JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010 - 48

SPECIAL jec composites show 2010
xoxoxox Market

.../... may open up new opportunities for our members or else consolidate, from a technical point of view, the results obtained. To this end, we shall continue to work on promoting the image of composites and on participating in national and international trade and machines for the composite manufacturing chain.

events. Our two new lines of development will be to increase our membership numbers, extend our representation nationally and closely monitor market and legislation in order to protect the image and competitiveness of Italian composites. turbines developed for high-speed, continuous winds are not particularly attractive.

Final products
Due to the current market situation, companies are moving away from conventional, low-tech production and are looking for new, high-tech applications. The process is still ongoing and not all companies are ready for new markets which may require fresh investment. Furnishing, design and industrial automation applications appear to be rapidly developing sectors. New technologies, or different combinations of the existing ones, are emerging to meet the requirements for more complex shapes at lower costs and very strict tolerances. The process of substituting more conventional materials with composites is being accelerated by the opportunity to functionalize them with embedded sensors and actuators, giving rise to a totally new range of applications in the aerospace, transportation and marine sectors. Wind power generation is also becoming an interesting business for Italian companies, thanks to public investment, not to mention the peculiar geographic and atmospheric characteristics of the country, where big

Conclusions
The Italian composite market is facing the international financial crisis by reacting instead of complaining. Various new products and applications have emerged, which indicates that this industrial sector still believes innovation to be one of the most powerful tools for making composite materials more attractive to customers. The innovation trends focus on biomaterials, automation, material functionalization and environmental compatibility. However, achieving real competitiveness in the global market will require scientific research and industrial development strategies, together with better integration of public funding, which needs to be adequate and prompt. This is not always the case and companies are quite often left alone to face the market challenges. Research institutions and national associations are trying to bridge the gap by setting up new cooperative standards to exploit the common heritage of creativity, skills and product quality, which are the key to the worldwide success of the “Made in Italy” brand in different sectors. More information: www.assocompositi.it

Italian inovations
Building & Consturction Multi-sector

TAH T2 Turbo Mixer

> Stand W19

EFD’s new mixer provides higher flow rates than its competitors while ensuring equivalent or better mixing with reduced waste. The T2 Turbo Mixer™ from Nordson EFD TAH features an innovative design that puts 21 mixing elements inside a standard 18-element nozzle. Its unique bidirectional 21-element geometry provides mixing power comparable to 24element static mixers in a smaller package that allows the operator to get closer to the work piece. Because the T2 mixer is approximately 20% shorter than comparable 24-element mixers, it also provides a corresponding reduction in waste. www.nordsonefd.com

> Stand T33 Selcom Multiaxial Technology, located near Venice, Italy, produces uni-,bi- and multiaxial reinforcements (NCF) in glass, carbon, aramid and other high-tech fibres for the advanced composite industry. Since the mid-90s, Selcom has been developing and manufacturing special engineered textiles designed to help preserve monuments and historical landmarks, as well as to consolidate infrastructure construction and retrofit unreinforced or damaged masonry structures. Selcom has fully exploited its technical know-how and experience in this field to develop the Sentex sensorized NCF fabrics for an EU project named POLYTECT (Polyfunctional Technical Textiles against Natural Hazards). These textiles are intended to provide both reinforcing strength and monitoring capabilities for masonry structures and composite applications. A key objective of the project is to create a technologically superior product that gives Europe a competitive advantage in the textile industry, establishing both innovative leadership and job growth. During the JEC Show 2010, the Polytect coordinator, Thomas B. Messervey P from .E. D’Appolonia S.p.A., will give a presentation on a composite seismic wallpaper for the reinforcement of buildings in earthquake zones. www.selcom-srl.com www.polytect.net www.dappolonia.it

Composite seismic wallpaper

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jec composites magazine / No56 April 2010
http://www.assocompositi.it http://www.nordsonefd.com http://www.selcom-srl.com http://www.polytect.net http://www.dappolonia.it
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #56 - April 2010
