Loading ...Summer is always a hot time of year, but many places around the country are suffering unusually-scorching heat waves. It’s the perfect time to stay inside and work with composites, maybe with these new products.
No top hat needed here, as Scott Bader has upgraded its new Crystic Fireguard 75PA intumescent topcoat. The new Excel version of the product offers better fire-retardant properties and significant handling improvements, yet is still cured with a standard MEKP catalyst (2 percent addition by weight). It has been used for interior parts in buildings, rail and other public transport vehicles, as well as in the marine sector where it is used to protect the engine compartments of both pleasure craft and working boats. The company says upgrades in the Excel edition include improved consistency and cure, with much better handle ability. The upgraded product has been implemented by such companies as Wright Composites, which incorporated it into a range of different bus parts which can go up to 10 sq. meters in size.
Plataine is not softening its efforts in composites as it unveils its FabricOptimizer software for composite parts manufacturers. FabricOptimizer is part of Plataine’s Total Production Optimization (TPO) product suite that offers composite parts manufacturers an integrated solution for dynamic nesting, optimized material-selection and cut-planning. Integrated to the manufacturer’s ERP/MRP and CAD systems, TPO creates ready-to-cut production plans by optimally selecting the composite fabric rolls to use, and generating the optimal nests for each roll. TPO achieves this by matching the orders’ due dates and product quantities with actual inventory data (such as material expiration date, width & length). TPO also considers the full order plan for additional optimization opportunities. In addition to optimizing daily operations, the company says TPO now enables manufacturers to use FabricOptimizer as a cost estimation tool for bids and RFQs.
Ritchey keeps on riding along with the launch of new lightweight road materials. The SuperLogic wheels have 46mm deep aero rims with glass-reinforced Scrim sidewalls to cope with the heat of hard and/or prolonged braking and to prevent rim deformation. The hubs are cold forged Ritchey SuperLogics with new SKF bearings, the rear one featuring a forged six-pawl micro-clutch freehub body for fast engagement when you kick the cranks round. The company is also releasing bar designs in carbon fiber and alloy. The WCS Carbon Curve comes in a shallow drop (128mm) and short reach (73mm) that the company says suit riders looking for a slightly more upright than normal, back-friendly ride position.
Sometimes, it takes more than one set of minds to make the best product. With that in mind, Goodrich Corporation and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics are teaming to design and develop polymer matrix composite (PMC) landing gear drag braces for the F-35 Lightning II. In addition, Goodrich signed an agreement with Netherlands-based Fokker Landing Gear for the supply of PMC drag braces for the F-35′s main landing gear. Goodrich is the exclusive landing gear system supplier and integrator for the F-35. Under the three-year agreement, Goodrich and Fokker will work together to design, qualify and produce prototype PMC drag braces to be incorporated into the main landing gear for F-35 conventional take-off/landing (CTOL) and short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) variants. The companies say that compared to the metallic drag brace equivalent, using PMC materials will result in reduced weight and lower maintenance costs over the life of the F-35.
