JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011 - 23

JEC Composites Magazine: What path did your career take before you became R&D manager at Fibroline? LAURENCE CARAMARO: After a PhD at the University of Lyon I on PPS/carbon, I was taken directly into the R&D team of IFTH to work, first of all, on the composites and extrusion spinning activity before assuming responsibility for technical textiles and composites. It was at this time that the Fibroline project was born, following my meeting with Michel Lorthioir, a former industrialist at Philips. This collaboration gave rise to the so-called Fibroline process (today called DPreg), a dry

interview

JCM: What are your short, Accessible to experienced engineers, the R&D Manager function allows its incumbent to be at the medium and long-term topics of development for very heart of new product design. Let us get composites? L. C.: Over the short term, we acquainted with one such incumbent, herself have developed, in collaboration involved in some highly promising projects.

human capital

R&D Manager: inside innovation
JCM: What does your job consist in on a day-to-day basis? L. C.: It consists in defining the

DR. LAURENCE CARAMARO R&D MANAGER FIBROLINE FRANCE

development of new, dryprocess, thermoplastic or thermoset prepregs.

priority avenues of development in consultation with general management and marketing, coordinating ongoing actions with the project managers and setting up and organizing collaborative projects.

used for developing new products or replacing traditional wet-process technologies. Today, the priority avenues of development are based on the replacement of latex in textile coatings (a licence has been sold to the Beaulieu Group for floor coverings at events) and on the

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JCM: What are the main advantages offered by your technology? L. C.: DPreg technology can be

impregnation process for porous structures, and the creation in 2003 of the company, Fibroline France. In the light of the process, I decided in 2005 to join its team.

No62 January - February 2011 / jec composites magazine

with Solvin, a GMT prepreg called "FibroVin", based on glass fibre and PVC, with the PVC being produced directly in the form of powder without a granulation and micronizing stage. The development of the formulations is in optimization phase, and the initial results are highly encouraging in terms of mechanical performance (similar stiffness to SMCs). The objective is to establish partnerships for applications in building or industry. A second project - in partnership with resin and powder producers and INSA and RocTool - should come to fruition before the end of 2011, with the objective of developing styrene-free SMCs based on

solvent-free powder resins. We are also working on two European programmes associated with FP7 (7th European Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development): - the "ESPRIT" project in conjunction with a number of European SMEs for developing new single-material composites (fibres and thermoplastic matrices of a similar nature), thus making them easily recyclable, - the "MRECT" project for the development of new composites with carbon and highperformance matrices (PEEK, PPS), reinforced with nanotubes. Also involved in this project are Victrex, EADS, Volvo and Astrium. For the time being, DPreg technology is not suited to conductive fibres such as carbon. We are therefore working to adapt it. n
Contact: lcaramaro@fibroline.com More information: www.fibroline.com

Fibroline France is today a 9 person-company of which Michel Lorthioir is CEO and major shareholder. Fibroline has developed and patented a fully industrialized innovative dry process to impregnate powder materials into porous structures (fibres, foams, etc.) using high-intensity alternating electric fields. Applications cover a wide range of markets including structural panels. Its key benefits include major cost reductions and new products. Fibroline’s process allows to: cut back on water use and pollution, reduce energy consumption, eliminate many occupational health risks (VOC). Fibroline sells licenses together with complete production lines manufactured by a Swiss equipment manufacturer. The company spent a total of €7 million on patent expenses and developing the process.

http://www.fibroline.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