Spirit will utilise the funds to build tooling, fabricate composite parts and machine complex metallic parts at its Wichita, Kan., facility. Spirit designs and manufactures both composite and metallic structures for commercial and defence customers.

With long-standing machining capabilities, Spirit produces more than 3 million parts annually for equipment manufacturers at peak production. The 5-axis centre in Wichita focuses on large, complex, soft metal parts for fuselage, pylon and wing structures, all built on high-tech, high-speed, latest-generation equipment and is part of 12M sqft of manufacturing space.

Our growing work on defence programs has provided a measure of stability for the company, and helped us as we shift capacity to serve other needs, particularly in the defence market

Duane Hawkins, Senior Vice President; President, Defense and Fabrication, Spirit AeroSystems

The company supports a number of military programs, including programs for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army.

The post Spirit AeroSystems Gets $80M in Defence Production Act Funding appeared first on Composites Today.

Wind turbines from the first generation back in the 1990s are reaching the end of their life expectancy and around two gigawatts worth of turbines are expected to be refitted between 2019 and 2020.

Up to 85 to 90% of wind turbines’ total mass can be recycled, but turbine blades represent a significant challenge. Made from composite materials to allow for lighter and more durable blades, they require specific processes for recycling.

Currently, the most popular process is through something called cement co-processing, where the mineral components are reused in the cement, and the organic fraction replaces coal as a fuel. Through that process, the CO2 output of the cement manufacturing process can be significantly reduced (up to 16 % reduction is possible if composites represent 75 % of cement raw materials). Cement coprocessing is commercially available for processing large volumes of waste albeit not in all locations.

Besides cement co-processing, alternative technologies like mechanical recycling, solvolysis and pyrolysis are being developed, ultimately providing the industry with additional solutions for end-of-life.

Investing in renewable energy production and circular solutions should be one of the key drivers of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. I am very proud of the partnership we have built with the wind energy supply chain to come up with an effective solution to recycling wind blades. This shows that cross-industry and value chain alliances are a very powerful tool for speeding up innovation and scaling up cutting edge technologies.

Marco Mensink, Cefic director general.

The report, which can be downloaded here strongly supports increasing and improving composite waste recycling through the development of alternative technologies and are calling on the EU to prioritise R&I funding to diversify and scale up recycling technologies and to develop new, high-performance materials for blades with enhanced circularity as part of the next R&I framework programme called Horizon Europe.

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ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd in Canada has partnered with Graphene Composites to develop a virucidal graphene-based composite ink that can be applied to fabrics including N95 face masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for significantly increased protection.

Under the collaboration, Graphene Composites have devised a silver nanoparticle/graphene oxide ink formulation that ZEN has synthesised at their lab in Guelph, Ontario, that has been documented by previous researchers to kill earlier versions of coronavirus.

Once testing is completed, the GC/ZEN graphene ink would be incorporated into a fabric to be included in masks and filters designed by Graphene Composites.  Efficacy testing of the silver-graphene oxide-based ink to kill the COVID 19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) will be conducted at the University of Western Ontario ImPaKT Facility Biosafety Level 3 lab. In addition, the graphene ink will be tested to kill influenza A and B viruses at Biosafety Level 2 labs in the UK and US.

Graphene Composites has also announced an alliance with G-Form, an athletic protective gear manufacturer in the USA who pivoted its Smithfield, RI. manufacturing plant to the production of PPE face shields and has already produced more than 1 million units.

No solution currently exists to effectively pre-treat athletic equipment, apparel or footwear prior to practices and games. This pre-treatment will not only absorb Coronavirus droplets, it will eliminate them. This also applies to gyms and fitness centres throughout the world. Developing this added layer of protection is the very essence of why and how these companies with Rhode Island roots are working together.

The products are being tested at leading Universities and laboratories in both the UK & US, with patents pending. Once complete and successful, EPA approvals and production will immediately follow.

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The 737 Max was grounded back in March 2018 after two fatal crashes that killed a total of 346 people. Boeing continued to produce the aircraft but in December of 2019 announced plans to suspend production.

The company has said that during the suspension, mechanics and engineers have worked together to standardise work packages and revamp the kitting process to ensure employees have everything they need to build the aeroplane.

We’ve been on a continuous journey to evolve our production system and make it even stronger. These initiatives are the next step in creating the optimal build environment for the 737 MAX.

Walt Odisho, vice president and general manager of the 737 program

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boeing doesn’t expect the 737 Max to fly again until at least the middle of 2020 although it has yet to be cleared to return by the FAA. Boeing recently announced plans to lay off almost 7,000 staff as Coronavirus continues to hit the aerospace industry hard.

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Although we are disappointed with this outcome, we are confident this is the right decision for our customers, our shareholders, and our employees as it allows each of us to dedicate our focus and resources toward ensuring Woodward and Hexcel each remain strong and closely connected with our customers and supply chains during these unparalleled times

The termination was approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is in response to the increasing impact on both the aerospace and industrial sectors, and global markets broadly, resulting from the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in a need for each company to focus on its respective businesses and has impacted the companies’ ability to realize the benefits of the merger during these unprecedented times.

