. With more government regulation pushing higher fuel economy, composites will help in lowering weight and increasing efficiency. So there are steps being taken in that direction.
How much business does the motorsport industry generate for composites companies?
I don’t know a specific percentage, but it’s certainly a small percentage. For companies like ACG or Hexcel or Cytec, the amount of prepreg they sell into motorsport versus industries like aerospace is miniscule by comparison.
What lessons can manufacturers apply from motorsports into mainstream automotive?
One of the biggest lessons, and I think they’ve learned it but it’s just a matter of implementing it, is shaving weight for fuel economy. I think one of the other things they can take a note from is that you can do more than just a skin on the car. You can make structural parts of the car, things typically made from steel or aluminum, and legitimately substitute composites. It could be anything from a roof panel to a chassis to internal bumper structures. It’s just a matter of finding economical processing methods.
What other markets represent strong opportunities for composites?
There are many different things that could utilize composites. We’re just scratching the surface of using composites in infrastructure and construction. I know there are companies building everything from I-beams to bridge girders, but I think of all the construction work going on currently, a small percentage are utilizing composites. This is not to say they aren’t using composites at all, but it’s overall a small percentage and there’s potential for growth.
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