ELG CARBON FIBRE
Custom-developed line for nonwovens / Ability to process recycled carbon fibres / Modular design enables easy expansion to meet growing customer demand
Leading UK carbon fibre materials recycling company ELG Carbon Fibre (Coseley; www.elgcf.com) has started producing a range of nonwoven mats on a new custom-built machine. The line has been purposely designed to process recycled carbon fibres and can produce a variety of nonwoven materials including 100% recycled carbon fibre mats and thermoplastic blends such as carbon fibre mixed with PP, PA and PPS fibres.
Built to ELG Carbon Fibre’s exacting requirements, the production line is the culmination of a two-year project. The company has extensively reconfigured and adapted the standard nonwoven manufacturing process to ensure the equipment can accept and process recycled carbon fibres.
The machine is also said to be unique in that it can use reclaimed carbon fibres that have been obtained through pyrolysis of scrap prepreg materials or cured laminates. This, said ELG Carbon Fibre, provides important feedstock compared to existing equipment that can only accept dry manufacturing waste. A flexible, modular design allows the line to be easily expanded from its initial capacity of 250 t/y to a maximum output of 1,000 t/y as customer demand increases.
ELG Carbon Fibre said its “Carbiso” M and TM products will strongly appeal to OEMs in the transportation sector that are seeking cost-effective alternatives to virgin carbon fibre for vehicle lightweighting.
“With the correct design, nonwoven recycled carbon fibre can be used very successfully to manufacture low-cost, lightweight structures using most high-volume manufacturing processes. It seems that new applications for these materials are being identified every week, making this an exciting and progressive time for the company and our technology,” said managing director Frazer Barnes.
The materials can be used on their own or with selective use of virgin carbon fibres to provide tailored structural properties. The “Carbiso” M mats are suitable for closed mould processes as well as manufacturing intermediate products such as prepregs and sheet moulding compounds for composite production. Thermoplastic “Carbiso” TM mats are designed for fast cycle times in press moulding applications.
Built to ELG Carbon Fibre’s exacting requirements, the production line is the culmination of a two-year project. The company has extensively reconfigured and adapted the standard nonwoven manufacturing process to ensure the equipment can accept and process recycled carbon fibres.
The machine is also said to be unique in that it can use reclaimed carbon fibres that have been obtained through pyrolysis of scrap prepreg materials or cured laminates. This, said ELG Carbon Fibre, provides important feedstock compared to existing equipment that can only accept dry manufacturing waste. A flexible, modular design allows the line to be easily expanded from its initial capacity of 250 t/y to a maximum output of 1,000 t/y as customer demand increases.
ELG Carbon Fibre said its “Carbiso” M and TM products will strongly appeal to OEMs in the transportation sector that are seeking cost-effective alternatives to virgin carbon fibre for vehicle lightweighting.
“With the correct design, nonwoven recycled carbon fibre can be used very successfully to manufacture low-cost, lightweight structures using most high-volume manufacturing processes. It seems that new applications for these materials are being identified every week, making this an exciting and progressive time for the company and our technology,” said managing director Frazer Barnes.
The materials can be used on their own or with selective use of virgin carbon fibres to provide tailored structural properties. The “Carbiso” M mats are suitable for closed mould processes as well as manufacturing intermediate products such as prepregs and sheet moulding compounds for composite production. Thermoplastic “Carbiso” TM mats are designed for fast cycle times in press moulding applications.
03.10.2016 Plasteurope.com [235187-0]
Published on 03.10.2016
German version of this article...