The suit is integrated with the company’s cloud-based software system which can connect to the industrial Internet of Things and the Smart Factory. The software allows the suit to be personalised for multiple users and comes with a range of apps to further customise the device.

Weighing in at 7.4kgs, the company teamed up with SGL Carbon who assisted in the development of a new carbon fibre load-bearing structure which makes the device stronger and much lighter than previous models.

Combined with the Cray X power suit is the all-new smart Cray Visor which connects wirelessly to the suit and integrates a heads-up display allowing for instructions and other useful information to be displayed on the screen. What’s more, it also helps protect wearers from airborne health risks.

The device is available to buy now and features a “Robotics-as-a-Service” pricing model which allows companies to access the product for a monthly fee with prices starting at €699.

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A significant focus has been devoted to producing thermoplastic and thermosetting systems with amalgamations of a range of mechanical and functional properties. These include; improved strength and stiffness, increased thermal and electrical conductivity, enhanced barrier properties, fire retardation and others. Progress has been made in identifying and developing the appropriate incorporation processing techniques capable of delivering these property enhancements. Indeed, in this area, a number of companies have already started/are close to launching graphene-enhanced thermoplastic and thermosetting materials to market. This is a promising area in the near term as the underlying processing technologies have reached the required level of maturity and there is little need for additional equipment for prospective manufacturers. This knowledge and the low capital expenditure requirements result in minimal barriers to entry.

The incorporation of graphene-related materials into conventional elastomeric compounds can significantly augment a number of their desirable properties. Traditionally in certain elastomer components, there was a need to trade off/compromise between the wear resistance and application-specific functionality. The addition of graphene has been shown to enhance the properties of the elastomer to the extent that the wear resistance and performance functionality can both be greatly improved. Additionally, the improvement of the materials’ electrical and thermal conductivity is beneficial for a number of their applications. Some graphene-enhanced elastomers are commercially available and have been processed into products. These include high-performance sports shoes, bicycle tyres, recycled mats and many others.

Inorganic composites including ceramics and metal matrix composites is another promising materials sector with significant potential to benefit from graphene and related materials. Academia has shown that a plethora of mechanical and functional benefits could be achieved in suitable inorganic composite systems. These benefits include; improved hardness, enhanced fracture toughness, increased strength and stiffness, superior wear resistance and conductivity. There are many applications for these nanocomposites in a range of industrial sectors. The incorporation and processing techniques for these materials have not yet reached the same level of maturity as the aforementioned systems. Considering the combination of ‘market pull’ and ‘academic push’ this area could also be very promising in the near future.

The challenges Graphene faces to become integrated with Composites

The term “composites” encompasses a vast range of different material technologies each of which has distinct processing procedures and production parameters. Each of these systems brings its own unique technical challenges to ensure appropriate 2D material incorporation. The following are some of the key technical and logistical challenges facing graphene and other 2D materials in the composite domain area.

In order to achieve the desired reinforcement, the nanomaterials must have the appropriate microstructure and interfacial properties to promote ideal bonding and stress transfer with the matrix. The challenge is identifying the right graphene material capable of providing the desired reinforcement for the specific system. Graphene materials available on the market can differ greatly in terms of their lateral size, aspect ratio, defect density and surface functional groups. Materials often require modification in order to alter the aspect ratio and lateral dimensions as well as functionalisation procedures to ensure that the appropriate chemical groups are available for effective matrix bonding. This is a significant challenge, there is no one solution that fits all, and therefore it is a challenge for material scientists to constantly iterate.

A validation service was launched by some members of the Graphene Flagship which could provide some independent authentication and assessment of different graphene material supplies, the consistency of supply and performance in the variety of relevant material systems.

Additionally, to attain the potential property enhancements, the incorporation process of the nanomaterials into the matrix system is often critical. Achieving a homogeneous dispersion and ideal orientation of the nanomaterial is a particular challenge for the relevant range of composite materials and is often affected by the interfacial interactions. Graphene’s reinforcement abilities are dependent on the number of layers and therefore in some systems, it can be beneficial to use high shear processing techniques to exfoliate and disperse the materials in situ. This opportunity is not available in other systems due to the phases and processing procedures deployed. It is often necessary to apply pre-processing treatments to the 2D materials prior to the dispersion to ensure they are in a state capable of achieving the enhancements.

