Specialty Fabrics Review October 2020 - 57

are being used in buildings, primarily for
cladding, as in the example of the new
composite facade of the Stedelijk Museum
in Amsterdam. The project's Netherlandsbased composite manufacturer, Holland
Composites, was aiming for a monolithic
appearance and used 8,500 kilometers of
carbon and aramid fibers, which created an
aesthetic closer to that of a mega yacht than
a land-based structure.
The choice of composite material also
owes something to the need to guard against
the expansion or shifting of the structure
caused by temperature fluctuations as a result
of climate change; a dramatic contrast to
the original red brick building dating back
to 1895, when global warming wasn't a
consideration. Processes are now being
brought together in increasingly novel ways
to deliver a sophisticated range of composites.
An example is the process of overprinting,
whereby a thermoplastic fiber is applied
directly to an existing part using 3D printing.
This allows for layers of high strength to be
applied where needed and less fiber printed
where it is not required-in other words,
achieving "maximum value for minimum
amount of mass."
Although biomimicry is mentioned
several times in the book, van Hinte says
that while the idea of extracting good design
from nature is growing in popularity as a
concept, the commercialized outputs fall
short of expectations. He says the notion is
often a distraction, and he uses the example
of the Rotterdam-based bridge-building
company FiberCore® Europe (FCE), which
uses an oblique layering technology that
significantly reduces the risk of delamination.
After the company designed and patented the
technology, it discovered that the layering is
widely used in nature in plants, vegetables and
animal life. "Often," says van Hinte, "this
is how biomimetics works. First the copy is
designed and then the original is discovered."

processing, and it is going the same direction
in the Netherlands." Laptops are smaller than
a decade ago, but their processing power is
many times greater. Van Hinte sees AI costing
an enormous amount of energy that comes
at a great environmental price. He says he
does not believe that renewable energy is
an automatic solution. "Solar energy needs
equipment and it needs a mine," he says.
"It also needs to be repaired and replaced
because it will not last more than 25 years.
The neodymium used in magnets in wind
turbines has to be mined in China in a very
dirty process; plus mining uses fossil fuels."
In the future, says van Hinte, companies
may very well be expected to show their
energy use.

STEEP ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS
As for what will develop in the future, van
Hinte says the introduction of thermoplastics
in composites will be important. However,
he is quite concerned about the impacts
of artificial intelligence (AI). "In Ireland,
about 40 percent of the energy used is for data

Heytex USA Corporation
A Heytex Group Company

IFAI VIRTUAL
EXPO 2020 PANEL:

Designing Lightness
Marie O'Mahony will
moderate a virtual panel
session on Nov. 5 led by
author Ed van Hinte. The
session will provide an
updated view on lightness
in design and how the world
might benefit from it.

Marie O'Mahony is an industry consultant, author
and academic. She is the author of several books on
advanced and smart textiles published by Thames and
Hudson and is a visiting professor at the Royal College
of Art (RCA), London.

DISCOVER THE MANY
FACES OF FABRIC.

info@heytex-usa.com
www.heytex.com
phone 1-800-255-9338

Visit HEYtex at IFAI Virtual Expo 2020
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Specialty Fabrics Review October 2020

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