Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Think composite performance is just about fiber and resin?

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

⚡ Think composite performance is just about fiber and resin? Think deeper—it's all about the layup strategy!

Here's how layup design drives real-world performance in critical applications 🔬👇

🧱 What is a Composite Layup?

A layup is the engineered sequence of fiber plies (layers) with specific orientations—think [0°/45°/-45°/90°]s. Each ply contributes directional properties, and the total laminate behavior emerges from this strategic combination.

🎯 Key Layup Parameters That Drive Performance:

1️⃣ Ply Orientation & Sequence 📐

Unidirectional (UD): [0°]n = maximum strength along fiber direction

Cross-ply: [0°/90°]s = balanced in-plane stiffness

Quasi-isotropic: [0°/45°/-45°/90°]s = near-isotropic properties

Angle-ply: [±θ]s = optimized for specific load cases (shear, torsion)

2️⃣ Stacking Sequence Effects 🔄

Identical plies in different orders = different performance!

[0°/90°/0°/90°] ≠ [0²/90²] even with same total thickness

Coupling effects (bending-stretching, twisting-bending)

Interlaminar shear distribution

Thermal residual stresses

3️⃣ Ply Thickness & Count 📏

Thin plies (0.1-0.2mm): Better damage tolerance, complex curves

Thick plies (0.3-0.5mm): Manufacturing efficiency, cost reduction

Rule of thumb: Avoid >4 consecutive plies in same direction (delamination risk)

🔧 Performance Impacts:

Mechanical Properties 💪

In-plane stiffness: Ex, Ey, Gxy controlled by ply ratios

Flexural behavior: Outer plies dominate bending stiffness

Interlaminar strength: Critical for thick laminates, impact resistance

Failure Mechanisms ⚠️

First ply failure (FPF): Initial matrix cracking

Last ply failure (LPF): Ultimate structural failure

Progressive damage: Ply-by-ply degradation modeling

Thermal & Environmental 🌡️

CTE mismatch: Different ply orientations = residual stress

Moisture absorption: Affects matrix-dominated properties

Fatigue life: Load redistribution as plies fail

🏭 Manufacturing Considerations:

Drape & Formability 🎨

Balanced layups drape better over complex geometries

±45° plies enable tight radii without wrinkling

Unidirectional fabrics need careful handling

Curing & Defects 🔥

Thick sections: Exotherm control, void management

Asymmetric layups: Warpage during cure

Autoclave vs. out-of-autoclave: Pressure affects void content

🎯 Design Optimization Strategies:

Load-Based Design 📊

FEA-driven ply optimization (topology, orientation)

Tsai-Wu, Hashin criteria for failure prediction

Multi-objective optimization (weight, cost, performance)

Industry Examples 🚁

Aerospace: [45°/0°/-45°/90°]2s for wing skins

Automotive: [±45°]2 for torsion boxes

Wind energy: Thick UD plies for blade spars

Sports: Tailored layups for flex patterns (golf, tennis)

What's your most challenging layup design problem? Share your experience! 🚀

source: Brian Lopez

#composites

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share The Critical Role of Pre-Drying in Injection Molding

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

The Critical Role of Pre-Drying in Injection Molding

Bubbles, silver streaks, weak parts? Often, it’s due to one thing: wet material.

🔍 Why dry?

Plastics like Nylon (PA), PC, and PET absorb moisture from air. When processed, this moisture turns to steam—causing defects, weaker properties, and even part failure. Even hydrophobic materials (e.g., PP, PE) can benefit from drying for better appearance and consistency.

With more regrind materials (often wetter) and stricter regulations, drying is becoming essential.

🌬️ How to dry?

Hot Air Drying: Good for hydrophobic materials such as PP, PE. Simple, low-cost.

Desiccant Drying: The best choice for hygroscopic materials and a must for hydrolyzable types like PA, PC, and PET. It's highly efficient in humid conditions.

📊 Key parameters:

Temperature

Drying time

Airflow

Dew point

✅ Best Practices:

Store material sealed & dry

Avoid over-drying

Check moisture with analyzers

Monitor dryer performance & dew point

Bottom line: Pre-drying isn’t optional—it’s critical for quality. Smart molders don’t guess; they measure and control moisture.

How do you handle material drying in your process? Share below.

source : Kevin Zou

GKN Aerospace and Airbus Helicopters sign strategic partnership

During the official visit of the Dutch royal couple to the Airbus site in Toulouse on 1 October, #GKNAerospace and #Airbus Helicopters signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening their industrial collaboration on the H225M Caracal military transport helicopter programme. This multi-role twin-engine helicopter is designed for transport, combat search and rescue (CSAR) and military support missions.

The agreement extends the one signed in 2023 between Airbus Helicopters and GKN’s Dutch subsidiary, GKN Fokker, covering advanced #composite technologies and #electricalwiringsystems (EWIS).

