JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009 - 42

USERS’ PLATFORM Successful partners Major advancements in long fibre injection In collaboration with Bayer MaterialScience and KraussMaffei, Camoplast has developed Camoplast Long Fibre (CLF™), a major innovation that makes it possible to produce large parts using the long fibre injection (LFI) process. The first application of the technology is the hull of a personal watercraft (PWC), which hit the market in summer 2009. company, which prides itself on setting and achieving challenging goals. Camoplast’s mission is to set a goal and take all the necessary steps to reach it, one at a time. etc. At the same time, KraussMaffei enhanced its proven LFI processing technology by nearly doubling the glass output capability from 180 grams/second to 300 grams/second, enabling the production of the highly reinforced structural parts. The custom polyurethane formulation, along with specially designed KraussMaffei processing machinery and additional Camoplast innovations, make it possible to produce large parts such as the 3.6-m-by0.9-m PWC hull, which are strong yet lightweight. Camoplast also reaped other benefits by switching to CLF™ and the Baydur® STR 814 system. Polyurethane is a more environmentally-friendly alternative to other types of resins like polyester, which contain VOC-emitting styrene that is a hazard to both the environment and machine operators. In addition, using polyurethane and CLF™ allows for faster, more automated production and a smaller manufacturing footprint, which are advantages in both cost-effectiveness and safety. YVES CARBONNEAU, ENGINEERING DIRECTOR, POLYMER SOLUTIONS, CAMOPLAST or decades, PWC hulls were manufactured from glass fibrereinforced polyester resin using the robotic shell moulding (RSM™) process or the sheet moulding compound (SMC) process. When a customer challenged Camoplast to produce a lighter, more efficient hull for a PWC, the company researched many technologies and materials. It came to the conclusion that advancing the LFI process to produce larger parts could meet the goals of the project. These included achieving a superior Class A finish, reducing part weight without sacrificing strength, and also keeping costs down. F Courtesy of BRP The hull of a PWC is the largest and most vulnerable part of the watercraft. Successful co-operation Camoplast was able to meet the challenging objective through seven years of research and innovation, working alongside material supplier Bayer MaterialScience and plastics processing equipment manufacturer KraussMaffei. To help bring the process from concept to reality, Bayer MaterialScience developed a proprietary grade of its Baydur® STR 814 polyurethane system, which is marketed through BaySystems™, the umbrella brand for its global polyurethane systems operations. Compared with a traditional open time of roughly 10 seconds, this new grade features a 60-second open time so the material and reinforcing glass can flow into tight spaces that were previously inaccessible, thereby making it possible to design-in strengthening ribs, In LFI, long glass fibres are injected along with polyurethane resin in a onestep process. A glass fibre chopper is attached to the polyurethane dispensing mixhead, which is attached to a robot. The robot is programmed to move over the open mould cavity while simultaneously dispensing both the long glass fibres and the polyurethane resin in an openpour method. At the end of the pour, the mould is closed to form the part. Initially, Camoplast was told it could not be done. But that did not stop the A complete solution Because this particular customer and manufacturer of PWCs had used glassreinforced polyester resin for years, they were initially sceptic that making such a big leap to a new material – polyurethane – and a new technology would result in high-performance and great aesthetics. 42 jec composites magazine / No51 September 2009

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009