SGL Group presented a series of exhibits focusing on carbon fibre materials and system solutions made for strategic growth industries including civil engineering, industrial applications, aerospace and automotive. Plastics talked to Peter Weber, Vice President Sales and Marketing BU Carbon Fibers & Composite Materials and Dr Florian Gojny, Head of Business Development & Engineering Solutions BU Carbon Fibers & Composite Materials about new carbon fibre solutions, proving that not everything is in black and white.
Dr Florian Gojny, Head of Business Development & Engineering Solutions BU Carbon Fibers & Composite Materials SGL, next to one of the latest developments, a flexible CFRP high-performance belt which is capable of lifting more than 3.5t
Plastics: SGL Group is known as a manufacturer of carbon-based products and materials. What sort of innovations are you showcasing at Jec?
Weber: As regards our presentation, we are looking to reflect our entire portfolio, from the processing of the precursor right through to textile processes and culminating in the finished component. At the same time this is a very convenient opportunity to demonstrate the complexity of the carbon fibres. When it comes to carbon fibres, lots of people automatically think of lightweight applications and nothing else.
Plastics: And lightweight applications no longer represent a challenge as far as you are concerned?
Weber: No, this is far from being the case. If you look at the carbon fibre solely from the point of view of lightweight construction, you are quite simply missing out on a many of the opportunities it offers. Many customers have no idea of the complexity of carbon fibre. In many applications, other characteristics are simply more valuable than the lightweight construction aspect.
Goiny: Let us take, for example, one of our newest projects, a new high-performance belt made of flexible carbon fibre reinforced plastic. There are some highly specific requirements applicable to the belt: it is constantly moving, so it must therefore demonstrate a very good level of fatigue resistance. There must be no residual stretching of the material, the belt is therefore required to exhibit high tensile strength. And at the same time it has to be capable of lifting more than 3.5t. Maybe we can make a sweeping statement and say that CFRP is appropriate anywhere where heavy weights need to be moved quickly.
Plastics: Analysts from Frost & Sullivan are forecasting an annual growth rate of 31% for carbon fibres in automotive applications. Does that tally with your expectations? And how is the picture looking in other sectors?
Weber: Our calculations tend to be rather more on the conservative side. It is in the automotive sector where we are definitely expecting the most growth. In terms of quantity, wind energy also represents an important sector, as is the sports and leisure sector and classic industrial applications such as mechanical engineering.
Sigratex 3-D Grid carbon fibre reinforcement for concrete structures
Plastics: What developments are you expecting in the construction sector?
Goiny: This is actually an interesting market. At the moment we are going through the qualification hurdles. The advantage of carbon fibre materials as far as the construction sector is concerned lies, for example, in their ability to resist corrosion and their simplicity when it comes to handling. You have only to think of latticework/fencing structures or ‘grids’ as they are known like the ones often used on building sites. In the case of carbon fibres these grids are supplied on reels and can be cut to length with scissors. In addition, they can be used to realise thin and delicate structures as well as easy traversing of huge areas.
Plastics: How is the situation looking on the cost front?
Goiny: Naturally the carbon fibres are more expensive than the steel grids traditionally used, if you look purely at the materials costs. But here too you need to keep overall performance in your sights. If you take the characteristics and the ease of processability that you get with carbon into the overall equation, then there is no reason why it should not become competitive once more.
Plastics: What developments do you anticipate in the automotive sector?
Goiny: This sector is helping us to move forward with standardisations. However, I would not expect a universal solution when it comes to impregnation materials or manufacturing processes. Different materials and production processes are appropriate for tackling different problems and all have their right to exist. As far as automotive applications are concerned, CFRP will certainly still be able to capture one or the other sector once we start to exploit the full complement of characteristics pertaining to the material. If I would replace every metal component in a car by one to one copying the metal design into CFRP, thus making a metal structure into a Body in Black, then I am not using the material for the purpose for which it was designed.
Hybrid B pillar, partially reinforced with fibre composites.
Plastics: Does the automotive industry concentrate too much on thinking in black and white?
Goiny: There must always be a frontrunner. Just think how people were once reluctant to give aluminium much of a chance in automotive manufacture – that is, until someone came along and got on with it. In the same way, carbon wasn’t given much of a chance either – until someone came along and got on with it. Plus the fact that carbon also blends very well with aluminium and steel, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. What we need is an intelligent materials mix.
Plastics: Thank you very much for talking to us.
From fibres to finished composite components (video: SGL)
