The 30 finalists selected for the JEC Innovation Awards 2019

3D PRINTING, A NEW CATEGORY IN 2019

In 2019, 30 finalists have been selected by an international jury of experts from more than a hundred applications. They compete in 10 categories, among which the new 3D printing one. "The JEC Innovation Awards program is emblematic and recognizes pioneers in composite innovation. 3D printing plays a new role in our industry. The combination of lightweight, resistant materials that allow great design freedom, with a technology that allows complex shapes, is of interest to manufacturers. Many manufacturers have started using it to print automotive parts, aircraft parts, or building walls”, analyses Franck GLOWACZ, Innovation Content Leader at JEC Group. “Due to the very high level of the nominees, the JEC Innovation Awards ceremony should be very rich! ”

A PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL JURY

• Anurag BANSAL, Manager Global Business Development, ACCIONA Infraestructuras
• Christophe BINETRUY, Professor, EC Nantes
• Robert BUCHINGER, CEO, SUNLUMO Technology
• Grahame BURROW, Global President, MAGNA EXTERIORS
• Dominique DUBOIS, CEO, CARBOMAN Group
• Karl-Heinz FUELLER, Manager Hybrid Materials, Concepts and AMG, DAIMLER
• Sung HA, Professor, HANYANG UNIVERSITY
• Murat OGUZ ARCAN, COO, Composites, Construction and Business Development, KORDSA
• Henri SHIN, Director – R&D Composites Innovation Center, KOLON
• Kiyoshi UZAWA, Professor/Director (Ph.D), INNOVATIVE COMPOSITE CENTER

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
AEROSPACE • APPLICATION

Compo Tech Plus SPOL, s r.o. (Czech Republic):
COMPOSITE AILERON STRUCTURE CURED IN ONE STEP - Aileron structure for a span-wise box section connected by a robot-wound fibre layer with one-step curing. Process: automated production with no sandwich core structure or secondary bonding.

Deutsches Zentrum für Luft – und Raumfahrt E.V (Germany):
PRIMARY STRUCTURE FOR SOUNDING ROCKETS - A thermoplastic composite component replacing a purely metal primary structure and allowing weight reduction through tailored thermomechanical properties.

Herone (Germany):
INJECTION FORMING OF GEARS ON CF-PAEK DRIVE SHAFTS - Injection forming of CF-PAEK composite profiles with CF-PEEK – a smart progression of the overmoulding technology to reach the next- level of connection strength for integral composite profiles.

Applus+ Laboratories (Spain):
A+ GLIDE FORMING: AUTOMATED MANUFACTURING PROCESS - A+ Glide Forming is a new continuous process used to form CFRP stringers with complex contours in only one shot. This is a versatile, high- productivity and low-investment forming solution.

Cecence (UK):
FULLY FST COMPLIANT 16G COMPOSITE AERO SEATBACK - Rapid hot compression moulded, fully composite 16g carbon seatback with FST compliance built in to its core, negating the need for fire proof dressing and with an out of mould paint ready surface.

Profactor GmbH (Austria):
ZERO-DEFECT MANUFACTURING PROCESS - The development is a zero-defect manufacturing process for large composite parts. It uses inline monitoring and decision support systems to avoid defects showing up only during final NDT.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
AUTOMOTIVE • APPLICATION

Hexcel (UK):
COMPOSITE PATCHES FOR IMPROVED NVH PERFORMANCE - By locally reinforcing optimised aluminium subframes with Hexcel’s HexPly® carbon patches, the noise and vibration performance can be significantly improved while keeping additional weight to a minimum.

Kandge Composites CO., LTD. (China):
LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON FLOOR LCF - Highly-integrated carbon composite rear floor for low weight, outstanding safety and improved vehicle performance. Cost-efficient, high-volume application globally engineered and mass produced in China.

Polyscope Polymers (Netherlands):
COMPOSITE GUIDE RAILS FOR A ROLLER-BLIND SUNROOF - The first time that a thermoplastic composite successfully replaces aluminium for guide rails on roller-blind sunroof modules.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
AUTOMOTIVE • PROCESS

Evopro Systems Engineering Kft. (Hungary):
FAST MANUFACTURING OF COMPLEX TP COMPOSITES - Automated, short-cycle-time production of thermoplastic polymer composites with a special focus on high functional integration, complexity and recyclability of the parts, based on T-RTM technology.

Hyundai Motor Group (South Korea):
EVOLUTION OF PAINTING FOR CFRP AUTO BODY PANELS - This innovation sheds light on the challenges of achieving a Class A surface finish using on-line/in-line painting processes. It proposes a new method for producing a CFRP trunk lid based on PCM and SMC processes.

