- Email: [email protected]
Whitewater Composites launches architectural division
Industry news
COMPOSITES EUROPE THE COMPOSITES Europe tradeshow takes place on 20-22 September in Essen, Germany. The event is organised by the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) and Reed Exhibitions. It is co-located with the Aluminium 2006 trade show and the following activities will be featured. Composites up close The Product Demonstration Area will present practical examples of composite applications and materials. One part of the exhibit shows the journey from raw material through to end product. Live demonstrations will explain different production processes. In collaboration with IKV Aachen, Composites Europe will showcase testing techniques designed to highlight the properties of composites in comparison to other materials. UK support The UK is a leader in the field of composites technology and the two UK organisations the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and the Composites Processing Association (CPA) are supporting Composites Europe. The BPF believes that an affordable trade show such as Composites Europe is long overdue and that it will provide an excellent platform for UK composites companies to promote their technologies. “The platform provided by Composites Europe is complementary to that provided by the BPF,” says Anthony Roberts of the BPF. “We have to compete in
10
REINFORCEDplastics
global markets and the innovation spearheaded by UK firms can often be best exploited through cost effective trade shows like Composites Europe.” The CPA is also exhibiting. “We hope to be able to demonstrate, to a new audience of potential users of composite materials, what the UK industry has to offer,” says the CPA’s Ken Forsdyke. “This exhibition should give them an insight into the much greater ability of composites, compared to any other material, to do exactly what the designer wants.” AVK Conference The 9th International AVK Conference is scheduled for 19 20 September in Essen to provide a lead-in to Composites Europe. Aiming to help visitors to ‘gain the edge over the competition with composites’, this event will discuss current and future applications of reinforced plastics. Topics will include transport, tubes and containers, processes and tests, and thermoplastics. Composites Night On the evening of the first day of the AVK conference (19 September), Composites Europe, in conjunction with AVK, EuCIA and Reinforced Plastics (Composite Europe’s media partner), is organising an industry and networking event. This ‘Composites Night’ will include the presentation of the AVK Innovation Awards. Composites Europe; www.composites-europe.com
July/August 2006
Whitewater Composites launches architectural division WHITEWATER Composites Ltd, British Columbia, Canada, is creating a new division called FormaShape™ to market and sell its architectural fascia design and manufacturing capabilities and products made from fibre reinforced plastics (FRP). Whitewater has fascia and signage contracts with companies including Petro-Canada, Husky Energy, Scotiabank, and Canadian Tire. With the creation of FormaShape, the company plans to expand its production of architectural fascia products for the retail sector to 70% of its product portfolio. Their current share is around 30%. Whitewater also produces waterslides for amuse-ment parks as well as FRP products for other industries. “Our award-winning reimaging of the Petro-Canada gas service stations was only achievable because of the unique properties of FRP and our expertise in its application,” claims Peter Jeffrey, president of Whitewater Composites. “These designs could not have been duplicated in other materials
such as steel, aluminium and aluminium composite materials because of their complexity. FormaShape will bring that capability to other businesses within the retail sector, enabling them to create new and exciting image solutions that separate them from their competition.” The business has also just announced what is said to be a ‘multi-million dollar’ agreement to supply gasolene retailer Irving Oil with new fascia and gasoline pump shrouds for its re-branded forecourts. The new Irving branded look is rolling out across New England and Atlantic Canada. “With the new heavy resin transfer moulding (RTM) manufacturing process that we are using for this project we have been able to obtain the image the company was seeking, the quantities required in the timeframe needed, and an attachment system that provided for no visual fasteners," says Jeffrey. FormaShape; www.formashape.com
LM wins Gamesa contract DANISH wind turbine blade maker LM Glasfiber has agreed a long-term supply agreement with turbine manufacturer Gamesa Eólica SA. Under the three-year deal, LM will supply Gamesa with blades custom-designed for the 2 MW Gamesa G87 wind turbine from factories in Spain and the USA. LM will produce over 1000 MW of blades for Gamesa. The agreement will be followed by an expansion of LM’s
manufacturing facilities in the USA. Production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2006. In separate news, LM has announced the commissioning of a DKK25 million wind tunnel at its Lunderskov, Denmark, site. The tunnel is intended for research and testing of the aerodynamic properties of rotor blades. LM Glasfiber; www.lmglasfiber.com
