CompositesWorld’s CW Tech Days: Infrastructure event offers a series of expert presentations on composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets.

Peter Diamantis, plant manager and tool master at machine tool specialist AMAMCO Tool (Duncan, S.C.), concurs: “Using the wrong tool is almost commonplace within automated machining centers. You would be surprised at how many people are using old technology.” In many cases, their tool selections once were state-of-the-art technology. “They were all developed by a custom tool manufacturer at some point, and became the standard,” he points out, but says their designs were based on studies done years ago. “These studies are outdated now,” Diamantis explains. “These are incredibly smart people, but often they are using older data to choose tools.” Just as important, he adds, the studies don’t address today’s realities. “The materials they were performed on are outdated. Composite materials have changed significantly, even in the past few years.”

3/4" 60 Degree Dovetail Cutter HSS Weldon Shank • Included Angle: 60º• Cutting Diameter (Inch): 3/4"• Cutting Width (Inch): 5/16"• Finish/Coating: Uncoated• ...

Double margin drills possess a secondary margin — ground behind the primary margin — that reams the hole during the process, thereby eliminating the need for an additional reaming operation.

Why does the gate appear repeatedly for me? If the gate continues to show up on premium content after you’ve already provided your information, it could be for one of these reasons:

Advanced Propulsion Centre funding backs JLR, Helicoid, iCOMAT, Lineat Composites and others as they accelerate the growth of the U.K. automotive composite supply chain.

CW Tech Days are virtual events dedicated to the topics impacting the composites industry today. Access past event recordings and register for upcoming Tech Days.

As good as they are, carbide drill tools are no longer adequate for time- and cost-sensitive machining operations. “It is the old standby, because it has better edge sharpness,” says Merson. “However, it’s not the best for tool life.”

Two of its principal subsidiaries will file for insolvency and apply for self-administration, follows failed loan efforts from German parliament’s Budget Committee, Bavarian government.

AMAMCO offers one-shot drilling solutions but prefers CVD over PCD. Diamantis contends, “I’ve seen so many shops resist changing their PCD tools, even though they require two operations. That is, until they try our CVD one-shot tool and see for themselves that it outlasts the two PCD tools they were previously using.”

JEC World 2024: Compcut is presenting its advanced composites saw (ACS) and precision composite router (PCR), in addition to inviting attendees to bring their own materials for demonstration purposes.

Performing regular maintenance of the layup tool for successful sealing and release is required to reduce the risk of part adherence.

Merson notes that the “custom” trend could lead to fundamental changes in the way cutting tools are manufactured. For example, machine toolmakers are experimenting with 3-D printing, a popular form of additive manufacturing. She explains, “The tool is 3-D printed straight into carbide instead of grinding a blank down. Various universities are researching this now and getting good results, though it is difficult to do without some porosity in the tool structure.” All of the cutting tool manufacturers are interested, she says, but notes that “they are approaching it differently.”

Third World Sailing award nomination highlights the company’s focus on marine innovation using sustainable composite materials.

CW’s editors are tracking the latest trends and developments in tooling, from the basics to new developments. This collection, presented by Composites One, features four recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials.

Discover how Multi-Ply, a leading composite parts manufacturer, revolutionized composite production planning with Plataine’s AI-powered solution. This webinar will detail how an AI scheduling solution, designed for composite manufacturing, minimizes delays, optimizes resource allocation and drives higher throughput. Hear directly from Multi-Ply’s team on their journey to digitize planning and create accurate, large-scale production plans in minutes. Learn how automated scheduling allowed them to overcome the unique challenges of composite manufacturing, improving production accuracy, managing bottlenecks and optimizing factory resources. Gain actionable insights to automate your composite production planning, increase plan accuracy, respond quickly to production issues and leverage simulations supporting strategic decisions and growth in composites.

That knowledge permits tool customization, the necessary antidote to a manufacturing discipline that is, itself, all about customized solutions. In brief, the message is Leave the off-the-shelf tools on the shelf. “Many shops want to use off-the-shelf cutting tools, which is okay,” says Diamantis, “but the machining process will take a lot longer and use a lot more tools.” A wise composites manufacturer designs a part for the specific application. It follows that the drill tool ought to be designed both for the part and the application.

Base Materials introduces a high-performance, toughened epoxy tooling board designed for thermoforming and vacuum forming processes, direct-to-part applications and more.

If we are wiring a line cord plug, the ribbed wire would connect to the wider space or neutral space on the plug itself. If we are wiring a line cord switch ...

