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UK composites centre opens
UK composites centre opens THE FIRST phase of a £12 million UK research centre that aims to lead the way for greater use of composite materials has been officially opened. The composite structures development centre based at Airbus UK, Filton, is the first of several regional centres to open and will focus on composites for the aerospace and marine sectors. Over the next five years the centre will undertake more than £100 million worth of research and development into composites, according to the UK Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI). It will employ around 100 engineers. Based at Airbus UK, the centre will also see collaborative work with other industry sectors such as automotive, marine and healthcare and will act as the hub of a regional alliance of companies, universities and colleges. The composites centre in Filton is part of the National Composites Network, a new £30 million ‘Knowledge Transfer Network’ jointly funded by government and
Carbon fibre producer boosts US capacity MITSUBISHI Rayon Co Ltd (MRC), of Tokyo, Japan, has revealed plans to increase the production capacity of US firm Grafil Inc (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon America Inc), in response to growing demand for carbon fibre. It is also outsourcing some production to the SGL Carbon Group in Europe as part of a new collaboration (Reinforced Plastics, February 2005). Production capacity at Grafil’s plant in Sacramento, California, will be increased by 500 tons/year to 2000 tons/year. The expansion is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2005. MRC is also outsourcing 500-750 tons/year of production
to SGL Technic Ltd’s plant in Scotland, UK. This is expected to start in the first quarter of 2006. MRC says it is also investigating the feasibility of introducing a new carbonisation line with an approximate production capacity of 2000 tons/year in the third quarter of 2007. It would be located in Japan. MRC is a major manufacturer of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibre. The company says it expects to obtain qualification as a supplier for the Airbus A380 this year. Mitsubishi Rayon; website: www.mrc.co.jp.
Mitsubishi Rayon Group’s production capacity for carbon fibre (tons/year). January 2005
Q1 2006
USA
1500
2000
Japan
3200
3200
Europe*
0
500-750
Total
4700
5700-5950
*Outsourced production.
12
REINFORCEDplastics
March 2005
industry. It is designed to embrace all the sectors processing and using composites in the UK. The Filton centre has £1.6 million worth of funding from the DTI and a £3.3 million contribution from the South West Development Agency (SWRDA). The remaining money comes from Airbus UK. The DTI announced the new National Composites Network in November 2004. It is investing £4.75 million into the initiative from its Technology Programme and the UK’s
various regional development agencies are putting in a further £14 million. Industry contributions bring the total funding up to £30 million. “We have some of the best manufacturers in the world and the aerospace industry is one of the most successful sectors in the UK economy,” claims the UK government’s industry minister Jacqui Smith. “It currently employs well over 100 000 people and has a turnover of almost £20 billion.” The National Composites Network; website: www.ncn-uk.co.uk.
Composites in Russia
Russian manufacturers learn about closed moulding technology at the seminar in St Petersburg.
THE RUSSIAN market holds huge potential for composites, according to delegates at a seminar in St Petersburg last month. Organised by Russian composites distributor Composite Ltd, the five-day event focused on the Light RTM (resin transfer moulding) technology. Alan Harper, managing director of UK-based closed moulding specialist Plastech TT,
illustrated the production of moulds and carried out live moulding demonstrations. International materials suppliers – Ashland, Ahlstrom and Zyvax – also gave presentations. (Reinforced Plastics will publish a feature on the Russian composites market later this year.) Composite Ltd; website: www. composite.ru.
Industry (DTI). It will employ around 100 engineers. Based at Airbus UK, the centre will also see collaborative work with other industry sectors such as automotive, marine and healthcare and will act as the hub of a regional alliance of companies, universities and colleges. The composites centre in Filton is part of the National Composites Network, a new £30 million ‘Knowledge Transfer Network’ jointly funded by government and
Carbon fibre producer boosts US capacity MITSUBISHI Rayon Co Ltd (MRC), of Tokyo, Japan, has revealed plans to increase the production capacity of US firm Grafil Inc (a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon America Inc), in response to growing demand for carbon fibre. It is also outsourcing some production to the SGL Carbon Group in Europe as part of a new collaboration (Reinforced Plastics, February 2005). Production capacity at Grafil’s plant in Sacramento, California, will be increased by 500 tons/year to 2000 tons/year. The expansion is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2005. MRC is also outsourcing 500-750 tons/year of production
to SGL Technic Ltd’s plant in Scotland, UK. This is expected to start in the first quarter of 2006. MRC says it is also investigating the feasibility of introducing a new carbonisation line with an approximate production capacity of 2000 tons/year in the third quarter of 2007. It would be located in Japan. MRC is a major manufacturer of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibre. The company says it expects to obtain qualification as a supplier for the Airbus A380 this year. Mitsubishi Rayon; website: www.mrc.co.jp.
Mitsubishi Rayon Group’s production capacity for carbon fibre (tons/year). January 2005
Q1 2006
USA
1500
2000
Japan
3200
3200
Europe*
0
500-750
Total
4700
5700-5950
*Outsourced production.
12
REINFORCEDplastics
March 2005
industry. It is designed to embrace all the sectors processing and using composites in the UK. The Filton centre has £1.6 million worth of funding from the DTI and a £3.3 million contribution from the South West Development Agency (SWRDA). The remaining money comes from Airbus UK. The DTI announced the new National Composites Network in November 2004. It is investing £4.75 million into the initiative from its Technology Programme and the UK’s
various regional development agencies are putting in a further £14 million. Industry contributions bring the total funding up to £30 million. “We have some of the best manufacturers in the world and the aerospace industry is one of the most successful sectors in the UK economy,” claims the UK government’s industry minister Jacqui Smith. “It currently employs well over 100 000 people and has a turnover of almost £20 billion.” The National Composites Network; website: www.ncn-uk.co.uk.
Composites in Russia
Russian manufacturers learn about closed moulding technology at the seminar in St Petersburg.
THE RUSSIAN market holds huge potential for composites, according to delegates at a seminar in St Petersburg last month. Organised by Russian composites distributor Composite Ltd, the five-day event focused on the Light RTM (resin transfer moulding) technology. Alan Harper, managing director of UK-based closed moulding specialist Plastech TT,
illustrated the production of moulds and carried out live moulding demonstrations. International materials suppliers – Ashland, Ahlstrom and Zyvax – also gave presentations. (Reinforced Plastics will publish a feature on the Russian composites market later this year.) Composite Ltd; website: www. composite.ru.