Composite Materials in

Irish Businesses

Findhan Strain

Presentation Overview

Introduction

Market Profile & Opportunities

Belfast Met

Summary

My Background

Background in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Personal interest in composites

Diverse composites experience

Joined Belfast Met in 2009

Market Profile

Fibre-reinforced composites

Good spread of market sector and scale

Growing industry

Opportunities in less obvious areas

Opportunities

Good export potential

Higher value products

Contract Manufacturing Organisations

Construction

Composites for Off-site Manufacturing (OSM)

Structural, thermal, acoustic and anti-corrosion components

Medical Technologies

Orthopaedics

New Product Introduction / Pilot Manufacturing

Belfast Met

The biggest FE College in the North

Campuses including

Millfield

Castlereagh

Titanic Quarter

Springfield Road (e3)

Providing training and education

Also providing support to business in various forms

Manufacturing Capability

Easy access to advanced equipment

Scholz Autoclave

WIS Pre-former / Hot Drape Former

MVP RTM pumps

Infusion, Wet lay-up and Vac Bagging

Stratasys Objet 30 Prime 3D printer

Evaluation Capability

Destructive Testing

Using Zwick 20kN Tensile Tester

Numerous carbon / epoxy specimens

Foams, rubbers, nylon, polyester

PEEK / Carbon fibre

Non Destructive Testing

Using Olympus Omniscan MX2

Numerous carbon test panels

C-Ply thin laminate material

Various sporting products

Services Provided

Manufacturing EvaluationConcept / Idea Initial DesignProduct Development

Low volume production

Improvement

Other Consultancy

Part

Manufacture

Lean

ManufacturingTraining

Process

Development

Factory

Planning

Design

Conceptual Sketches to Drawing Details

Some images blurred at

customer request

Product Manufacturing

Case Study

Tool Designer

Aiming to manufacture composite tooling

Provide mechanism to trial components

Some images blurred at

customer request

Funded Project: Innovation Voucher

www.enterprise-ireland.com www.investni.com

Some images blurred at

customer request

Conveyor belts and rubber parts for crushing & screening

Development of rubber curing processes

Graduate employed at reduced cost

Mentored by F Strain at Belfast Met

Access to College Facilities

Funded Project: KTP

Image from SmileyMonroe.com

Funded Project: Fusion

Provider of infrared heating systems

Development of composite curing systems

Graduate employed at reduced cost

Mentored by F Strain at Belfast Met

Access to College Facilities

Image from ceramicx.com

Industrial Training

Shopfloor level

Wet lay-up

Pre-preg lay-up

Resin Infusion / Transfer Moulding

NVQ (NQF equivalent)

Experienced Engineering

Materials

Manufacturing

Design

Traditional Teaching

Composites Structures

4th year Masters Module

Mechanical and Aero

4.8/5 for module & lecturer quality

National Vocational Qualifications (North)

Wet lay-up

Pre-preg

In Summary

Industry

Good growth potential

Wide range of industries

Low to high value parts

Good export potential

Support available

Belfast Met

Other Institutions

Funding support available

+44 78 4380 3705