If you have read this far, you are starting to understand the complexity of engineering these nanocomposite systems and the myriad of parameters involved. An additional challenge is solving the knowledge gap in the 2D materials space. As mentioned before, the composites sector spans a wide range of materials industries each of which will have unique opportunities, technical issues and novel solutions. A challenge for the composites sector is identifying the people and projects with the expertise to drive the nanocomposite field forward.

One of the unique selling points of graphene to the composites industry is that significant property enhancements can be achieved at low nanomaterial loadings, often in the range of 0.1-5 weight per cent. This is also beneficial as graphene is still a relatively expensive material and therefore the loadings must be low enough that a financial margin is present. Although the loading levels are low, some application areas such as the concrete industry, for example, use millions of tons of material annually. Even at low loadings of 0.1 weight per cent, in order to be applied at scale, manufacturers would need more than the current global graphene production capacity. A challenge for the industry is to ensure that the production capacity is in place and consistent enough for the scale-up of bulk composite materials applications.

Finally, but not exhaustively, certain composite manufacturers operate in highly regulated application areas. They may often face individual and unique challenges in introducing new nanomaterials into their existing products. This is a more nuanced issue; however, organizations and experts are often available in each field to guide companies to drive their products through the regulatory process and into the market.

The most promising Graphene Composite products currently on the market

Graphene enhanced composite products have been launched to market in a number of different application areas. Many of these products have been successful in gaining market share and providing application-specific enhancements relative to their conventional alternatives. The following are some of the promising graphene-enhanced composite products on the market in accordance with their application areas.

In the automotive sector, a number of products are now commercially available from a range of suppliers. Graphene enhanced polyurethane foams were produced by one supplier that is more thermally stable, reduce cabin noise (improved acoustic attenuation) and improved mechanical properties. This component has now been incorporated into over a million cars. One company already has graphene-enhanced carbon fibre pre-pregs available for purchase. A high-end sports car manufacturer has produced a track car with graphene-enhanced composite panels using these pre-preg material systems. The incorporation of graphene improves the strength and allows the manufacturer to greatly reduce the weight. This should simultaneously improve application performance and reduce fuel consumption/GHG emissions.

The high-end sporting equipment sector has also seen some disruptive graphene composite products launched into their market. A tyre manufacturer has produced graphene-enhanced elastomer bicycle tyres to enhance the performance and improve the wear resistance. One company has successfully launched a range of graphene-enhanced sports shoe products tailored for activities such as running and hiking. Another company was able to produce graphene-enhanced mats from 80% recycled rubber with the properties of the virgin material. A number of companies have launched graphene-enhanced sporting goods such as tennis rackets and fishing rods. They have capitalised on the enhanced strength and stiffness from the nanomaterial additives to reduce the weight of the components and improve the performance.

The built environment/construction sector is also starting to see products launched to the market and high profile in situ testing for certain systems. One company has produced a graphene-enhanced bitumen composite for longer enduring road surfaces. This has the potential to greatly improve road quality by reducing pothole incidence, which in turn should reduce maintenance costs and associated injuries. Graphene enhanced coatings for the protection of composite systems have been developed and launched to the market by a number of producers which could greatly reduce corrosion degradation. Graphene enhanced concrete products are not yet commercially available; however, this is a promising product due to the significant environmental and financial savings that could be achieved with nanomaterials.

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This is part of a broader Alberta Innovates initiative called Bitumen Beyond Combustion to advance the development of non-combustion products and production technologies derived from bitumen contained in Alberta’s oil sands. The oil sands are among the world’s largest hydrocarbon resources with proven reserves of approximately 170 billion barrels.

The Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge is directed toward funding technologies and projects that can convert bitumen or asphaltenes into carbon fibre. The high strength and stiffness of carbon fibre make composites functionally superior to many conventional materials used in the transportation, infrastructure, construction and consumer product sectors. Asphaltenes are organic molecules found in bitumen that are commonly used in asphalt.