Delivery of upgraded placement head provides additional automated layup flexibility, quality control for the university’s latest projects advancing Type 4 and 5 hydrogen storage.

Growing on success with the Fabia RS Rally2 racing model, Škoda’s Enyaq RS Race electric SUV design incorporates key flax fiber interior and exterior components.

Twenty years ago, cutting tool optimization basically consisted of developing geometries that could more effectively machine each type of fiber. It is standard today for cutting tool suppliers to offer tools with specific geometries optimized for aramid, glass and carbon fiber. But today, optimizing goes well beyond looking at the fibers. Says Diamantis, “We must understand the entire process in order to design the proper tool geometry. What is the setup like? Can you use coolant? What is the drill type, drill motor, power feed? Is the drilling robotic or by hand? Are you drilling in one operation or two?”

“Companies are purchasing high-cost automated technology to manage increasing demand, but often don’t give their cutting tools a second thought,” says Alex Harding, COO at Cajero Ltd. (Isle of Sheppey, Kent, U.K.). “That means they could be missing out on major improvements, losing huge sums of money and consuming enough energy to power a jet plane.”

Description: Features: Deformed threads create prevailing torque locking feature to prevent screw loosening due to vibration. Blind-end protects the threads ...

But Sandvik Coromant has developed solutions that avoid this, argues Merson. “One of our latest uses power feed machines and a helix flute drill based on a veined PCD point with a specific geometry optimized for titanium/CFRP/aluminum stack materials.”

Although developments in cutting tool technology have kept pace with those in composites, machine tool marketers tell CW that 80% of composite parts machining is still done with standard, off-the-shelf tools that are not optimized for the materials, the part or the machining setup.

Arris presents mechanical testing results of an Arris-designed natural fiber thermoplastic composite in comparison to similarly produced glass and carbon fiber-based materials.

How the predictive tool “CZone” is applied to simulate the axial crushing response of composites, providing valuable insights into their use for motorsport applications.

The composites industry is increasingly recognizing the imperative of sustainability in its operations. As demand for lightweight and durable materials rises across various sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact associated with traditional composite manufacturing processes.

Next-gen carbon fiber materials will be tested under extreme conditions for 12-18 months to determine their viability in space for use in future space bases, interplanetary travel.

This past October was plagued with a series of unfortunate natural disasters that, amidst ongoing travel for CW, has provided a poignant reminder of composites’ importance in facing future events.

A Lockheed Martin technician tests, via hand fastening, holes machined by an AMAMCO-customized composite drill tool. Source: AMAMCO

Multifacet drill points have double-angled points — that is, the lead angle is different than the secondary angle — that progressively enter then exit the material, minimizing pressure at the center and reducing the risk of delamination and burst-out in the exit hole. Combining these with large open flutes helps to shed debris when drilling stacked laminates.

Composites, in fact, have become progressively more difficult to machine. Eleanor Merson, who manages composites machining research for the Sandvik Coromant (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) R&D center in Sheffield, U.K., has seen an almost 50% decrease in tool life over the past few years, for a typical uncoated tool used on standard aerospace-grade composite materials. Why? “We are researching that now, trying to understand the interaction between the cutting tool materials and the composites. Overall, we see a general trend that the newer composite materials are harder,” Merson explains, noting that “we are beginning to see that the resin has much more of an effect, which is actually understandable, because it is the resin that is holding the fibers together.” Evolutionary developments in resin formulation now produce harder, tougher matrices. “How the resin breaks apart determines the quality when you cut.” Thus, evolutionary improvement in resins seems to be reducing tool life.

2023516 — CNC milling is a computerized precision machining process used to produce 2D-3D industrial and commercial parts and products by removing material from ...

This drill tool, with a small point, a gradually increasing diameter and a CVD diamond coating, has been specially designed for drilling CFRP. It’s maker. AMAMCO says CVD coatings have begun to replace PCD because the former attains the same useful life as the latter but offers the geometric flexibility of carbide at a lower cost. Source: AMAMCO

Solico Engineering introduces the module to complete its Amphora calculation tool, made for the design of fiber-reinforced silos and tanks.

LMT Onsrud LP (Waukegan, Ill.) notes specifically that using metal cutting tools to cut or drill composites can be costly in terms of tool wear and damage to workpieces. LMT Onsrud provides a wide variety of carbide, PCD-coated and nanocrystalline diamond-coated tools with an equal variety of tool geometries designed to minimize heat, prevent resin burn and provide clean fiber cuts. Such requirements are unique to composites, and subsequently the cost can be high: almost $800 for a specialized tool. Yet the coatings can result in 10 to 20 times longer tool life, and new geometries can reduce machining time by up to 90 percent. What’s required, then, is careful assessment to match the tool with the application to maximize throughput, tool life and value.

