Innovation is the lifeblood of the composites industry. Composites companies like Aerodine not only provide customers with state-of-the-art manufacturing materials, but we are also called on to help customers innovate. We work with them to develop new composites capable of meeting the rigorous demands of their respective applications.
With innovation come challenges. That’s true in any industry. But in the composites space, innovation is that which separates leaders from followers. Any composites companies hoping to remain on the cutting edge must be willing and able to overcome the challenges innovation presents.
Here are the top five challenges of innovating new composites:
The properties of any given composite are directly related to the materials used to manufacture it. Likewise, product design should make maximum use of those materials. Innovating requires looking at new materials and material combinations. It requires looking at things like fiber orientation, curing, etc.
The more complex a material’s design, the more challenging it becomes. In addition, engineers need to account for:
Innovation within the composites space begins with material selection and design complexity. From there, the challenges only continue to mount.
Finding the right materials and designs directly leads to the next challenge: how to manufacture the material while maintaining maximum process control. Innovation often leads to advanced manufacturing. Likewise, advanced manufacturing requires process controls capable of:
Through it all, costs need to be contained. Manufacturing processes cannot be allowed to get out of control or costs will skyrocket.
Composites companies need a resilient and reliable supply chain to keep innovation going. They need easy access to all sorts of fibers, resins, and matrices. Composites companies protect themselves by developing relationships with suppliers around the world. Without such relationships, significant innovation would be hindered.
Companies need to be realistic about supply chains and what can impact them. Political unrest somewhere overseas can disrupt logistics for long periods of time. Even a pandemic can disrupt supply chains enough to bring manufacturing to a halt.
Regardless of industry, modern innovation must account for sustainability and environmental impact. Sustainability is absolutely a goal in composite innovation. At center stage is our industry’s reliance on petroleum products. They are the backbone of even the most basic composite components.
With petroleum products comes the challenge of end-of-life management. Can new composites be recycled? Is recycling cost-effective and repeatable? And if recycling is not possible, what happens to the waste? Recycling is one of the biggest challenges in composite manufacturing.
Modern composites companies are responding by pursuing more environmentally friendly components. Bio-based resins and biodegradable fibers are the focus right now. If we can manufacture more advanced composites that are also sustainable, future generations will benefit.
Finally, innovating requires knowledge and expertise. It’s a challenge for composites companies to find enough people to do the work. Companies need engineers and technicians. They need experts in chemistry, mechanical design, automation, and even compliance. Needless to say, the right people make all the difference in the world.
We would like to say that composite innovation is as easy as 3D printing a small plastic part. But it’s not. Innovation demands a lot. But composites companies up to the task are ahead of the curve. They become the industry leaders everyone else follows. At Aerodine, we consider ourselves leaders of composite innovation.
