PRODUCTS

Non Crimp Fabrics: Multiaxial Non Crimp Fabrics (NCFs) provide flexibility in fibre orientation and construction for tailored solutions, whilst maintaining a balance between high in-plane mechanical properties and excellent drapeability /permeability, especially for very thick structures. SAERTEX NCFs allow the use of a variety of carbon, glass, aramid and specialty fibres at customer specified areal weights, as well as the incorporation of chopped strand mats, powder binders for preforming, or thermoplastic/glass surfacing and toughening layers and low cost fibres low areal weights.

Woven Fabrics: From metallized glass wovens to advanced Dynanotex spread-tow, flat carbon fabrics, or patented specialty weaves incorporating metallic wires, innovation is at the forefront of thinking with regard to woven fabrics. This is in addition to a wide range of standard fabrics supplied extensively to a variety of industries using glass, carbon, aramid and hybrids thereof.

Unidirectional fabrics and tapes: Stitched unidirectional fabrics based on qualified aerospace grade and wind energy products, glass / thermoplastic stabilized woven Unidirectionals or patented spread-tow flat Unidirectionals used extensively in sporting and automotive industries are available.

Unidirectional Tows: Dry tows for use in Automated Dry Fibre Placement (ADFP) allow a novel approach to introduce a highly automated laydown process, reduce waste in composite layup and achieve very high mechanical properties as a result of straight fibres and innovative toughening materials. A combination of room temperature storage, no release films and out of autoclave infusion processes ensure true low-cost composite manufacturing process is achieved.

Self Adhesive Materials: SAERfix-EP (epoxy compatible) and SAERfix-UP (vinylester compatible) are room temperature self adhesive coatings that can be applied to reinforcements or sold separately on release paper for direct application. These provide a significant manufacturing cost saving, and improved quality and environmental safety during layup as an accurate adhesive content is applied, no spray adhesives are required and plies are held accurately in place on highly complex curved mould tools or overhead applications.

Core Materials: SAERfoam is a dry foam core, needle punched by glass fibre that creates structural bridges between skins of the final composite structure. The main goal of SAERfoam is to improve mechanical properties of standard "cost efficient" foam in order to use it in structural applications. Significant benefits include a very cost efficient core solution with a good ratio of performance to weight, easy to process and to cut (independent glass bridges) and using only one top flow media necessary for vacuum infusion as resin flows along glass fibre yarns between faces, improved skin cohesion that reduces delamination area in case of impact and low printthrough compared with stitched foam. Saercore and SAERcore max are ready systems of core with reinforcement combined in a single layer. These allow significantly reduced manufacturing costs whilst maintaining high mechanical properties and surface finish.

VAP Membrane: The Vacuum Assisted Process (VAP) membrane is the critical part of an advanced, highly robust infusion process developed and patented by EADS. The VAP process relies on using a micro porous VAP membrane over the part, which allows gas transfer and vacuum to be applied over the entire surface of the part, whilst simultaneously ensuring that resin does not pass through the membrane or bleed out of the part. This provides a significant benefit in increased process robustness and improved component quality. The VAP process has been extensively and successfully used to produce a variety of components in automotive, wind energy and marine and civil infrastructures markets. In addition to supply of the VAP membrane, specialist training courses and development support in VAP projects are also offered.

Thermoplastic Laminate Systems: Thermoplastics provide a significant weight saving potential due to reduced matrix density, outstanding mechanical properties and excellent crash energy absorption. This is in addition to the possibility to achieve extremely fast cycle times, suitability for use in very high rate production and recycling processes. SAERTEX thermoplastics use Unidirectional or Multiaxial NCFs made from glass, carbon or aramid, with Polypropylene or Polyamide. These are available as either semi- or full-consolidated sheets and with the option of being supplied together with thermoplastic honeycomb core.

Fire Retardant Systems: SAERTEX LEO is a combination of modified glass or carbon reinforcement, improved resin and protective surface layer to significantly improve the fire resistance of composite materials. Based on a vinylester system, and suitable for use with standard infusion processes, the system meets stringent fire requirements of rail, marine and construction industries whilst maintaining excellent in-plane mechanical properties.