Mektech Composites IncBooth number 1724
Mektech Composites is the distributor for Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc of Cellobond Phenolic resins, originally developed by BP Chemicals. Cellobond resins can be processed via hand lay-up, spray-up, resin transfer moulding (RTM), vacuum infusion, filament winding, pultrusion and press moulding to produce composites having excellent fire/smoke/smoke toxicity properties and high temperature resistance. Since phenolics are inherently fire retardant without the use of fillers such as alumina trihydrate or additives, the density of unfilled phenolic composites is 20-30% lower than filled systems. The use of acid catalysts allows cure at only 60-70°C for 30-40 minutes and post cure at 60-80°C for 2 hours. Markets served are mass transit, marine, corrosion, architectural, mining, automotive and aerospace.
Dustcontrol IncBooth number 1415
Dustcontrol extraction systems are used to control process contaminants. Extraction of dust and other contaminants can result in cleaner, more efficient production, increased product quality, and an improved working environment.
The company manufactures systems for source extraction, vacuum cleaning and pneumatic transportation that find application in all types of industries including: general manufacturing, building construction renovation, engineered plastics, stone and glass, vehicle manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and printing. Its assortment of modular products, from suction casings to vacuum producers, enables it to produce custom systems with its standard products. Dustcontrol products include stationary systems, custom stationary systems designed by the company's engineers, and mobile systems. It also offers a full line of mobile dust collection products characterised by high quality and operating economy.
HK Research CorpBooth number 923
HK Research is highlighting its HD™ High Definition/High Performance Gel Coats. These new gel-coats are reported to have exceptional depth and boldness and are offered in a spectrum of high definition colours. The MACT-compliant products are ideal for boat hulls, decks and swimming pools in any colour. Blistering, blushing, porosity, or fading will no longer be an issue with the application of this product, the company claims. When properly applied, components created using HD™ Gel Coats will not blush or fade under the shrink wrap or below the water line. Using HK's CopperCoat™ Patching System, the gel-coats may be repaired to produce an invisible patch.
CASS Polymers of MichiganBooth number 202
CASS Polymers of Michigan manufactures more than 150 precision epoxy, polyester and urethane plastic systems proven effective in the tooling, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and marine industries. Its most popular product lines include ADTECH Plastic Systems, Tool Chemical Composites (TCC) and ADTECH Marine Systems.
ADTECH Plastic Systems products include room and high temperature polyester filler systems, and a full line of epoxy resin systems for mass casting, vacuum infusion, flame retardant applications and many other industrial tooling applications. ADTECH Plastic Systems also offers a low exotherm series of fast-set urethanes.
Tool Chemical Composites (TCC) products include a complete line of CNC Tooling Planks for master models, patterns, fixtures, metal forming, nickel plating, stretch press, vacuum forming, prepreg lay ups and other tooling applications as well as a lower cost line of epoxy resin systems for industrial tooling. TCC also offers a full line of castable urethanes ranging from 50 Shore A to 80 Shore D.
Adtech Marine Systems products include top quality epoxy laminating systems, polyester repair fillers, and epoxy and polyester fairing materials for use in rigorous marine applications.
Hexion Specialty ChemicalsBooth number 1700
Hexion's Composite Polymers Group manufactures resins for a wide variety of reinforced and non-reinforced composite applications, including:
- vinyl ester resins;
- halogenated polyester resins;
- isophthalic resins;
- orthophthalic polyester resins;
- dicyclopentadiene polyester resin; and
- custom blended resins.
There are four locations serving the composite polymers industry with customised products and technical support that provide a wealth of formulating options. With Regional Technical and Customer Service based at each manufacturing location, the company aims to provide quick solutions to technical challenges.
R.J. MarshallBooth number 529
R.J. Marshall Co's Spraylite Filler Systems are user-friendly speciality fillers designed to economically improve properties in composites. Spraylite lowers costs, improves parts, lowers emissions, and provides improved processing. RJM also offers products for the cast polymer industry, including colour granules and high quality granite effect fillers. Its new Prolite lightweight filler system is a lightweight replacement for calcium carbonate in gravity cast thermoset systems, engineered to simplify processing, improve the quality of parts and save money.