For six decades, “you get what you pay for” has been the marketing mantra for manufacturers and suppliers of composite products who argue that, despite their historically high initial cost, composites are the superior product in terms of overall life-cycle cost. As composites manufacturers increasingly face the need to drill holes in composite components, particularly in the fastener-intense aerospace environment, the shoe is on the other foot.

An aggravating factor today is the labor- and time-saving trend toward drilling stacked materials — that is, pre-assembling composite and metal components in positioning jigs or fixtures, then drilling fastener holes through all the layers in one pass. This technique — often called “one-up assembly” because the components are put together, drilled, inspected and cleaned from the exterior, but are not taken apart again — is a safeguard against inaccuracy of hole positions and saves countless hours. But it presents a huge challenge to those who design drill tools. “It is quite common to see machining through one stack of materials made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), aluminum, CFRP and then titanium, in that order,” says Merson. “It is extremely difficult to optimize a drill for two or three different materials.”

Increasingly, prototype and production-ready smart devices featuring thermoplastic composite cases and other components provide lightweight, optimized sustainable alternatives to metal.

For that, there is diamond. Natural diamond is the hardest substance known, but polycrystalline diamond (PCD), a synthetic material, has gained popularity over the past few years because it offers 10 to 20 times the tool life of uncoated carbide.

In the meantime, the goal for drill tool makers is to continue to reduce the cost of machining by applying their increasing knowledge and, as a result, improve their customers’ bottom lines.

Built with ampliTex flax fabrics, a solid cork core and plant-based resins, the company’s Värmdö kayak model highlights an environmentally conscious design for paddlers of all levels.

This collection features detail the current state of the industry and recent success stories across aerospace, automotive and rail applications.

CompositesWorld’s Tech Days: Design, Simulation and Testing Technologies for Next-Gen Composite Structures is designed to provide a multi-perspective view of the state of the art in design, simulation, failure analysis, digital twins, virtual testing and virtual inspection.

“It’s all about understanding the entire machining process,” says Diamantis, noting that it also takes a cooperative customer. “Are the engineers willing to do testing in order to refine the process? Sometimes they rely on a study done years ago and they don’t want to revisit it. Others are willing to do whatever it takes to find the savings.” Harding emphasizes that those who are willing reap great rewards. “We’ve helped companies make huge gains via collaborative productivity partnering programs that challenge conventional wisdom.”

For example, CVD Diamond Corp. (London, Ontario, Canada), which focuses on cutting tools that use the firm’s pure diamond films, points to a recent carbon fiber composite milling application that required an end mill. Using a competitor’s tool, the customer could mill only 10 parts before tool failure. A switch to a CVD Diamond tool increased part throughput to between 30 and 40 before failure and reduced cutting tool costs by $500 per tool used. In aerospace, CVD Diamond says it has worked on a fighter jet application to develop a ball nose end mill to drill 270,000 holes in a carbon fiber composite structure. One tool drills 28,000 holes, beating a competitor’s best case of 10,000 holes using another diamond-coated tool.

Diamantis, however, believes diamond coating is the way to go because its advantages come at less expense. A PCD tool is three to five times the cost of a competitive CVD tool. “In composites, all tools need to be coated,” he adds. “There are so many coatings being developed now to improve tool life. Even for stacked materials, there are coatings that will help the tools last longer and absorb the shock without chipping when the tool hits the metal.”

Assets, technology and IP acquisition of Colorado-based Gordon Plastics will enhance Toray’s product portfolio, growing its ability to support emerging markets in thermoplastic composites.

The Italy-based companies merge technological know-how to develop novel systems for the processing and assembly of light alloys and carbon fiber components.

Multi-phase expansion includes 9,900-square-foot addition to facility and purchase of new equipment to better serve aerospace, marine, composites and other industries.

VoltAero inaugurates its industrial facility in Rochefort for the final assembly line for the family of Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft, to incorporate composite elements.

During this CW Tech Days event, sponsored by Composites One, experts will offer presentations to review and evaluate the composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets.

CompositesWorld is the source for reliable news and information on what’s happening in fiber-reinforced composites manufacturing. About Us

This collection details the basics, challenges, and future of thermoplastic composites technology, with particular emphasis on their use for commercial aerospace primary structures.