COMPOSITES EUROPE THE COMPOSITES Europe tradeshow takes place on 20-22 September in Essen, Germany. The event is organised by the European Composites Industry Association (EuCIA) and Reed Exhibitions. It is co-located with the Aluminium 2006 trade show and the following activities will be featured. Composites up close The Product Demonstration Area will present practical examples of composite applications and materials. One part of the exhibit shows the journey from raw material through to end product. Live demonstrations will explain different production processes. In collaboration with IKV Aachen, Composites Europe will showcase testing techniques designed to highlight the properties of composites in comparison to other materials. UK support The UK is a leader in the field of composites technology and the two UK organisations the British Plastics Federation (BPF) and the Composites Processing Association (CPA) are supporting Composites Europe. The BPF believes that an affordable trade show such as Composites Europe is long overdue and that it will provide an excellent platform for UK composites companies to promote their technologies. “The platform provided by Composites Europe is complementary to that provided by the BPF,” says Anthony Roberts of the BPF. “We have to compete in
10
REINFORCEDplastics
global markets and the innovation spearheaded by UK firms can often be best exploited through cost effective trade shows like Composites Europe.” The CPA is also exhibiting. “We hope to be able to demonstrate, to a new audience of potential users of composite materials, what the UK industry has to offer,” says the CPA’s Ken Forsdyke. “This exhibition should give them an insight into the much greater ability of composites, compared to any other material, to do exactly what the designer wants.” AVK Conference The 9th International AVK Conference is scheduled for 19 20 September in Essen to provide a lead-in to Composites Europe. Aiming to help visitors to ‘gain the edge over the competition with composites’, this event will discuss current and future applications of reinforced plastics. Topics will include transport, tubes and containers, processes and tests, and thermoplastics. Composites Night On the evening of the first day of the AVK conference (19 September), Composites Europe, in conjunction with AVK, EuCIA and Reinforced Plastics (Composite Europe’s media partner), is organising an industry and networking event. This ‘Composites Night’ will include the presentation of the AVK Innovation Awards. Composites Europe; www.composites-europe.com
July/August 2006
Whitewater Composites launches architectural division WHITEWATER Composites Ltd, British Columbia, Canada, is creating a new division called FormaShape™ to market and sell its architectural fascia design and manufacturing capabilities and products made from fibre reinforced plastics (FRP). Whitewater has fascia and signage contracts with companies including Petro-Canada, Husky Energy, Scotiabank, and Canadian Tire. With the creation of FormaShape, the company plans to expand its production of architectural fascia products for the retail sector to 70% of its product portfolio. Their current share is around 30%. Whitewater also produces waterslides for amuse-ment parks as well as FRP products for other industries. “Our award-winning reimaging of the Petro-Canada gas service stations was only achievable because of the unique properties of FRP and our expertise in its application,” claims Peter Jeffrey, president of Whitewater Composites. “These designs could not have been duplicated in other materials
such as steel, aluminium and aluminium composite materials because of their complexity. FormaShape will bring that capability to other businesses within the retail sector, enabling them to create new and exciting image solutions that separate them from their competition.” The business has also just announced what is said to be a ‘multi-million dollar’ agreement to supply gasolene retailer Irving Oil with new fascia and gasoline pump shrouds for its re-branded forecourts. The new Irving branded look is rolling out across New England and Atlantic Canada. “With the new heavy resin transfer moulding (RTM) manufacturing process that we are using for this project we have been able to obtain the image the company was seeking, the quantities required in the timeframe needed, and an attachment system that provided for no visual fasteners," says Jeffrey. FormaShape; www.formashape.com
LM wins Gamesa contract DANISH wind turbine blade maker LM Glasfiber has agreed a long-term supply agreement with turbine manufacturer Gamesa Eólica SA. Under the three-year deal, LM will supply Gamesa with blades custom-designed for the 2 MW Gamesa G87 wind turbine from factories in Spain and the USA. LM will produce over 1000 MW of blades for Gamesa. The agreement will be followed by an expansion of LM’s
manufacturing facilities in the USA. Production is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2006. In separate news, LM has announced the commissioning of a DKK25 million wind tunnel at its Lunderskov, Denmark, site. The tunnel is intended for research and testing of the aerodynamic properties of rotor blades. LM Glasfiber; www.lmglasfiber.com