CUTTING/KITTING

Carbon Fibers

Eastman Machine automated cutting equipment increases HanseYacht efficiencies by 85%

Since implementation of its first conveyorized cutting system, the recreational boatbuilder regularly seeks ways to improve its composite material handling processes.

Grace Nehls
Managing Editor, CompositesWorld

Cutting/Kitting

Schmidt & Heinzmann camera system awarded 2022 AVK Innovation Award

“Pole Position” uses polarization properties to detect the positioning and orientation of carbon fibers during the cutting and stacking process, reducing waste and enhancing sustainability.

CAMX Expo

CAMX 2022 exhibit preview: Composite Automation

Composite Automation is joined by Isojet Equipements and PCM/Lucas Industries, bringing solutions for every step of the composites manufacturing process to one booth.
#camx

Cutting/Kitting

CAMX 2022 exhibit preview: Zünd America

Zünd developed the Heat-Sealing Module (HSM) for digital cutting systems to more cleanly seal, cut and handle thermoplastic composites.
#camx #cuttingtools

Fiberglass Cutting Operation at Hubbell’s Lenoir City Plant Moves to Automation

Automating fabric cutting operations saves Hubbell Lenoir City money and can produce composite products faster at less cost to support infrastructure expansion.
#customcontent

Automated cutting accelerates

Software/hardware advances and peripheral equipment make flatbed cutters essential to automated production scenarios.
#layup #workforcedevelopment #adhesives

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Compression Molding |

Plant tour: Bucci Composites, Faenza, Italy

A stalwart in Italy’s “Motor Valley” opens its doors for a discussion and exploration of the company’s history in composites manufacturing for high-performance cars and other applications.
#planttour

Jeff Sloan Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Videos / Podcasts

Fabrics/Preforms

Difficult Materials Make Automated Fabric Cutting More Indispensable than Ever

May 11, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

With lingering supply chain shortages, difficult-to-cut materials like Kevlar and many others demand a more accurate and efficient cutting process. Automated cutting is the answer.
#customcontent

Digital Demos

Improve production with five-axis machines built for composites

March 18, 2022 - 12:00 AM EST

Virtually tour (4) USA-Made 5-Axis CNC Machines designed and engineered to help companies improve profits by decreasing cycle times and improving part quality. (Sponsored)

Cutting/Kitting

How Digital Cutting Technology Reduces Costs and Improves Flexibility

October 05, 2020 - 12:00 AM EST

Automated cutting of composites reinforcement and other technical textiles is faster, more accurate and can result in dramatic reductions in material waste and labor. Having the right software is the key to getting the best results.
#customcontent

Cutting/Kitting

Automated Cutting of Composites Reinforcement Saves Time and Material, Improves Quality

September 01, 2020 - 12:00 AM EST

Automated cutting of reinforcement materials is fast, accurate and reliable. It reduces labor costs and material waste and can substantially boost throughput.
#weaving #customcontent #outofautoclave

C-FREX carbon fiber composite exoskeleton structural analysis and design

Cutting/Kitting

C-FREX exoskeleton depends on CFRP for unpowered movement

August 24, 2020 - 12:00 AM EST

C-FREX uses a novel design and CFRP to overcome the heaviness and weakness of metallic exoskeletons.
#insidemanufacturing #layup #autoclave

Additive Manufacturing

Composites 4.0: digital assistants, edge computing and the future of smart factories

October 17, 2019 - 6:00 AM EST

Plataine reviews developments and discusses where composites manufacturing is headed.
#infrastructure #layup #workforcedevelopment

Thermoplastics

Zero-waste: New process, equipment recycles prepreg, tape offal

April 26, 2019 - 12:00 AM EST

Technology provides sustainable approach to reusing valuable thermoplastic scrap in chips-based laminate.
#workinprogress #regulation #sustainability

Cutting/Kitting |

Modular cutting and stacking system advances flexible, fully automated operations

Integration of next-gen cutting and stacking systems into production lines brings new level of efficiency, quality control.
#workinprogress #automation #layup

Peggy Malnati Contributing Writer

Cutting/Kitting

Airborne expands automated kitting partnerships in North America

Preferred Reselling Partners Eastman Machine and Zünd Systemtechnik leverage extensive experience in deploying cutters across diverse end markets to sell Airborne automated kitting solutions.