It follows on from the order placed in November 2024 by the Dutch Ministry of Defence for 12 H225M Caracal helicopters. According to the joint press release, it aims to ‘advance the development of critical systems such as onboard electrical networks and advanced composite technologies for the H225M’, while creating a broader basis for cooperation within European defence aeronautics.

The signing also highlighted the strategic importance of industrial links between Airbus, the Netherlands and the Dutch aerospace ecosystem, and represents a concrete step towards European strategic autonomy.

Two complementary players:

The 2025 agreement strengthens the cooperation initiated in 2023 between Airbus Helicopters and GKN Fokker, which already covered the engineering, design and production of EWIS systems and aeronautical structures. It also symbolises the convergence between Airbus’ industrial ambitions and GKN Aerospace’s technological expertise, at a time when European sovereignty in defence and aeronautical innovation is becoming crucial.

Based in Marignane (France), Airbus Helicopters recorded 455 net orders and delivered 361 aircraft in 2024, representing approximately 57% of the global civil market. A Tier 1 supplier specialising in aeronautical structures, engine systems and electrical technologies, GKN Aerospace has a presence in 12 countries with more than 16,000 employees. Its Dutch subsidiary, GKN Fokker, has more than 3,500 employees in the Netherlands, notably in Papendrecht and Hoogeveen. These sites are at the heart of R&D on thermoplastic composites and high-voltage electrical wiring.

source: GKN Aerospace/ Jeccomposites

INEOS to close two Rheinberg plants as Europe’s chemical industry hits breaking point

INEOS has today confirmed its intention to shut two production units in Rheinberg, Germany, with the loss of 175 jobs. The proposed closures are the direct result of crippling energy and carbon costs, and a lack of tariff protection.

The intention to close, which has been shared with employees, reflects a deepening crisis across Europe’s chemical sector.

Stephen Dossett, CEO of INEOS Inovyn, said: “Europe is committing industrial suicide. While competitors in the US and China benefit from cheap energy, European producers are being priced out by our own policies and absence of tariff protection. Meanwhile, high-emission imports flood our market unchecked. It’s completely unsustainable and if not immediately addressed will lead to further closures, job losses and increased dependency on other regions for essential materials.

Both plants produce essential chemicals. The Allylics unit makes the key ingredient for epoxy resins vital in defence, aerospace, cars and renewable energy infrastructure. The electro chemical facility produces chlorine crucial for clean water, medicines, industrial processes and sanitation.

These closures are part of a wider trend as Europe’s competitiveness collapses. Since 2019, output in Germany has dropped by 18%, driving job losses and reduced investment. INEOS has closed plants in Grangemouth (UK), Geel (Belgium). It is closing Gladbeck (Germany), and has mothballed assets in Tavaux (France) and Martorell (Spain).

“We’ve reached the point where well invested, efficient European plants are closing, while global emissions rise,” Dossett said. “It’s not just economic madness. It’s environmental hypocrisy.

INEOS will now focus on preserving its remaining #PVC operations in Rheinberg to support around 300 skilled jobs. This requires urgent state support to help cover significant local transitioning costs.

The business deeply regrets the decision to close Rheinberg’s cell rooms and Allylics operations and is conscious of the impact it will have on staff and wider German supply chain.

#INEOS Inovyn will work closely with partners and employees to minimise the impact.” said Dossett “We are doing everything we can to protect what is still viable, but we can’t do it alone. If governments want to keep strategic manufacturing in Europe, they must help manage this transition and restore competitiveness.

INEOS firmly criticised the EU’s absence of tariff protection. While the US has introduced strong tariffs, effectively blocking the oversupply of commodity chemicals from Korea, Taiwan, and China, some based on cheap Russian feedstocks, Europe opens its doors to displaced local production.

source : Ineos

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : Bio-based or recycled plastics?

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

♻️ Bio-based or recycled plastics? The debate is heating up in MedTech.

Too often, it’s presented as either/or.

But the truth is: it depends where you are on the plastic pyramid.

⚠️ Mechanical recycling delivers less relative CO₂ savings per kg at the commodity.

✅ Bio-based Commodities, on the other hand, can store 2–3 kg of biogenic carbon per kg – sometimes dropping cradle-to-gate footprints below zero.

As you climb the pyramid, the equation flips.

✅ Mechanical recycling of engineering or high-performance polymers achieves much higher relative savings. Since their footprint is almost constant and not much dependent on the plastic used.

⚠️ Bio-based versions of high performance plastics often cut only 10–15% of the footprint.

So:

For commodities → bio-based has the edge.

For high-performance polymers → recycling makes more sense.

This nuance is missing in most sustainability discussions. And it’s exactly where MedTech plastic selection needs to get holistic and not rely on heuristics.

That’s the kind of holistic analysis we build into our GradeMatch® approach – balancing performance, compliance, and sustainability.

👉 If you are interested in what is the best choice for your device: Let’s talk.

source : Lucas R Pianegonda