Mubea Carbo Tech GmbH (Austria):
FIBERJECT – 3D THERMOPLASTIC COSMETIC CARBON PARTS - Fiberject manufacturing of complex-shaped, fully-integrated and high-accuracy cosmetic carbon parts for high volumes using a thermoplastic matrix.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE

Arkema (France):
BENDABLE TP COMPOSITE REINFORCEMENTS FOR CONCRET - Readily bendable thermoplastic composite bar and cable for reinforced and prestressed concrete revolutionizing the durability of construction.

Gazechim Composites Iberica (Spain):
CONTRIBUTION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY TO COMPOSITES - Gazechim Composites Iberica designed, developed and implemented a large, avant-garde design-inspired canopy for its headquarters in Valencia. The self-supported structure leverages graphene-based nanotechnology.

Solico Engineering BV (Netherlands):
COMPOSITE DIKE STABILIZATION SYSTEMS - A new dike stabilization method was developed by JLD International. All the structural parts in this system are made of composite materials. These parts were designed by Solico Engineering.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
SUSTAINABILITY

Jiva Materials Ltd. (UK):
SOLUBOARD® - Jiva and Eco-Technilin created Soluboard®, a revolutionary bio-composite material manufactured with Eco-Technilin’s FlaxTapeTM. Soluboard® is designed to redefine the way PCBs are manufactured.

Porsche AG (Germany):
SERIES PRODUCTION OF BIO-BASED COMPOSITES - The small series of a motorsport car show the high potential of renewable resources by using their specific properties for the lightweight construction of a door and rear wing.

Technical University of Denmark (Denmark):
BIO4SELF – SELF-REINFORCED PLA COMPOSITES - Bio-based, easy-to-recycle self-reinforced composite materials using high-stiffness PLA fibres for use in sports, automotive and medical applications.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
SPORTS & HEALTHCARE

KTM-Technologies GmbH (Austria):
FMC FOR THE KTM CARBON SKID PLATE - The first structural composite skid plate produced using an FMC/NCF/elastomer hybrid. This direct production line with a one-shot process enables the best product-market fit in series production in terms of properties and costs.

Refitech Composites (Netherlands):
CARBON FIBRE HANDLE FOR GUIDE DOGS - A lightweight carbon fibre handle for guide dogs replacing the old metal version.

Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan):
TORAYCA® ET40 PREPREG WITH SUPERIOR FORMABILITY - The TORAYCA® ET40 prepreg achieves superior levels of formability with complex shapes while keeping mechanical properties equivalent to conventional continuous-fibre UD prepreg.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
3D PRINTING

CEA (Netherlands):
CFAM PRIME - An additive manufacturing machine that can produce fast (average throughput 15 kg/hr), large and complex fibre-reinforced thermoplastic objects (2x4x1.5) using continuous glass or carbon fibre.

Compo Tech Plus spol s r.o. (Czech Republic):
OPTIMISED 3D-PRINTED INTERNAL BEAM STRUCTURE - Designed for automation and dynamic machine structures. Optimised with manufacturability in mind. 3D-printed internal structure tailored to improve the static and dynamic properties of CFRP beams.

Continuous Composites (USA):
CONTINUOUS-FIBRE 3D PRINTING - Continuous Fibre 3D Printing (CF3DTM) combines composite materials with a 3D printing process, creating a mouldless out-of-autoclave process. The result is a drastic reduction in cost and lead times.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: 
LAND TRANSPORTATION

Composites Evolution Ltd. (UK):
TRAIN SEAT SUPPORT FROM A BIO-BASED PREPREG - A lightweight, fire-resistant cantilevered train seat support produced from a carbon fibre-reinforced bioresin prepreg composite.

Saertex GmbH & CO KG (Germany):
MOULDED STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE REFRIGERATED TRAILER - A moulded structural composite refrigerated trailer, offering 20% weight saving and 28% improved thermal performance, manufactured in serial production.

Stratiforme Industries (France):
ACCUM: UNIVERSAL COMPOSITE CATENARY CANTILEVER - ACCUM is a universal composite catenary cantilever validated from 750V to 25kV and suitable for all standard and specific railtrack profiles, designed for easy supply, installation and maintenance.

Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award:
INDUSTRY & EQUIPEMENT

Airborne (Netherlands):
DIGITAL COMPOSITE MANUFACTURING LINE - The digital composites manufacturing line is a breakthrough technology for mass production, converting thermoplastic composite tapes into lightweight laminates at high speed at radically lower cost.

AZL AACHEN GMBH (Germany):
ULTRA-FAST CONSOLIDATOR MACHINE SYSTEM - Modular production system for the mass-production of individual tailored blanks based on a piece flow approach in combination with laser-assisted thermoplastic tape placement with in-situ consolidation.

Compo Tech Plus SPOL, s r.o. (Czech Republic):
MILLING TOOL AND TOOL HOLDER MADE FROM A COMPOSITE MATERIAL - Milling tool and tool holder made from a hybrid composite-steel material, reducing weight and increasing machining speed and accuracy.