How to reduce the cost of composite materials

China Coatings Online News: What has boeing
done in the past four years to reduce the cost of composite materials? The REFROM project is part of the "Factory of the Future" programme in the EU's seventh framework research programme, involving nine enterprises from five countries and four research organizations from different countries, with the aim of increasing the use of fiber-reinforced composites to replace metals in the transport and construction industries. Boeing and the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Research (AMRC) at the University of Sheffield in the UK have completed a four-year European REFROM research project that has developed new technologies that reduce the cost and environmental impact of the use of composite materials and are now in production.
According to experts from China Epoxy Network (China Epoxy Industry Online), the project can achieve energy savings of more than 50% in some processes, reduce production costs by more than 45%, and increase the recovery rate of certain consumables and raw materials to 95%. "The project focuses on four areas - forming, processing, assembly and recycling - to ensure that the benefits from one area do not lead to waste and inexication elsewhere," says THEFORM Coordinator from AMRC. The project has resulted in a range of new technologies that can be used by industry and can make a significant contribution to reducing the cost and environmental impact of composite use. "The use of laser-aided straps and augmented reality in forming significantly reduces energy requirements, debris, time and labor costs. As a result, paving systems with advanced controls are currently being commercialized for composite manufacturers. The component's water-flow processing research resulted in a 95% recovery of water and abrasives, reducing processing and delivery time and debris by 75%.
new recycling, cutting head, positioning and fixture systems, as well as a new water jet nozzle that can achieve twice the cutting speed with the same energy, will be commercialized for industry. Through the project's assembly work, industry will also benefit from the development of modular, lightweight, reconstructable composite fixtures and tooling, which will reduce manufacturing time by 70%, save 90% on cutting tooling costs, and reduce the time and cycle of expansion. According to Experts from China Epoxy Network (China Epoxy Resin Industry Online), as one of the research results, debris materials can now be recycled and converted into sheets for use in the production of parts, new workwear, fixtures, and any application that requires plates and assemblies. At the same time, the work of laminate and fiber recycling methods has succeeded in producing recycled materials with 80% energy saving and only one-fifth of the cost of raw fibers.
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