SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012 - (Page 26)

Europe News & Views Gary Turner European Section Editor gt@ttrc.de SETEC 12 Report SAMPE Europe's seventh international technical conference and forum – SETEC 12 – took place 19-20 September in the picturesque city of Lucerne, in the “heart” of Switzerland. Included were two keynotes, plenary sessions, tabletop exhibits, a gala dinner plus a choice of plant tours. The evening prior to the event, a welcome reception was held after registration at the conference site. It featured the tasty Swiss specialty cheese fondue, eaten in groups, which encouraged networking and getting acquainted with old (and new) colleagues. Conference venue was the impressive Swiss Museum of Transportation (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz) which presents a diversified and extraordinary exhibition of all segments of transport. Adjacent to the conference area were the numerous table top exhibits, well attended during coffee breaks and lunches served nearby. A shuttle bus connected the main hotel with the conference site. Conference theme or “Leitmotiv” was Advanced Composites – Design and Process for Sustainability – and performance of current and future advanced materials systems. The aspect of “green fibers” and “green elements” in the matrix (not to mention manufacturing) systems is steadily gaining importance. Within this M&P framework, a total of two keynotes and seven sessions offered 27 presentations on the general themes of materials, processing, nanotechnology, repair, design, NDT, thermoplastics and the ever more relevant topic of end-of-lifecycle processing activities. SAMPE Europe President Paolo Ermanni opened SETEC 12, welcoming all and noting that, in over 30 years of SAMPE conference history in Europe, this is the first time an event was held in a museum. The technical museum contains items large and small relating to transportation since the beginning of the wheel – with inherent emphasis on the role played by material and processes. Gratis entrance to this impressive museum was included with registration. The first keynote followed, given by John Russell, of the central US Air Force M&T facilities in Ohio. His theme of “Design and Manufacturing for Next Generation Aircraft” used the new JSF military jet as reference, while discussing management and budget aspects, cost-overruns etc. Agile manufacturing was another theme. Some of his many timely points: invest early in programs – and save money; the autoclave as a production “choke point”; avoid holes as far as possible, since they cost $50-100 apiece. Other topics addressed included advanced automated NDE and tool-less assembly methods. In conjunction with the conference, a choice of two plant tours were offered: one to nearby Pilatus Aircraft, the other to the diversified RUAG Aviation, with headquarters and main manufacturing center at the Swiss Air Force base in Emmen, also close by. The plant visits were conducted at the end of the first day's conference sessions and preceded the event dinner. The SETEC 12 reception and gala dinner took place at the conference Hotel Seeburg, with it's gorgeous view of Lake Lucerne and nearby Mt. Pilatus. Paolo Ermanni and Mark Erath thanked attendees for their participation, the keynoters for their contributions, and the sponsors for their kind support. Paolo then introduced distinguished visitors from the US, including SAMPE's new International President, Dr. Kate Thorp and Executive Director Gregg Balko. Beginning Day Two, the second keynote, by T. Tervoort, from Taenia Tec and the ETH Zurich, was entitled “Flat Fibers: from Fibers to Unidirectional Foils”. The talk described a novel new process where polymeric Vectra-type fibers are extruded, laid out, then flattened together to form a UD sheet. This can be employed alone, as a high strength foil, or pressed with other foils, to form a multilayer, quasi-isotropic panel stronger than the base material. The unusual manufacturing process – still in the pilot stage – involves “transesterification”. The final day of presentations ended with an entire session devoted to the European FP 7 research program IMAC-Pro 2 (Industriialization of Manufacturing Technologies for Composite Profiles for Aerospace Applications). In his closing remarks, conference organizer Mark Erath thanked all attendees and sponsors, and advised that SETEC 13 will take place at the Stadthalle, in the German city of Wuppertal, 10-12 September 2013. Be sure and mark you calenders. 26 SAMPE Journal, Volume 48, No. 6, November/December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012

SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012
Contents
President’s Message
Technical Director’s Corner
SAMPE Journal Editorial Calender
Durability and Reliability of Large Composite Wind Turbine Blades
Corporate Partners
Welcome SAMPE’s Newest Members
SAMPE 2013|Long Beach Call for Papers
Materials & Products
SAMPE LinkedIn Communities
SAMPE Upcoming Events
SAMPE Proceedings
Perspectives
Europe News & Views
SAMPE Europe’s SEICO 2013, Paris, France
Polyurethane Composites for Wind Turbine Blades
Industry News
The SAMPE Foundation
Tech Tidbits
Performance Drivers with Glass Fiber Composites for Wind Turbine Blades
SAMPE Tech 2013|Wichita, KS Call for Papers
Advertiser’s Index
Resource Center
SAMPE Membership Application
SAMPE Books & CD’s Order Form
Industry Events Calendar
Statement to Record Ownership

SAMPE Journal - November/December 2012