JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011 - 17

offshore

New carbon fibre composite component for deep-sea use
The use of advanced composite materials was driven by the desire to minimize the deflections of the inner and outer barrel under service loading conditions to ensure the annular piston seal performance was maximized. Other features of the design included optimization of the composite/metal interface, inclusion of a washout port and the introduction of a metallic liner. “The use of advanced composite materials has allowed us to redesign a machine component to operate at depths that challenge conventional materials designs,” said Ronald B. Bucinell, Ph.D., P.E., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Union College. Bucinell conducted the finite element analysis of the component. “It also meets all design objectives while maintaining industry accepted factors of safety and compatibility with mating components.”

Automated Dynamics has developed a highperformance carbon fibre composite hydraulic pump with Cameron, a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to worldwide oil, gas and process industries.

High-performance materials
By using a high-performance carbon fibre and PEEK matrix composite in conjunction with precise fibre placement technologies, Automated Dynamics managed to minimize water absorption, marine biofouling and weight while optimizing the material construction to meet the demanding functional and formfit requirements. n
More information: www.automateddynamics.com

he new machine component was displayed at the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, in May 2010.

The large-capacity hydraulic pump has several components made of a proprietary PEEK carbon composite and is designed to operate in ultradeep water applications.

No62 January - February 2011 / jec composites magazine

More information ...

Automated Dynamics manufactures advanced composite structures and high-performance composite processing equipment. Through the development of innovative processes – automated fibre placement and automated tape laying – the company delivers strong, lightweight structures that solve complex problems for clients in the aerospace, defence, oil field and other commercial/industrial markets. Advanced Thermoplastic Fiber Placement is a proprietary, patented technology which uses unidirectional pre-preg material (continuous fiber reinforcing in thermoplastic resin matrix) with high heat and pressure to consolidate the structure 'on the fly' (in-situ) or as it is manufactured. There is no post-processing (oven cure) which allows for greatly reduced residual stresses. This technology allows the company to orient the reinforcing fiber from 0 degree (axial) to 90 degrees (hoop) and anywhere in between. The result? A well-consolidated structure with excellent continuous fiber distribution and superior wet-out for a high quality, high performance part. And the robotic in-situ process provides the repeatability and accuracy.

Applications

http://www.automateddynamics.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011