Northern Fiber Glass Sales IncBooth number 625
Northern Fiber Glass Sales Inc is a distributor of premium quality process and structural materials to the composites, metal bonding and tooling industries. Northern offers technical sales assistance and service for Richmond Aircraft Products vacuum bagging materials; Precision Fabrics Group peel plies; Newport Adhesives and Composites prepregs and film adhesives; Inspec Foam/Rohacell PMI structural foam cores; Huntsman Advanced Materials tooling materials and aerospace adhesives; Henkel Frekote release agents; BGF woven reinforcements; and Advanced Ceramics washout tooling.
The company supplies customers in many markets including aerospace, marine, medical, sporting goods, industrial, defence and automotive.
Kretzer Scissors IncBooth number 204
Kretzer Scissors employs German steel and engineering to improve the cut and feel of its scissors. It has produced customised solutions to difficult fields when asked and has helped solve cutting problems for the fibreglass industry, ballistic and body armour, tarpaulin manufacturers and NASA. Features of Kretzer scissors include: ergonomic handles; superior steel which holds a sharp edge longer; and special grinding, including hollow ground blades to keep the tension on the cutting edge, and serrations on the blades to keep difficult materials from pushing out of the blades.
CreaFill Fibers CorpBooth number 536
CreaFill Fibers offers CreaTech alpha cellulose powders and fibres; and CreaMix mineral modified fibres. Both grades are made from bio-based renewable pulp cellulose resources and are available in a range of particle size distributions and can be granulated or pelletised for more efficient handling and dosing. CreaFill fibres and powders provide reliable reinforcement and lower density and lower cost in composite applications. Phenolic resins, urea resins, polyester resins, PVC, nylons, polypropylene and polyethelene (HDPE) can all benefit from incorporating CreaFill products.
CreaTech powders and fibres have a 99.6% alpha cellulose content that gives purity and consistency with high temperature tolerance, excellent brightness, low density and great volumetric efficiency. CreaTech adds flexural and impact strength to almost any plastic application. CreaMix fibres are a cost effective alternative for plastics applications that require a reliable, functional filler at an economical cost where brightness and purity are not a factor. The fibres offer a minimum of 75% cellulose content. Benefits include strong matrix formation, product rigidity and impact strength.
McLube Division, McGee Industries IncBooth number 1425
McLube has developed a full line of release coatings, sealers and cleaners for use in the manufacturing of all types of composite parts and materials. Products are suitable for use with filament winding, compression moulding, prepreg, open moulding, closed moulding, RTM, injection moulding, vacuum bagging, VARTM, and SCRIMP. McLube products have found success with epoxies, phenolic and amino resins, polyamides, bismaleimides, polyesters and polyurethanes. Benefits include superior release properties, no transfer, increased flow, reduced rejection rates, improve manufacturing efficiency, no build-up and improved surface finish. Products provide a micro-thin chemically and thermally (up 1100°F) stable coating that chemically bonds to the applied surface. These products are currently being utilised for the manufacturing of parts in the aviation, transportation, marine, electronic, communication, military, defence and aerospace industry. McLube will be highlighting its new water-based products and coatings which have proven effective while reducing VOC emissions and production hazards.
Starlite IndustriesBooth number 812
Starlite manufactures diamond and carbide rotary tooling designed for drilling, milling, countersinking and trimming reinforced polymers (FRP), carbon fibre, fibreglass and other highly abrasive composites.
The company's Brazed ‘B’ Bond tooling bonds alloy with the diamond to halt diamond pull out. Starlite's Starbide Carbide tooling is especially designed for use in high-speed portable or stationary machinery. It is used where tight tolerances must be met. Drill reamers produce fuzz-free holes to tight tolerance. Carbide routers are free cutting at heavy feed rates. Starlite's Starpax PCD Polycrystalline includes diamond tipped drills, routers, countersinks and special shapes.
Brazed ‘B’ Bond tooling, Starbide Carbide tooling and Starpax PCD tooling are available in fractional and metric sizes. Tooling can also be manufactured to customer specification.
