JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o - 52

JEC WORLD 2017
Auto Planet: Driving manufacturing
improvements (Hall 6, Booth N80)
Automotive applications continue to be
a major driver for composite manufacturing. The 2017 Auto Planet is a good
representation of this trend: with 500
square metres, it is the largest Planet at
JEC World. Among the products and
demonstrators displayed, in addition to
weight reductions, we can see a strong
trend towards thermoplastics (a trend
that is not limited to the automotive industry), faster production times and new
assembly methods.
For example, the Auto Planet will feature
a roof frame demonstrator using a new
TP RTM technology with in-situ polymerisation developed by KraussMaffei that
allows for production times as low as 90
seconds. To further develop the use of
composites and reduce their cost, many
companies are working on new joining
techniques. Secar and ITA Aachen will
present some innovative methods for
composite-to-composite joining as well

as composite-to-metal joining. On the
thermoplastic side, a wide range of applications will be displayed at the Auto
Planet, including a gearbox housing, a
wheel arch, an interior door panel, a hood
prototype and a one-shot cross-member.
Exterior parts will also be presented such
as hoods, deck lids, roofs, a diffuser, body
panels, etc.

Better Living Planet: Better performance and sustainability in everyday
life (Hall 5A, Booth P82)
New in 2017, the Better Living Planet is
the Planet with the broadest scope of applications, covering many areas such as
sports, leisure, energy, street and interior
furniture, music and recycling. So, it is no
surprise that a tidal blade prototype will
be displayed next to a Rio Olympic winning track bike and several orthosis products. The Planet will also showcase several musical instruments made of carbon
fibres, the Netherland Aerospace Centre

(NLR) will highlight chairs produced by
automated fibre placement, TeXtreme will
present a wide array of technology possibilities including a golf club, a tennis and
squash racquet, and an ice and field hockey
stick.

Almost the entire range of OEMs is represented, showing that composite materials continue to spread in the sector,

Sponsored by

Auto planet, more than 60 parts

Even though the Better Living Planet remains the Planet of choice for all bio-based
fibre and resin products as well as recycled
products, the 2017 edition will see less of
these products compared to last year. You
will find this type of application in the
sports sector with skis, a racquet, a chair

Beter living with composites

52

with products used by Audi, BMW,
Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes, Renault
and, on the other side of the spectrum,
Aston Martin, Elemental (with a full
RP1), Lamborghini, Maserati, Radical,
and some F1 parts.
Sponsored by Hexion, KDX and UBC,
the Auto Planet will show many more
applications in all automotive sub-segments, such as structural, semi-structural, under-the-hood, interior and
exterior applications, but also applications for the railway industry.

jec composites magazine / No111 March 2017

and a trash collecting box made of flax
fibres, but the focus this year is more on
the side of improvement, be it mechanical improvement with a bike frame, performance improvement with a competitive foil for racing sailing boats, or safety
improvement with a ductile composite
product.
For example, even though all bikes at
the Rio Olympics were made of carbon
fibres, Lentus Composites still managed
to improve one of them through a clever management of aerodynamics and
design, reducing drag while improving
strength and weight.
The Better Living Planet will also see
quite a few 3D printed products, more
than in the other Planets. Applications
are diverse in the sports area, with a hybrid composite bicycle fork, a longboard
made with a novel 3D printing process,
two 3D-printed orthoses, but also recycling with a 1 x 1 metre demonstrator
made from carbon composite waste.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #111 - March 2017 - Special JEC World - o
