TenCate Advanced Composites feature latest advances in advanced composite material technology

TenCate Advanced Composites, a leading global developer and manufacturer of advanced composite materials, will highlight their latest developments in composite material technologies for aerospace and high performance industrial markets during JEC World 2018.

TenCate's Expert Services team will be in Paris to highlight how innovations across the company's comprehensive range of thermoset and TenCate Cetex thermoplastic-based composite material technologies support all stages of the composite manufacturing process, from engineering design to end of life recycling.

A New Look for Recycling:

Key projects at TenCate include the development of a recycled “flow layer” concept that integrates recycled thermoplastic composite materials back into the supply chain. Combining the design freedom of BMCs with the mechanical properties of reinforced thermoplastic laminates, the flow layer concept utilizes excess material derived at both component point of manufacture and end of life, achieving a near 100% buy-to-fly ratio.

Advances in Aerospace:

As a key supplier to the aerospace market, TenCate Cetex® thermoplastic composites have been further optimized for Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) processing methods. High performance systems, such as TenCate Cetex® TC1320 PEKK unidirectional tapes, have been used in the latest development from the TAPAS 2 (Thermoplastic Affordable Primary Aircraft Structures) project, a thermoplastic upper spar for an aircraft engine pylon. This demonstrates the progression of continuous fiber reinforced material technologies and formats into new territories.

Additionally, the versatility of TenCate AmberTool® HX series of composite tooling prepregs are also highlighted by the display of a novel cure capable AFP mandrel technology demonstrator. Developed as part of a recent NATEP project, designed by Composites Tooling & Engineering Solutions and built by Retrac Composites, the technology demonstrator is made from AmberTool HX42 due to its low CTE properties and high degree of machinability to achieve a highly accurate tool. Co-curing the tool with the component also results in the efficient production of highly accurate, complex aerospace structures.

Innovation and Thought Leadership

TenCate Advanced Composites' Global Director Product and Market Strategy, Dr John Darlington, is presenting a white paper on the compound benefits of a hybrid composite, spanning thermoset and thermoplastic technologies, for aerospace applications during the Aerospace Conference Programme on day 2 of the event.

TenCate is also nominated as a project partner in the JEC Innovation Awards for “modular thermoplastic stiffening panels”, together with Fraunhofer ICT, and partners Airbus Operations GmbH, Laser Zentrum Hannover, ElringKlinger AG, and KMS Automation GmbH.