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As one of the largest trade show in the composites industry, JEC World brings together professionals from application sectors, experts from the scientific and academic world, associations and media from more than 112 countries.

Back in March, the company announced plans to postpone the 2020 show until May as the coronavirus pandemic was starting to spread rapidly through Europe causing travel widespread travel restrictions and containment measures.

The next JEC World trade show is scheduled to take place on March 9-11, 2021 after the company organised a survey to poll its exhibitors. The company said that all participants and partners will be contacted very soon in order to best manage the consequences of this decision.

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More than twenty 3D printers are working day and night. Hundreds of visors have already been produced and dispatched to hospitals close to the Airbus facilities in Spain. Airbus leverages a patented design to manufacture the visor frames, using PLA plastics. 

Overnight, we have gone from making aerospace concepts to medical equipment. This genuinely makes a difference in the fight against the pandemic and I couldn’t be prouder of our teams working day and night on this Airbus project.

Alvaro Jara, Head of Airbus Protospace, in Getafe, Madrid

Despite the pause of the majority of production at Airbus’ sites in Spain following the Royal Decree of 29 March, Airbus employees are allowed on site to continue with this essential activity. 

In addition, Airbus in Germany also joined the project. The Airbus Protospace Germany and the Airbus Composite Technology Centre (CTC) in Stade, together with the 3D-printing network named “Mobility goes Additive,” are now supporting this project in Spain, also coordinating the collection and transport of visors to the Madrid region. 

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Work will be carried out by personnel of the saddlery that produces the interiors and special customisation for Lamborghini cars, producing 1,000 masks a day, while 200 medical shields will be made a day, using 3D printers within the company’s carbon fibre production plant and the Research and Development department.

The activity has been approved and supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region and is taking place in collaboration with the University of Bologna. The Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences will oversee validation testing of the medical devices made by Lamborghini, prior to their delivery to the hospital.

We will win this battle together by working in unison, supporting those who are at the forefront of fighting this pandemic every day

Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini

As a sign of unity and support for the entire nation facing the Coronavirus emergency, every evening Lamborghini lights up the historic headquarter buildings in Sant’Agata Bolognese, with the colours of the Italian flag.

The post Lamborghini Begins Production of Face Masks and Medical Shields appeared first on Composites Today.

The breathing aid, known as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), has been used extensively in hospitals in Italy and China to help Covid-19 patients with serious lung infections to breathe more easily when oxygen alone is insufficient.

Since Wednesday 18^th March, engineers at UCL and HPP and clinicians at UCLH have been working round the clock at UCL’s engineering hub MechSpace to reverse engineer a device that can be produced rapidly by the thousands. This has now been recommended for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

This breathing aid was produced within a rapid timeframe – it took fewer than 100 hours from the initial meeting to production of the first device. One hundred devices are to be delivered to UCLH for clinical trials, with rapid roll-out to hospitals around the country ahead of the predicted surge in Covid-19 hospital admissions.

The collaboration, supported by the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, demonstrates the way that universities, the NHS and industry are coming together to help the national response to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, by providing vital technologies to the NHS which can enable them to care for patients who require respiratory support.

Reports from Italy indicate that approximately 50% of patients given CPAP have avoided the need for invasive mechanical ventilation. However, such devices are in short supply in UK hospitals.

These devices will help to save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the most severely ill

UCLH critical care consultant Professor Mervyn Singer (UCL Medicine)

CPAP machines are routinely used by the NHS to support patients in a hospital or at home with breathing difficulties. They work by pushing an air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose at a continuous rate, keeping airways open and increasing the amount of oxygen entering the lungs. Invasive ventilators deliver breaths directly into the lungs but require heavy sedation and connection to a tube placed into the patient’s trachea (windpipe).

Project Pitlane is a collective of UK-based Formula 1 teams and their respective technology arms coordinating a response to the UK government’s call for assistance with the manufacture of medical devices. It will pool the resources and capabilities of its member teams, focusing on the core skills of the F1 industry: rapid design, prototype manufacture, test and skilled assembly. F1’s ability to respond rapidly to engineering and technological challenges allows the group to add value to the wider engineering industry’s response.

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Airbus partially resumed production and assembly work in France and Spain on Monday, 23 March following a four-day pause. At the same time, operations in the UK, Germany and the US continued at normal rates. Based on the adapted ways of working which reflect the new health and safety measures, Airbus is continuing to evaluate its production flow. 

The company’s wing plants in Bremen, Filton and Broughton will be reduced, with an extended Easter holiday implemented at Broughton and Filton and a reduced working week at Bremen. The sites will remain open during this period and will continue to ensure wing deliveries to the final assembly lines, the receipt and control of materials and components from the supply chain, building and installation maintenance, critical administrative support and preparation for activity restart. Employees will continue to perform activities remotely via home-working where their activities are not directly related to the production activity being adapted.

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