Hennecke at Composites 2010 in Las Vegas

At the American Composites Manufacturers Association's exhibition from 9 – 11 February 2010 in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, USA, the machinery and plant manufacturer Hennecke will present process innovations in the field of the PUR-CSM polyurethane spray technology. Based in Lawrence, PA, the German machine manufacturer is focusing on a system for hand-operated spraying as well as samples from the automotive and sanitary sectors in its fair presentation themed “Discover the Future of Composites Today”.

Thanks to the ongoing further development of the PUR-CSM polyurethane spray technology, it is always possible to identify new fields of application. The best example of this is its use as a cost-efficient and eco-friendly alternative to GRP, says Hennecke. The flexible spray technology fulfils the highest requirements in terms of production flexibility, reproducible component quality and an efficient use of materials.

What is decisive for the manual processing is a new 3-component spray mixhead with individually connectable glass fibre feed. Apart from the targeted reinforcement with cut glass fibre, the mixhead also enables the direct insertion of different PU foam layers (sandwich structure).

According to Hennecke, an added plus for the plant operator is the environmental balance of polyurethanes compared to traditional hand lamination because the need for time and energy-intensive temperature control processes is eliminated. This means that it makes sense to use the hand-operated PUR-CSM variant from both an economical and ecological point of view, says the company.

Apart from new and further developments, the company will also showcase various samples at the fair to demonstrate the flexibility and specific spray quality of CSM technology. In the spotlight is a roof module for the German high performance sports car Artega GT, which is the first series-production passenger car worldwide whose body is completely made of polyurethane. The high-tech part is also the first roof module in a composite design.