The results of the 5-th science and practical conference «Composite materials: production, application, market tendencies»

The expiring year was marked with bright business events for composite industry. The startup of which was given after winter cold, in March, when the Union of Composite Manufacturers organized two events in the context of the exhibition «Composite Expo»: the conference «Modern conditions and perspectives of the development of production and application of composite materials in Russia» and plenary meeting «Obstacles and stimulus of development of composite industry of Russia».

Of course the main event of summer was the MAKS-2011 and the conference “Composite materials in civil and military aircraft engineering” organized in the context of it.

The conference “Composite materials: production, application and market tendencies” organized the Union of Composite Manufacturers in the fifth time became the logical conclusion. On November 24, 2011 the leading companies of com-posite industry gathered with the purpose to get acquainted with the news of the compo-site market, to exchange the experience, to reckon up some results of the expiring year and share their plans for future. The event program becomes more busy and interesting from year to year. And this is not accidental because the interest to composites becomes more and more big.

One of the acute problems of domestic composite market is the problem of switching from hand lay up to more advanced automated technologies. There are some reasons for it: this is insufficient equipment of domestic enterprises and banal absence of the means, and elementary lack of knowledge of the foreign news, for the time being the leading composite market.

One of the major purpose of industry events is exactly informing cooperation to the industry enterprises, that can get not only the information about something new in the context of the conference but also to consult di-rectly with the specialists for the questions of implementation of provided developments in their real production with the purpose to solve the tasks clearly defined.
 
The whole section on the conference was dedicated to the novelty of the equipment market. The Deputy of the General Director of the company – sponsor of the conference CJSC “Modern Engineering Company” Razin Alexey introduced the innovative methods of hybrid junction of metal with composites as well as told about alternative to the traditional technological approach of “laying out” with further “autoclave”. The company specialists offer more productive method of “weaving” with RTM process finishing the production.

According to the data of German Association of Composites AVK the majority of the com-posite parts in Europe are produced by the methods of pressing the prepregs and premixes (production volume will constitute about 267 thousand tons in 2011 estimated by AVK). It is no wonder because today there is a real boom conditions for composite car production where serial bulk production is necessary. Karpov Anton, the specialist of the department of LLC “Lab Depot” told about variety of press technologies (isostatic and single axis) in his report and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of each type.
 
The technology of hand layup is still the most widespread in the Russian Federation but what the pleasant is that the transfer to the closed production methods is achieving momentum outlining last years. More companies offers equipment and materials exactly for these production methods. LLC “Bang and Bonsomer” is among these companies, the composite materials manager of which, Andrey Birukov told about peculiarities of equipment choice for technologies of closed molding.
 
Robotized equipment presented by the Deputy of Director of LLC “Polimerprom” Parinos Vyacheslav, becomes not such empyreal for the domestic manufacturers. With the help of robots of MATRASUR Composites Company it is possible to provide the automatizaton of practically all processes of composite products manufacturing to the customer – from production of industrial small and middle sizes parts up to manufacturing of largedimensional parts with the help of roundrobin systems.
 
Traditionally the novelties of the world of res-ins and reinforcement fillers have been introduced on the conference.
Specialists of Ashland Company Yaroslav Yashevskij and Arie Van Buren told about polyester resins with low styrene emission and about epoxy vinyl ester resins. A specific interest was attracted to the report of Arie
 
Van Buren who made the comparative analysis of the characteristics of FRP pressure pipes produced from epoxy (E) and epoxy vinyl ester (EVE) resins. The majority of the characteristic values of such materials as epoxy resin with amine (IPDA) and epoxy resin with anhydride (MTHPA) from one side and epoxy vinyl ester resin DERAKANE® from the other are overlapping due to which the technological parameters of pipelines are equal.
 
The director of LLC “Sampol” Ershov Victor presented his developments for UV-forming of polymer composites and Ari Hokkannen from «Finnester Coatings Oy» Company got acquainted with the right surface forming with the help of gel coats.

Epoxy resins and products on their base were presented by the Science Director of CJSC “SPC “Epital” Lapitskiyj Valentin and the General Director of LLC “CTF Remo-chlor” Ivanov Alexander.

The properties of any resin can be improved with the help of additives, about which Arcady Mizels from the company «Evonik Industries AG» told in details.
 
The most widespread reinforcement material is the material on the fiber glass base. This was highlighted in the report of Radik Yana-baev, the engineer of the company «OCV Reinforcements». Due to increased demand for fiberglass materials the company decideding the industry companies to the active cooperation to build and launch one more furnace in Russia that will be used for Advantex® fiber glass production. The production will be done in two stages:
1. 45 000 tons per year – the first quarter 2012
2. 65 000 tons per year – 2-3 years later.

The domestic production of carbon fiber and materials on its base is not stopping also. Alexey Ivanenko (CJSC «HC «Composite») shared with the audience the company nearest plans for production development. Thus production “ALABUGA-FIBER” will be organized for these purposes in Elabuga. The maximum estimated capacity is up to 1 700 tons per year. To the present days the company has already concluded the contract with the German consortium for delivery of the main equipment for creation of modern production of carbon fiber. End of testing and commissioning is planned for the fourth quarter of 2012. And start of industrial production is planned for I-II quarters of 2013.

The Department Chairman of Nanostructural, fiber and composite materials SPSUTD Alexander Lysenko told about domestic developments of profile departments. Many years these departments have been conducting the works for modification and improvement of properties of reinforcement materials and the resins. The multiple researches approved the possibility of increasing the stressstrain properties of polymer composites with adding to them the carbon nanotubes and the increasing of thermal stability of nanocomposites was experimentally shown.

The question of work of profile departments and personnel training stands very acutely for the industry. One of the variant of its solving was offered by the Composite mate-rials Department Chairman MSTU “Stankin”, Krasnovskiy Alexander making the report about the project of modern educational cen-ter creation.

One more irresistible proof of development of domestic composite market is the interest of potential consumers to it and development of clusters and specific economic zones. The strongest today is the aviation sector, about work of specific economic zones was told by the head of the filial of OJSC “Specific Economic Zones” in Uljanovskaya oblast Barishnikov Denis inviting the industry companies to the active cooperation.
 
This year the conference attracted attention of more than 160 listeners from different in-dustry sectors. Next year the conference will be conducted on November 22, 2012. You can already today express your interest to participation as well as offer your ideas about the subjects of the conference 2012 by e-mail: manager@uncm.ru
We are glad to cooperation.