PCD does have some flexibility, at least in the form of tips and inserts. There are different grades that can be optimized for specific applications, and the angle of the inserts may be adjusted to improve cutting forces and debris removal. However, Merson notes that because PCD is harder to grind than carbide, companies that produce tools by grinding PCD typically do not achieve the same tolerances.

The future? Harding sees automotive as the next frontier for automated composites machining — and a challenging one. “The auto industry is demanding more automation with composites and lower cost, while maintaining repeatability. Robotics here are more the norm, but the resins used are vastly different from aerospace. We have been single-source suppliers for several luxury and supercar marques, but these are low-volume manufacturers. What GM, Ford and Volkswagen want is much different. We’re having to optimize machining tool design for their higher volumes and more robotically automated operations.”

Knowing the fundamentals for reading drawings — including master ply tables, ply definition diagrams and more — lays a foundation for proper composite design evaluation.

Initial demonstration in furniture shows properties two to nine times higher than plywood, OOA molding for uniquely shaped components.

Cajero also offers prevalidation trials in its own dedicated CNC-machining center. “When large scale cutting tool trials can cost OEMs upwards of $100,000,” Harding explains, “it is crucial to ensure that their key revenue streams are maintained by not diverting their capacity onto testing activities that disrupt production flows.”

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

Cevotec, a tank manufacturer, Roth Composite Machinery and Cikoni, have undertaken a comprehensive project to explore and demonstrate the impact of dome reinforcements using FPP technology for composite tanks.

Harding summarizes some of Cajero’s R&D findings: “Geometries that are progressive — develop gradually — and reduce pressure at the center work well with composites because they reduce cutting thrust forces, which helps to avoid delamination and damage on break through. These geometries also must maintain a positive shear angle — which keeps cutting forces low so that material is removed with minimal pressure and provides an easy path for the debris to exit the hole.” Harding lists a number of tool geometries for different types of composites:

Trepanning drill points, which cut on outer edges, thereby eliminating pressure at the center, perform well for composite parts with low thickness or low resin content, while straight-flute, multifacet drills help to compensate for poorly supported or fixtured parts (but see “Shop practice impacts drilling success,” below).

JEC World gathers the whole value chain of the composite materials industry in Paris (France) every year and is “the place to be” for composites professionals from all over the world. The event brings together not only all major global companies, but also innovative startups in the field of composites and advanced materials, experts, academics, scientists, and R&D leaders. JEC World is also the “festival of composites”, offering a unique showcase of what composites can offer to various application sectors, from aerospace to marine, from construction to automotive, and an unlimited source of inspiration for participants from these industries.

The solutions for each, therefore, couldn’t be more different. “The CFRP demands a long point and fast speed,” says Diamantis, “while the titanium demands a short, stubby point and slow speed, or it will burn up the drill.”

The composites industry plays a crucial role in developing lightweight and durable materials for a range of applications, including those critical to national defense. One key focus area is the development of advanced structural materials and manufacturing technologies that support next-generation space, missile and aircraft systems for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). ARC Technologies LLC (ARC), a division of Hexcel Corporation, based in Amesbury, Massachusetts, is a provider of advanced composites structures, specialty materials and other unique products that provide the U.S. Department of Defense with advanced capabilities to protect service members while in harm’s way. This team’s specialty is to understand a specific need from a program office, PEO, platform manufacturer or other offices within the DOD. With that understanding, the team can design a solution, develop a prototype for test and evaluation, perform extensive in-house testing — including electromagnetic, environmental and structural testing — and then partner with the customer through platform evaluation. The Hexcel Amesbury division has a team of engineers on staff, including mechanical, chemical, electrical and research and development specialists that can provide design, testing and manufacturing capabilities to service customer requirements from concept through production. This presentation will illustrate capabilities in advanced composites and other specialty materials structures, focusing on the Hexcel Amesbury team's niche in electromagnetic signature reduction and other unique capabilities.

Sep 3, 2012 — You can use a vertical milling machine as an excellent drill, but mill/drill combo will never be as good at milling as a dedicated milling ...

Further, toolmaker services today can extend to the testing and proofing of both tools and processes. Cajero, for example, helps companies remove uncertainty from new projects by prevalidating cutting tools and operations. “Customers send samples of material to be machined along with their specifications,” says Harding. “We then machine the material and send back a report on recommended tools and options as well as a videotape of the tested machining operations, which is worth more than a thousand words.”