Bitumen Beyond Combustion and the Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge aim to produce large-volume, high-value, non-combustion products from bitumen. It has the potential to shift the oil sands industry toward value creation and significantly enhance sustainability in a low-carbon emission economy John Zhou, Vice President, Clean Resources, Alberta Innovates

Applications are expected from Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia. The challenge will consist of three phases which will wrap up at the end of 2024. Three grand prizes of $3 million will be awarded to the winners who will be required to produce more than 10 kg of carbon fibre per day, with a line of sight to scale production to more than 250 tonnes per day.

Eventually, this production process could result in more than 100,000 barrels of Alberta bitumen being used daily to produce carbon fibre. Asphaltene derived from Alberta bitumen will be provided to competitors through an asphaltene sample bank operated by InnoTech Alberta, an applied research subsidiary of Alberta Innovates.

The competition opens Wednesday, Jan. 15. The deadline for Phase 1 applications is April 7. See our Carbon Fibre Grand Challenge page for full details.

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The bogie is being developed as part of a two-year programme delivered by a consortium of companies comprising of ELG Carbon Fibre, Magma Structures, the University of Birmingham and the University of Huddersfield with additional support from Alstom.

The new carbon fibre bogie is much lighter than models made with traditional materials which will reduce track wear and infrastructure maintenance costs while also reducing energy consumption and the trains overall environmental footprint. Sensors inside the Bogie will monitor any possible issues which would Improve reliability and operational availability.

There are significant potential benefits from adopting novel materials and construction methods in railway vehicle bogies. The reduction in mass results in energy savings but can also reduce track forces and improve dynamic performance. I hope that the tests on the CaFiBo bogie being carried out here at Huddersfield will help to encourage the railway industry to accept these new techniques. Simon Iwnicki, Director of the Institute of Railway Research at the University of Huddersfield

Over the next few months, the bogie will be tested on the University of Huddersfield’s state-of-the-art test rolling rig named the Huddersfield Adhesion & Rolling contact Laboratory Dynamics rig, or ‘HAROLD’.

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When an animal or human suffers a broken bone, sometimes a traditional cast is not a viable option due to the location or nature of the fracture. To address the problem, the University of Arizona professor Hamid Saadatmanesh has created a flexible carbon fibre fabric designed to be inserted inside and around a fractured bone. The fabric is filled with an inert polymer to inflate the fabric, which then acts as a permanent cast which cannot be rebroken.

Saadatmanesh, a professor in the College of Engineering, licensed the technology from the UA and started a company, MediCarbone Inc., to commercialise the invention. He is off to a successful start, having received investment funding from UAVenture Capital, a Tucson-based venture capital fund dedicated to the commercialisation of discoveries, products, technologies and services emerging from the UA.

We are excited about Dr. Saadatmanesh’s innovation for bone repair because of the difference the medical application can make and the lack of anything similar in the marketplace. Doug Hockstad, assistant vice president of Tech Launch Arizona

Through the creative use of carbon fibre, the company see huge opportunities for both infrastructure repair and medical utilisation of the new invention.

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Polyethylene would be an ideal material for lightweight construction, it’s energy-efficient, can be made from renewable raw materials and is almost residue-free recyclable, unfortunately, only Polyethylene components that are reinforced as composites for example with carbon or glass fibres are truly mechanically resilient.

Both Polyethylene and Polypropylene account for over half of all polymers produced worldwide. Polyethylene is found in many of the plastic products used every day and as a pure grade material, it’s infinitely reusable with the used products melted down and formed into new components with consistently good quality. Polyethylene is heated and converted back into raw materials that go back into the chemical industry or into building blocks for the production of hydrocarbon materials completely without residue. For this reason and because of their low weight, hydrocarbon materials are ideal for sustainable lightweight construction.

Up to this point, however, it hasn’t been possible to manufacture load-bearing components from regular Polyethylene because on its own it is not a strong enough material. Traditionally fillers like carbon or glass fibres have been used for reinforcement.

The addition of fillers does have a negative impact on the cost and the energy, raw material, environmental balance: production and recycling are considerably more difficult and expensive. So-called ultra-high molecular weight Polyethylene or UHMWPE for short, used as a high-performance material in medical implants such as acetabular cups or knee joints, offers an alternative. However, this pure, high-strength and abrasion-resistant material cannot be processed by injection moulding: It has to be pressed into a mould as a powder, sintered and then milled into the exact component in a complex and cost-intensive process. Although UHMWPE fibres can achieve the strength of steel, they are expensive and unsuitable for material recycling.

