SGL Group - The Carbon Company - is taking part in the Composites Europe Trade Show 2016 in Düsseldorf, where it will be presenting new material developments and innovative, fiber-based product solutions and their applications.
An innovative concept in the fiber-reinforced thermosets sector being introduced by SGL Group at the trade show is a complete material tool box consisting of pre-impregnated semi-finished products based on the new “Snap-Cure” epoxy resin developed in-house. This E420 epoxy resin system combines very fast curing times (less/equal 3 minutes at greater/equal 150°C) with good storage stability (4 weeks at room temperature). The pre-impregnated semi-finished products also have optimized tack for automated processing. The high glass transition temperature of 140 - 150°C enables the component to be demolded at high temperatures. These materials are supplied on the basis of SIGRAFIL® 50k carbon fibers and as glass fiber-reinforced semi-finished products.
“The various materials in our new material tool box can be flexibly combined and processed, so offering maximum design freedom to users. At the same time, they reduce the complexity involved in the qualification and production of components. This is because they are based on the same resin system, enabling a high degree of standardization to be achieved and ensuring excellent compatibility between the different semi-finished products,” explained Stefan Geh, Head of Product Groups at SGL Group, describing the advantages of the new material tool box.
The point is that, with materials from the new SGL tool box, users only have to go once through the costly and time-consuming qualification process for the matrix system (e.g. adhesive compatibility, EDC suitability) but then have a very diverse range of semi-finished products at their disposal. New lightweight design concepts exploiting the particular advantages of individual semi-finished products (e.g. UD versus isotropic) help satisfy the requirements for cost-efficient, sustainable large-scale manufacture of CRP components in the automotive industry.
SGL Group is a complete solution provider in the area of fiber composites. With its thorough understanding of the entire process chain from fibers through fiber-reinforced composites to thermoplastic or thermoset lightweight structures, SGL Group can give its customers individualized support to achieve an innovative yet cost-efficient solution.
“Composites Europe”, the 11th European Trade Show & and Forum for Composites, Technology and Applications, starts on November 29, 2016 at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Center (Messegelände Düsseldorf). On Booth C07 in Hall 8b, visitors will find the entire range of fiber-based semi-finished products made by SGL Group, including the new thermoset semi-finished products, which are already being used in their first automotive industry projects.