An outgrowth of rapid prototyping, tool-free additive fabrication technologies have the potential to form small, limited-run composite parts directly from CAD data.

This is a pet peeve for Diamantis, who contends that the composite manufacturer should deal with a machine tool provider who can design a “one-shot” drilling solution. “We supply a lot of different Boeing operations, and for all of them we supply one drill tool for one hole. We just don’t see the efficiency of using two and three separate drill tools and/or operations for each hole.” He continues, “Our expectation, as well as our customers’, is a tool that addresses all of the materials.” It may sound impossible, he admits, “but we are doing that on a routine basis.”

2023627 — Advantages of Course Threads ... Coarse threads are ideal for applications that involve frequent assembly and disassembly, as the wider pitch ...

Combination of polyamide grades and graphene introduces low-permeation solution for upscaling H2 storage, transport applications.

“Using PCD or CVD drills, combined with certain geometry, can almost always extend tool life and sometimes decreases the tool change frequency dramatically,” Harding sums up. “Even if changing the cutting tool takes only five minutes, disrupting the operation costs money. PCD and CVD tools cost more initially, but operations are disrupted less.” He also points out that PCD tools can be resurfaced and resharpened to extend their useful life. “Thus, you lower the overall program cost and increase its productivity.”

Next-gen carbon fiber materials will be tested under extreme conditions for 12-18 months to determine their viability in space for use in future space bases, interplanetary travel.

PTXPO 2025 is a comprehensive showcase of cutting-edge technologies and innovations within the plastics molding industry. Join fellow molders, moldmakers, brand owners, OEMs and their full suite of suppliers in Rosemont, IL for three days of non-stop networking, education and business development opportunities.

Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations.

The key is to control stacked laminate machining, layer by layer. “You do this by adjusting cutting parameters for each material,” Harding explains. One strategy, says Diamantis, is a drilling technique called micropecking. “What you want to avoid when drilling composite/titanium stacks are the long chips from the titanium scarring the inside hole of the composite as they exit.” The drill motor is designed to slow when it hits the titanium, then apply force, then retract, many times per second. This hammers the titanium chips, breaking them up as they are cut. The smaller debris is carried up and out of the hole in the drill’s fluting so it can’t scar the composite.

If the partners are to be successful, however, the machine tool manufacturer must understand both the part and the process in detail. Here, no data are insignificant. “Customers are not always detailed enough in explaining to us what they are machining,” says Sandvik Coromant’s Merson. “We need as much detail as possible. We must look at the materials, the curing, the fiber contents, the structure and manufacturing steps involved.”

This webinar will dive into how advanced AI neural network technology can streamline your composite inspection process, offering unparalleled speed, accuracy, real-time inspection and monitoring. Learn how automating inspections can help manufacturers improve efficiency, reduce errors and ensure consistent high-quality production. See the technology in action and explore how integrating AI can overcome your inspection challenges and elevate your operations. Agenda: AI neural network overview Flexible AI camera integration with IRIS 3D platform Precision detection capabilities Real-time monitoring and alerts Process digitization and tracking Why automate? - benefits of automating the inspection process Next steps: how to get started

The focus of accelerated development is on Manta’s Ann Plus vehicle model, offering a complete carbon fiber structure and VTOL and STOL operation capabilities.

Changed or not, composites have always been difficult to machine. Harding explains that unlike in the metalworking industry — where billets made from a homogeneous material to a known standard can be purchased — the composites manufacturer deals with heterogeneous material. Each molder tailors a select combination of resin, fibers/fiber forms and laminate ply sequence that is optimized for each structure and application. The resin system, fiber content, laminate sequence, cure method, cure temperature and laminate integrity each affect part machinability. A further complication, says Diamantis, is that “there are no two shops where everything is exactly the same. Each has a different setup, which can have an adverse effect on performance.”

This past October was plagued with a series of unfortunate natural disasters that, amidst ongoing travel for CW, has provided a poignant reminder of composites’ importance in facing future events.

Toward that end, the composites manufacturer needs the assistance of a toolmaker capable of making such assessments. Merson observes that manufacturers of cutting tools for metals now see an opportunity to diversify into composites. “But what they have traditionally done to increase tool life for cutting metals — for example, reduce feed rate and cutting speed — has the opposite effect for tools cutting composites.” For this and many other applications, Sandvik Coromant works closely with its recently acquired partner Precorp (Spanish Fork, Utah, U.S.), a long-time specialist in composite drill tools, to deliver state-of-the-art cobranded drills and milling cutters.