BYK USA IncBooth number 600
BYK offers a complete range of premium process additives for thermosets. These include air release additives for both filled and un-filled systems, wetting and dispersing additives for fillers and pigments, flow and levelling additives, styrene suppressants and rheological additives. At Composites 2007, the company is introducing BYK®-C 8000, a chemical coupling agent designed mainly for polymer concrete applications.
CRG IndustriesBooth number 805
CRG Industries LLC will feature Veriflex® E, an epoxy-based shape memory polymer (SMP), and Smart Tooling, during Composites 2007. Veriflex E can be cast and cured in a variety of ‘memorised’ shapes. It combines the versatility of shape memory properties with the added benefits of increased toughness, aesthetic clarity, tailorable transition temperatures, varied reinforcements and other customisable possibilities.
Smart Tooling includes Smart Mandrels™ and SMP Bladders. Smart Mandrels are reported to help reduce the labour costs, material fees and time associated with manufacturing complex composite parts. This reusable, inexpensive technology is said to be the solution to trapped tooling costs and waste. SMP Bladders operate first as mandrels then as inflatable bladders. These custom rigid-to-flexible bladders are reusable, and they help reduce cycle time and tooling costs. An SMP Bladders demonstration kit will be available in the winter of 2008.
ITW PlexusBooth number 1501
ITW Plexus® supplies adhesives for bonding plastics, composites, metals and a wide combination of them all. Major boat builders around the world have been using Plexus Structural Adhesives, producing thousands of boats over the last 15 years. The adhesives are approved by major certifying agencies worldwide including the newest by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute for indoor air quality. Plexus Adhesives have also been approved for use by a number of builders of automobiles, trucks, boats, buses and recreational vehicles. Because adhesives assist with the elimination and/or reduction of mechanical fasteners, various industries have seen a streamlining in their manufacturing processes, reduction in product weight, and improvement in strength, durability, performance and aesthetics.
Plexus Adhesives cure at room temperature and are available in a wide range of open and fixture times. They require little to no surface preparation and tolerate off-ratio mixing of up to 20% without impacting bond strength or physical properties.
The company's latest product is the MA500 series, a 1:1 ratio technology with excellent small to large gap filling capabilities and sag resistance. The MA500 utilises a single activator making it excellent for hand mixing or bulk applications.
Colbond IncBooth number 709
The various thicknesses of Colbond's EnkaFusion® make it an ideal choice as a flow medium for resins and foams in RTM, VARTM and infusion technologies. EnkaFusion is said to promote complete wet out of the moulded parts, provide an open channel for complete coverage of foam and resin, and is a low cost solution for increasing productivity. EnkaFusion flow medium is being used in the marine, sports, transportation, infrastructure, automotive, and energy markets, in applications ranging from automotive parts, to hockey sticks, to boat hulls.
The Industrial Products Group at Colbond markets a family of multi-dimensional products manufactured from nylon, polyolefins and polyester. The 95% open structure of the various matrix products allows for free movement of air, water, resins, and foams. Colbond products can be custom manufactured for large volume customers.
ZyvaxBooth number 929
Zyvax develops high performance tool preparation and release products. The company says it is the only manufacturer offering a solvent free, zero VOC, and HAPs free product line. It also offers a full line of solvent and low-solvent products. The company reports that its Flex Z line is the world's only adjustable slipcoat system.
Zyvax's philosophy is to partner its customers to find solutions and efficiencies within their operations. It uses office and distribution centres in North America, Asia, and Europe to mobilise its sales and technical staff wherever needed. The R&D team is committed to designing products that are sensitive to the environment.
EurovacBooth number 928
The Eurovac I Dust Extraction System is available as 7HP all the way up to 75HP. It has been designed to meet the fine dust and volume requirements of solid surface equipment. A true cyclonic pre-separator is engineered to ensure 95% of the dust gets removed prior to the secondary cyclone and final polyester cartridge filter. The polyester cartridge filter is tested at 99.93% efficient at 1 micron and will be cleaned automatically by compressed air pulse jet cleaning. This superior filtration is designed to remove debris and particles from the air stream before they reach the turbine pump.