In the SusCOMP project, we carried out research on All-PE single component composites that can be processed by injection moulding and directly reinforce themselves. Of course, we were particularly interested in the mechanical properties of these composites. DSM already spins high-performance fibres from long UHMWPE molecular chains that orient themselves along the fibre direction, so-called “Dyneema” fibres. It would be technically possible to incorporate such fibres into PE as reinforcements, but this would involve a great deal of work and expense and would not be suitable for material recycling Raimund Jaeger, leader of the Polymer Tribology and Biomedical Materials group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg

Prof. Dr Rolf Mülhaupt and his team at the Freiburg Materials Research Centre at the University of Freiburg found the solution to this challenge by finely distributing different catalysts, which can be used to produce PE in different chain lengths, along with the same catalyst carrier. In the subsequent synthesis of PE using ethylene polymerization, mixtures of low, medium and ultra-high molecular weight PE, known as reactor blends, are simultaneously produced on this catalyst.

With this trick, PE blends are produced directly during polymerisation that can be injection moulded without any problems, explains Prof. Dr Mülhaupt

The process avoids high viscosities, which are normally a challenge when a high proportion of UHMWPE molecular chains are to be processed in injection moulding. High shear currents, which occur during injection moulding in narrow injection moulds, cause fibre-like UHMWPE structures to form from the ultra-high molecular weight fraction via self-organization of the material. These fibres reinforce the composite and even orient themselves in the desired direction during injection moulding, thus ensuring mechanical stability. These components are also easy to recycle.

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The scientists at the Fraunhofer IWM tested samples of this new high-performance material for their material properties. The mechanical properties show: many applications are conceivable, for example, long furniture parts as well as rail and shutter guides or parts for car interiors. In addition to their low weight, the components also have the advantage that water-based lubricants are very well tolerated.

The follow-up project, 3D-SusCOMP, now involves processing the material using a 3D printer. Previously, the good properties of All-PE composites could only be achieved if the polymers were oriented when injecting them into a narrow mould. However, the reinforcement by self-organization exclusively occurs in the direction specified by the moulding tool. This is already a major step forward, but other component shapes and composite materials, so-called multidirectional composites, are also desirable. The scientists found out: the fibre structures also form in the nozzle of a 3D printer. In contrast to injection moulding, however, their orientation in the component can be controlled by the movement of the print head. As a result, many new applications for this recyclable material are conceivable: in addition to lightweight gear wheels in automobiles or for the food industry, it is also possible to produce robot grippers which adapt to the shape of a part, medical orthotics or connectors from a “single mould”.

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Oribako is a polyhedron structure made of FRP panels and hinges that can be easily transported, deployed, folded away and stored. FRP with soft resin is used for the hinges to provide elasticity, flexibility and durability as well as a strong seal. The product can be produced in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as small boxes or simple architectural structures.

The FRPs used for the panels and the hinged sections are integrated seamlessly, ensuring airtightness and a smooth surface with no ridges. Depending on its intended use, the composition of materials used for the panels and hinges of the Oribako can be adjusted to incorporate properties such as sound absorption, heat insulation or shock absorption.

A prototype of the product will be showcased at SAMPE Japan this year and will comprise a simple booth in which carbon fibre composite panels are bonded to glass fibre composite hinges. It will have a floor area of about 11 square meters and weigh about 40 kilograms. The booth can easily be erected by two adults without the need for tools or machinery.

The company will continue to develop Oribako and hope to make it commercially available by 2022. The product is expected to be used in a variety of scenarios, such as a temporary indoor space with external solar panels and as a delivery container allowing easy and rapid change of cargos including those require a tight seal.

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NASA’s CubeSat Launch initiative (CSLI) provides opportunities for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned for upcoming launches. These CubeSats are flown as auxiliary payloads on previously planned missions.