Newly developed milling kinematics on a linear axis enables versatile and efficient machining with up to 0.1-millimeter production tolerance.

Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing.

Each year Products Finishing partners with thousands of finishing operations in the U.S. to celebrate National Surface Finishing Day (NSFD) on the first Wednesday in March. NSFD is designed to celebrate and showcase the industry to trade schools, businesses, officials and media, as well as to celebrate employees and staff. The overarching goal of NSFD is to bring further awareness to the important roles plating and coating facilities play in their communities. Facilities are encouraged to host events and work with local media to build awareness about the contributions made by the surface finishing industry. For a helpful guide to reaching out to media outlets, download the NSFD toolkit here. How can you celebrate? Share your company’s story Hold an open house where the public can check out your facility –— either in person or virtual Offer student shop tours to local trade schools Invite local elected officials to visit and get to know your staff Celebrate your employees Share news about what you’re doing on social media and use the hashtag #NationalSurfaceFinishingDay or #NSFD

There are two basic types of PCD used in cutting tools. A PCD tip or insert may be brazed (up to 1200°F/649°C) into a groove cut into a carbide blank or tool body. Alternatively, diamond powder and binder may be poured into a carbide tool groove and sintered in place. Both provide hard cutting edges but are expensive, at six to 10 times the price of regular carbide tools. “PCD is less flexible than carbide with regard to tool shape and geometry, but you can resharpen and replace the PCD, effectively lengthening tool life,” comments Harding. “However, PCD is inherently brittle and requires care in handling. If dropped, the tool’s PCD cutting edge can chip, which results in rapid deterioration.”

Closed mold processes have many advantages over open molding. In this knowledge center, learn the basics and vital tools needed to produce parts accurately.

“Electron beam processing can be used to tighten up the tolerances, but adds more cost,” she explains. “This may be well worth it for achieving a much lower overall project cost, as cutting tools are typically only 3 to 5 percent of the total machining cost, with the rest comprised by consumables, time to cut, time for cutting tool change-out, etc.”

In the Automated Composites Knowledge Center, CGTech brings you vital information about all things automated composites.

Despite the availability of much better options, machine tool makers say most drilling of composites is still done with “standard” tools that once were state-of-the-art but now — because they are not optimized for the material, the part, and the machining setup — are substandard. The result is that drill performance quickly deteriorates and hole quality deteriorates with it. Here is an example of deterioration: splintering. Source: Sandvik Coromant

Air Force-funded initiative looks to LFAM thermoset, thermoplastic advancement for fast, inexpensive composite tooling production.

CW interviews CEO Aleksey Matyushev about composites, certification and the airlines’ needs for increased narrowbody production and decarbonization that aren’t being met.

Coarse Threads · Easier and faster assembly, providing a better start with less chance of cross threading. · Nicks and burrs from handling are less liable to ...

With a decade of experience in bespoke CNC machining services for Carbon Fiber, we ensure your project demands are met with exceptional precision at an ...

Orbital Drilling, a technology patented by Novator AB (Spånga, Sweden) offers multiple hole sizes from a single drill tool.

Collaborating with machine tool manufacturers offers the potential for sizable reductions in cost, scrap rates and process flow time. “The latest cutting tools deliver exceptional productivity, slashing machining time and reducing overall production cost,” says Cajero’s Harding. “Such tool life advances and other productivity improvements … enable the manufacturer to do more without having to purchase additional machines or build a bigger plant.”

From flax fiber composite boats to RV exterior panels to a circularity model with partnerships in various end markets, Greenboats strives toward its biomaterials and sustainable composites vision in an ever-changing market.

Sandvik Coromant has found that PCD is superior for drilling and CVD is best for trimming. But Merson cautions, “This is in regards to tool life only, not counting cost. But people’s opinions will vary based on their background. If they come from drilling, they like PCD while if they come from trimming, they prefer CVD.”

As the aircraft interiors industry increasingly moves towards circular and sustainable solutions, it's crucial for the supply chain to adopt these innovations to stay competitive. Advanced thermoplastic composites present significant advantages, including faster production, improved recyclability and reduced weight. Join Toray for this insightful webinar where they will dive into the latest developments in thermoplastic composites and their applications in aircraft interiors. Toray will explore how these materials enable the efficient manufacture of parts while improving overall sustainability and meeting the stringent FST standards of the aviation sector. Whether you're a design engineer, materials specialist or industry professional, this session will provide valuable insights into how thermoplastic composites can drive innovation and competitiveness in aircraft interiors.