GS ManufacturingBooth number 727
GS Mfg. will be introducing the X2007C-X External Mix Low Emission Chopper/Wet-Out Gun. The company introduced the X Gun in 2001, featuring a pneumatic cylinder/gear rack that, when activated, opens a set of ball valves to dispense material – no needles or seats. The X Gun is now available as an external mix low emission chopper or wet-out gun. The all billet aluminium, modular X Gun can be used for dispensing polyesters, vinyl ester, epoxy, putties, structural adhesives, urethanes and RTV silicone.
The company will also be showing the new Cozmo RTM-Resin Infusion Dispensing System. GS Mfg has offered simple, low-end resin transfer systems for over ten years. These proven meter-mix systems are now available with the Cozmo control panel which features a variety of monitoring systems: stroke counter, gel timer/alarm, manual or auto cycle, MEKP ratio alarm, and more. The easy to operate, automated Cozmo meter-mix system gives fabricators the control they need for resin dispensing in RTM/infusion applications.
GS Mfg also supplies variable and fixed ratio meter-mix systems for structural adhesives. The newest addition to the product line is the Primo-1, a 10:1 variable ratio dispensing system. This heavy duty, all stainless steel adhesive extrusion pumping system features continuous, precise metering and mixing through the X Gun or high flow rates when using the GS Big Willie modular dispensing valve.
GSG IncBooth number 1142
GSG is a manufacturer's representative company with over 20 years of composite equipment selling experience. GSG specialises in the sales and support of filament winding machines, pultrusion machines and other composite process equipment. GSG represents the following companies: Bolenz & Schaefer (BSD); Brenner International; Eastman Machine Company; Lynco Grinding Co; MATERIAL SA; MJC Engineering and Technology Inc; Pultrex Ltd; Rocky Mountain Composites; and Schlesinger.
Eastman Machine CompanyBooth number 1135
Eastman Machine Company, manufacturer of cutting machines, automated cutting systems, material handling equipment and software solutions, will showcase the automated M9000 Static Cutting Table. The M9000 provides superior cutting performance and increased throughput, capable of marking, cutting, drilling and punching virtually any flexible material. Enhanced with a network based motion control system, the M9000 incorporates a real-time digital network and machine intelligence for additional diagnostic, performance and reliability benefits. The machine is capable of monitoring itself as well as reporting status alerts before faults or errors in operation occur. Communicating over a single network ring allows the machine to run, even if a network cable break occurs.
Eastman's manual cutting machines will also be on display. These include the 629X Blue Streak II Straight Knife, the Buzzaird Rotary Shear as well as the gravity fed Plastic Master and the pressure fed Micro Fog plastic cutting machines.
J.M. Huber CorpBooth number 817
Huber Engineered Materials provides flame retardants/multifunctional fillers to the reinforced plastics industry. For reinforced plastics applications, Huber will be featuring its expanded line of standard and surface-coated aluminium hydroxide (ATH) flame retardants and highlighting its 'W' and 'G' series calcium carbonate grades, which are designed for use in bulk and sheet moulding compounds (BMC and SMC).
Huber's broad line of ATH grades range from ultra-fine precipitated products up to medium- and coarse-ground particle sizes. The company's surface modification technology includes silanes, stearates, surfactants and other treatments which enhance the performance of ATH in flame retardant applications. Huber's calcium carbonate products for BMC and SMC include the W3 and W4 products, popular, high performing and consistent calcium carbonate grades. Information regarding a new low-resin demand carbonate filler for SMC formulating will be also be available at the show.
Quickstep TechnologiesBooth number 1930
Quickstep Technologies is focused on the worldwide commercialisation of a fluid-controlled heat transfer (FHT) composites manufacturing technology. The company will be showcasing industrial applications for the Quickstep Process with particular focus on composite components for cars and heavy trucks, small marine craft and defence applications such as ballistic panels. It will also demonstrate the range of thermoplastic materials that can be processed.
Quickstep has production facilities at three locations – the Victorian Centre for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (VCAMM) in Geelong, Australia; the Northern Aerospace Technology Exploitation Centre (NATEC) in Manchester, UK; and at the National Composites Center (NCC), Ohio, USA. A fourth facility is being commissioned in Germany to support a major Cooperation & Development Agreement with helicopter supplier Eurocopter. Alliances are also in place with materials suppliers such as Toray Composites and Degussa AG.
