JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #91 - August/September 2014 - 23

Fig. 3: Example product group structure for FRTP components in the oil and gas industry

the market potential was based
on the possibility of delivering
solutions to previously identified technological challenges
- i.e. strengths combined with
opportunities - as well as on
the presence of substitution
technologies with superior
performance - i.e. weaknesses
combined with threats. The
final result of the second step
was an application catalogue
consisting of 121 applications
derived from seven target
industries. For each component, product requirements
regarding relevant characteristic parameters for FRTC
manufacturing technologies
- such as dimension, geometric
complexity, surface quality
and material properties - were
derived.
The third step consisted in
deriving further attractive
applications with the support
of technology experts and
researchers in order to uncover
additional innovative, cross-industry opportunities showing
high application potential in
the future. The deployed approach was designed utilizing
the two major drivers of busi-

ness growth simultaneously:
technology push and market
pull. The technology-based
perspective was reflected by
collecting and documenting
expert knowledge and expertise
to define enabling technologies. In order to define the most
promising technology utilization scenarios, market trends
were systematically identified
and evaluated. The overall aim
was to effectively combine the
paradigms of technology push
and market pull.
The final step consisted in
selecting the most attractive
applications based on previously defined technology- and
market-based evaluation
criteria. As a result, 14 key
applications from seven different industries were found. A
detailed technology and market
profile was then compiled for
each specific component.
The technology-based
evaluation contained detailed
information on technology
feasibility in terms of opportunities such as "advantages of
FibreChain over competing
technologies (cost, performance, etc.)" and threats such

as "substitution materials to
FRTC". Furthermore, technical
requirements like dimension,
geometry, material and performance and norms & standards
were defined.
The market-based view
consisted in quantifying the
production volumes, revenues
and information on compound
annual growth rates for the relevant market segment of each
specific component in order
to forecast the future business
potential. Additionally, key
players in the related markets
were identified and characterized.
Based on the detailed technology- and market-based
information, the components
were finally evaluated in
terms of overall technological
feasibility and market potential. The general criteria for
technological feasibility were:
"manufacturing capability",
"mass production possibility",
"competitive product benefit
of using FRTC over substitute
materials" and "competitive
manufacturing advantage of
FiberChain over existing technologies". The main evaluation

No91 August - September 2014 /

criteria for market potential
were: "expected production
volumes and growth", "future
relevance of FRTC technology
for this product", "penetration
of competitors using of FRTC
technology in the present
market" and, finally, "expected
profit margins".
The FibreChain FRTC Roadmap was derived as an overall
result based on all the information gathered and processed
during the market study. This
roadmap visualizes current and
future product manufacturing
capabilities, the number of
industries where each application can be utilized as well as
the current market potential
rating. Similar to a subway map,
intersecting lines indicate current or expected cross-industry
applications.

Conclusion
The utilization of FRTC
provides high potential to cope
with the increasing demands
in modern production of
lightweight components. The
combination of laser-assisted
tape placement and thermoforming embedded in an
integrated process chain allows
the flexible volume production of composite parts. The
process chain also comprises
sophisticated joining, trimming, metrology and control
systems as well as model-based
expert systems for process and
product development.
The manufacture of pressure
vessels, pipes and tanks for
various industries such as the
chemical industry, the oil and
gas sector and others enables a
valid market entrance strategy
with a comparatively fast return
on investment.
The gained revenues could
be reinvested in technologies

jec composites magazine 23
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #91 - August/September 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #91 - August/September 2014