The message? What works with metals does not work with composites. “The drill tools for metals and those for composites are completely different,” says Diamantis.

Feb 6, 2007 — I have to thread mill a blunt start thread and I'm not sure on what it initials. I think I thread mill the o.d. like normal and then mill ...

Used cooking oil is used as a base material for the PBT precursor and certified under ISCC PLUS. Recycled fiberglass content can be added for additional carbon footprint reduction.

ExxonMobil acquires exclusive overseas licensing rights for Neuvokas’ proprietary manufacturing process, expanding to global markets.

Attaching the blended fuselage/wingskin laminate to the airframe on the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet requires accurate drilling of hundreds of fastener holes. Source: AMAMCO

Creo EZ Tolerance Analysis extension is a powerful tolerance stackup and gap-analysis solution used by design engineers to improve the quality and ...

Composites pros are no strangers to the former. Optimization is a buzzword in composites circles these days. The greatest gains come from looking at the whole process. Drill toolmakers contend that the same is no less true of machining. The materials, fixturing, debris removal, access and worker ergonomics must be considered at the beginning, during part development, rather than at a later stage after major decisions have been made.

Although toolmakers disagree about which coatings and geometries are best, there is no argument that they are critical to efficient drilling of one-up assemblies. “CFRP requires high cutting speeds and feed rates,” Harding explains. “Titanium wants the opposite, being very sensitive to temperature and having a tendency to work-harden from the heat created during the machining process.”

To continue enjoying the articles, videos and podcasts from the CW editorial team, we ask all new website users to provide some information about themselves before they are provided free access to the content.

When CW contacted these and other representatives of leading players in the machine tool industry, they came back with a number of problem-solving strategies under two broad headings: optimization and customization.

From flax fiber composite boats to RV exterior panels to a circularity model with partnerships in various end markets, Greenboats strives toward its biomaterials and sustainable composites vision in an ever-changing market.

Reinforce3D’s postprocessing technology injects continuous carbon fibers and liquid resin into parts with tubular cavities, enabling reinforcement and integral joining for components like a satellite antenna support.

Economical processes that can cut machining time by 70% are being tested on aeroengine turbine blade demonstrators by Hufschmied and DLR in the SCANCUT project.

In the aerospace realm, even an all-CFRP part might not be all-CFRP. Harding notes, “Often, CFRP has additional layers of copper mesh for lightning strike protection on or near the surface, which can be challenging to machine tool. Copper is soft, while CFRP requires higher machining speeds and wears the cutting tool. This can smear the copper which then disables the cutting tool and greatly diminishes the ability to effectively machine the CFRP.” (Here, the old standby, carbide, will do. “We still recommend it for certain areas,” says Merson. “For example, with lightning strike protection, which needs very sharp edges or the whole part frays and falls apart.”)

In these sessions, experts will discuss the emerging hydrogen economy and the opportunities for composites in this lucrative space.

Composite materials are being successfully adopted for certification and low initial rate production (LRIP) in eVTOL aircraft variants today. As demand for eVTOL grows, vehicle build rates will increase and the challenge of high-rate composite production will become a reality. Syensqo is developing composite material solutions to meet the most demanding requirements for eVTOL's vehicles of today and tomorrow. This presentation will focus on the key drivers and Syensqo's approach to unlocking the full potential of composite materials for eVTOL blades. Agenda:  A review of the advanced air mobility market status The future challenges facing composite materials adoption Key drivers for advanced air mobility rotor blades Syensqo's advanced materials solutions for blades

Series C capital raise will be used to propel the certification of Beta’s composites-intensive Alia CTOL, Alia VTOL and electric motors, while directly supporting ramp-up of production, delivery of aircraft and chargers.

Foundational research discusses the current carbon fiber recycling landscape in Utah, and evaluates potential strategies and policies that could enhance this sustainable practice in the region.

More recently, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has begun to replace PCD in certain applications. Often referred to as diamond coating or diamond-coated carbide (DCC), this technology begins with a carbide blank that is pretreated to enable diamond to “grow” directly on its surface in thicknesses of 0.2 to 0.3 mils (6 to 8 µm). Harding comments, “Thus, you can still maintain the cutting edge, and the carbide base allows for material-specific edges and geometries. CVD offers the flexibility of carbide, the tool life of PCD and is more shop-friendly as well.”

The composite tubes white paper explores some of the considerations for specifying composite tubes, such as mechanical properties, maintenance requirements and more.

