Product Q&A: Compliant composites
Composites are well known for being lightweight and strong, but the emerging era of circularity and ongoing efforts to embed sustainable practices on manufacturing lines is bringing the ubiquitous material into the digital era.
Meet the experts
Peter Holland, sales manager at Exel Composites UK
Rob Hewison, technical manager, Composite Centre, University of Sheffield AMRC
Iain Bomphray, director of the Lightweight Manufacturing Centre (LMC), part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)
Jon Bridges, CEO, Velocity Composites
What trends and customer requirements are driving developments in composites?
PH: For the UK, our biggest markets are construction and infrastructure, so customers here need window and door profiles that balance thermal efficiency without sacrificing high mechanical strength. We’re also seeing an increase in the demand for fire retardancy, particularly for construction and rail systems. However, across the industry, trends include the need for lightweight, corrosion resistant composites, with the strength comparable or better to steel and aluminium needed for long lifecycles. These properties are critical for our customers, who are now looking to make more sustainable products that don’t need frequent maintenance.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of premium content. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our premium content, as well as the latest technology news, industry opinion and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Experts speculate over cause of Iberian power outages
The EU and UK will be moving towards using Grid Forming inverters with Energy Storage that has an inherent ability to act as a source of Infinite...