Advanced Composite Solutions: A Boon to the Manufacturing Industry The manufacturing industry is witnessing a significant transformation, driven by diverse digital technologies. Adoption of these advanced technologies needs an advanced foundation like advanced composite solutions. These materials are composed of two or more different phases, and offer a blend of tailored properties that outshine traditional materials like steel, aluminum, or plastics. Today, several manufacturing sectors like automotive, aerospace, maritime, railway, renewable energy, sports materials, and medical equipment use advanced composites for manufacturing high-quality products.
What are advanced composites? In simple terms, advanced composites are engineered materials where highstrength fibers are scientifically combined with epoxy or polymer resins called matrix materials. High-strength fibers include carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, ceramic fiber, basalt fiber, boron fiber, etc. The choice of fiber depends on the specific characteristics required in certain applications. Strength, weight, durability, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, flexibility, and several other characteristics can be altered in advanced composite solutions depending on the specific applications. Moreover, the costs of the materials depend on the type of fibers used in the materials.
Benefits of advanced composites Advanced composites have brought numerous benefits to the manufacturing industry:
1. Weight reduction: Advanced composites are significantly lighter than traditional materials like steel, copper, or aluminum. Weight reduction of the machine parts and other equipment has brought several advantages: Fuel efficiency: Lightweight vehicles, aircraft, boats, ships, submarines, and other transportation modes show improved fuel efficiency. Increased payload capacity: Payload capacity is the maximum load a vehicle is allowed to carry. Lighter vehicles have higher payload capacity. 2. Enhanced performance: Advanced composite solutions have improved the overall performance of the final products. Let’s understand how: Strength and toughness: Advanced composites show superior strength and toughness, enabling manufacturing thinner and lighter structures. Durability: They are highly corrosion-resistant, fatigue-resistant, and flexible, prolonging the lifecycle of the products remarkably. 3. Design flexibility: Advanced composite’s design flexibility is excellent. It can adapt complex designs without compromising its basic functionality and performance. Complex shapes: Composites can be molded into intricate shapes, enabling the formation of innovative designs. Customization: A wide array of customizations are possible with advanced composite materials depending on the specific properties required. 4. Cost-effectiveness: Considering all the advantages of composite materials and prices offered by the most trusted advanced composite solutions, the cost-effectiveness of advanced composites is unquestionable. Long-term benefits: The initial cost of advanced composite machine parts, body parts, and equipment may be higher but the long-term benefits can be realized with sustainable products, low maintenance costs, and reduced fuel consumption.
Application of advanced composites in the manufacturing industry Advanced composites like Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer, Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer, and Aramid Fiber Composites find widespread applications across various manufacturing sectors: Aerospace: Aircraft components like fuselage, wings, and tail sections are mostly manufactured with advanced composites. Similarly, hundreds of small and large parts and equipment used in rockets are manufactured with carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. Automotive: Perhaps the automotive industry, especially sports and luxury cars and motorcycles has received the most advantages of advanced composite solutions. Body panels, chassis components, engine components, and hundreds of other small and large machine and body parts are manufactured with advanced composites. Sports equipment: Golf clubs, bicycle frames, tennis rackets, badminton rackets, nets, fishing articles, and many such items are designed keeping in mind the advantages and design flexibility of advanced composites. Besides, several other sectors as discussed before utilize the advantages of advanced composites. RockmanAC is a pioneering name in this domain manufacturing international standard advanced composites parts and components for the manufacturing sectors. The future of advanced composite solutions is promising with emerging trends like additive manufacturing and 3D printing opening up new avenues.