The site recently installed a powerPrint large-format AM system, thermoforming machine and more to serve customers in North America.

A report on the demand for hydrogen as an energy source and the role composites might play in the transport and storage of hydrogen.

The time and expense of machining has become a focal point in the struggle to meet delivery schedules and part cost expectations. In response, manufacturers of drill tools are advising the composites industry to take a dose of its own medicine: Customize and realize savings over the life of the program. Although this requires a large initial investment of time and money to study the whole machining process and optimize each machining function, manufacturers of drill tools are claiming worthwhile results, from improved tolerances and reduced operational steps to dramatic surges in workflow, and six-figure annual cost savings.

Collaboration aims to overcome production limitations with tubular thermoplastic composites (TPC) by using induction-heated tooling and high-quality commingled braids.

Matching the tool to the material and application can boost tool life by 10 to 20 times and reduce cutting time by as much as 90%. Source: Cajero Ltd.

“We’ve also simply explored usability improvements — small tweaks to cutting data, tool geometries and tool materials — that have resulted in a productivity surge overnight,” Diamantis adds, emphasizing that “tiny changes in the tool design can make a big difference.”

Understanding the complexities of curing prepregs is crucial in composite material research. This study offers an in-depth exploration of prepreg cure failure modes drawing upon the capabilities of an encapsulated specimen rheometer that meets ASTM D7750. Central to the investigation are five determinants (out time, temperature, ramp rate, pressure and layup orientation) and their effects on a select grade of prepreg. By examining these parameters, the study highlights the optimal conditions and presents insights into cure states and viscosity levels, aiming to further the reliability and performance of composite materials.

The abrasive nature of carbon fiber makes it unlike any other material that cutting tools encounter, thus the importance of tool life is critical and heavily emphasized by many who supply drill tools to the composites industry.

Reliable news and information on where and how fiber-reinforced composites are being applied — that’s just the start of what you get from our team here at CompositesWorld.

RNG/CNG fuel system installations with Type 4 CFRP pressure vessels, powered by Cummins’ 15-liter natural gas tank, adds 230,000 heavy-duty trucks to the addressable RNG/CNG market annually.

The F-35 program demands automated drilling technologies and massive fixtures suitable for “one-up assembly” of stacked but dissimilar materials. Source: AMAMCO

This CW Tech Days virtual event will explore the technologies, materials and strategies used by composites manufacturers working in the evolving space market. Presentations from industry experts will emphasize the use of composite materials in applications requiring the weight savings, structural benefits and ability to withstand extreme temperatures that only composites can provide.

Jetcam’s latest white paper explores the critical aspects of nesting in composites manufacturing, and strategies to balance material efficiency and kitting speed.

KEB CARBIDE SLITTING SAWS GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Carbide Slitting Saws are available in a variety of sizes ranging from 1/4" OD to 4" OD.  Carbide saws can increase your speed by 50% over HSS. TiN and TiCN coatings are available upon request.  Keyways are optional at extra cost.  Tolerances are +/- .0005 on thickness, +/- .005 on OD and +.001/-.000 on the ID.  Closer tolerances are available at an additional cost.  Specials are also available upon request.  Specify thickness and number of teeth when ordering. EDP NUMBER FOR ORDERING CARBIDE SLITTING SAWS: Example:  CS0250 - 0125 - 01500 "CS" denotes the item to quote/order as a carbide saw.  Follow the CS with OD (A) dimension in a four decimal format.  Subsequently follow with ID (B) and Thickness (C) dimensions in a four decimal format.  The above example references a 1/4" OD X 1/8" ID X .150" thick carbide saw. Please add the suffix -KW for keyways, -SP for specials, -FR for full radius, or   -R for radius.

Explore the technologies, materials and strategies used by composites manufacturers working in the evolving space market.

No surprise, then, that a common solution for drilling stacked but unlike materials has been the use of multiple drill tools for each hole. “The three-stage drilling process is still commonly used today, requiring predrill, drill and reaming operations to achieve desired surface and dimensional quality,” says Merson.

The goal of National Composites Week is to celebrate and bring attention to the myriad ways that composite materials and composites manufacturing contributes to the products and structures that shape the American manufacturing landscape today. Learn how you can participate in this year's National Composites Week on NationalCompositesWeek.com.

This selection of custom tools combines coatings and geometries that help overcome the increasing difficulty in machining composites as the materials get harder and the structures more tailored. Source: Cajero Ltd.