Small satellites are playing an increasingly larger role in exploration, technology demonstration, scientific research and educational investigations at NASA. These miniature satellites provide a low-cost platform for NASA missions, including planetary space exploration. They also allow an inexpensive means to engage students in all phases of satellite development, operation and exploitation through real-world, hands-on research and development experience on NASA-funded ride share launch opportunities.

The first ever carbon-nanotube resin mirror could prove central to creating a low-cost space telescope for a range of CubeSat scientific investigations.

Unlike most telescope mirrors made of glass or aluminium, this particular optic is made of carbon nanotubes embedded in an epoxy resin. Sub-micron-size, cylindrically shaped, carbon nanotubes exhibit extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties, and are efficient conductors of heat. Owing to these unusual properties, the material is valuable to nanotechnology, electronics, optics, and other fields of materials science, and, as a consequence, are being used as additives in various structural materials.

The use of a carbon-nanotube optic in a CubeSat telescope offers a number of advantages. In addition to being lightweight, highly stable, and easily reproducible, carbon-nanotube mirrors do not require polishing — a time-consuming and often times expensive process typically required to assure a smooth, perfectly shaped mirror.

To make a mirror, technicians simply pour the mixture of epoxy and carbon nanotubes into a mandrel or mould fashioned to meet a particular optical prescription. They then heat the mould to cure and harden the epoxy. Once set, the mirror then is coated with a reflective material of aluminium and silicon dioxide.

Many of the mirror segments in these telescopes are identical and can therefore be produced using a single mandrel. Carbon-nanotube mirrors can also be made into ‘smart optics’. To maintain a single perfect focus in the Keck telescopes, for example, each mirror segment has several externally mounted actuators that deform the mirrors into the specific shapes required at different telescope orientations.

This technology can potentially enable very large-area technically active optics in space, and can address everything from astronomy and Earth observing to deep-space communications.

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The grant supports the Integrated Delivery Programme 12 (IDP12) initiative and OAS has won backing in the ‘light weighting’ category that supports feasibility studies into how the weight of vehicles, and therefore CO2 emissions can be appreciably reduced.

Together with the University of Manchester, OAS will use carbon fibre that has been reclaimed from a variety of waste sources during its feasibility study and the Oxfordshire-based company is confident it can deliver a new composite specification that will bring significant benefits to the automotive industry.

The company has 18 months to complete its ‘rescued carbon fibre for use in the automotive industry’ study. It aims to develop data sheets and prototypes that will highlight uses for the new composite material it will develop.

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The process, developed by a team led by Adrian Sabau of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, could replace the practice of preparing the surface of the materials by hand using abrasive pads, grit blasting and environmentally harmful solvents. Using a laser to remove layers of material from surfaces prior to bonding improves the performance of the joints and provides a path toward automation for high-volume use.

Our technique is vastly superior to the conventional surface preparation methods, combined with the potentially dramatic reduction in the cost of carbon fibre polymer composites, this represents an important step toward increasing the use of this lightweight high-strength material in automobiles, which could reduce the weight of cars and trucks by 750 pounds.

The surface treatment of aluminium and carbon fibre polymer composite is a critical step in the adhesive joining process, which directly affects the quality of bonded joints. Aluminium surfaces typically contain oils and other contaminants from production rolling operations while carbon fibre surfaces often contain mould releases.

“These surface contaminants affect surface energies and the quality of adhesion, so it is critical that they are removed, adding that the laser also penetrates into the top resin layer, leaving individual carbon fibres exposed for direct bonding to the adhesive and increasing the surface area for better adhesion.

Test results support Sabau’s optimism as single-lap shear joint specimens showed strength, maximum load and displacement at maximum load were increased by 15%, 16% and 100%, respectively, over those measured for the baseline joints. Also, joints made with laser-structured surfaces can absorb approximately 200 percent more energy than the conventionally prepared baseline joints, researchers reported.

Sabau noted that the process also doubles the energy absorption in the joints, which has implications for crash safety and potential use in armour for people and vehicles. Tim Skszek of Magna International a project partner said;

The results are most encouraging, enabling the automated processing of a multi-material carbon fibre-aluminium joint. With this work, we were able to focus on addressing the gaps in technology and commercial use, and we look forward to applying these findings to products.

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