Cutting/Kitting

Cutting and stacking cell from Schmidt & Heinzmann earns ThinKing Award

Lightweight innovation award emphasizes the system’s successful interplay between hardware and software for flexible and precise preform cutting and stacking.

Cutting/Kitting

Eastman Machine, SAM|XL to advance pick-and-place integration with automated cutting

The technology partnership will test and develop smart manufacturing solutions for low-volume, high-variation manufacturing.
#automation

Prepregs

Single-step prepreg slitting and rewinding unit to advance NIAR ATLAS aviation research

Mikrosam, in collaboration with Composite Automation, delivers this custom-made machine, which offers slit flexibility, in-process inspection system and performs quality control on the fly.

Cutting/Kitting

Airborne, JETCAM develop digital interface for automated kitting

Integration of Airborne’s automated kitting solution and JETCAM’s CrossTrack software provides seamless data exchange for automated kitting of composite plies.
#automation #layup

Cutting/Kitting

AI-based software solution improves Enercon's cutting and kitting operations

Plataine's optimization software solution enables Enercon to meet market demand, automate manufacturing processes and significantly reduce production costs and material waste.
#automation #composites4_0

Aerospace |

Designing for automated composites manufacturing of low-volume aerostructures

The commercial aerospace industry is heavily focused on design for efficient high-rate manufacturing, but there is still need for automated, affordable fabrication of low-rate aerostructures.
#cleansky #automation #layup

Jeff Sloan Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

NEW PRODUCTS: CUTTING/KITTING

CAMX Expo

CUTTING/KITTING

Eastman Machine automated cutting equipment increases HanseYacht efficiencies by 85%

Schmidt & Heinzmann camera system awarded 2022 AVK Innovation Award

CAMX 2022 exhibit preview: Composite Automation

CAMX 2022 exhibit preview: Zünd America

Fiberglass Cutting Operation at Hubbell’s Lenoir City Plant Moves to Automation

Automated cutting accelerates

Plant tour: Bucci Composites, Faenza, Italy

Videos / Podcasts

Difficult Materials Make Automated Fabric Cutting More Indispensable than Ever

Improve production with five-axis machines built for composites

How Digital Cutting Technology Reduces Costs and Improves Flexibility

Automated Cutting of Composites Reinforcement Saves Time and Material, Improves Quality

C-FREX exoskeleton depends on CFRP for unpowered movement

Composites 4.0: digital assistants, edge computing and the future of smart factories

Zero-waste: New process, equipment recycles prepreg, tape offal

Modular cutting and stacking system advances flexible, fully automated operations

Airborne expands automated kitting partnerships in North America

Cutting and stacking cell from Schmidt & Heinzmann earns ThinKing Award

Eastman Machine, SAM|XL to advance pick-and-place integration with automated cutting

Single-step prepreg slitting and rewinding unit to advance NIAR ATLAS aviation research

Airborne, JETCAM develop digital interface for automated kitting

AI-based software solution improves Enercon's cutting and kitting operations

Designing for automated composites manufacturing of low-volume aerostructures

NEW PRODUCTS: CUTTING/KITTING

CAMX 2022 exhibit preview: Accudyne Systems

Plataine HoneycombOptimizer tackles three-axis honeycomb cutting operations

Hypertherm announces release of ProNest 2023 CAD/CAM nesting software

JEC World 2022 preview: Schmidt & Heinzmann

JEC World 2022 preview: Zünd

CAMX 2021 exhibit preview: Europe Technologies