Game-changing composite processing technology for lighter and cost effective parts

Solvay is partnering with UK-based start-up iCOMAT, who has developed Rapid Tape Shearing (RTS), a disruptive material deposition technology that will revolutionize the design and manufacture of composite parts, meeting industry’s need for lighter and more cost efficient composite structures.

RTS is the world’s first industrial manufacturing process that enables defect-free steering of wide composite tapes, enabling precise tailoring of the fiber orientation at any point of a composite material part and providing unprecedented levels of structural efficiency. These imply less material deposited which leads to lighter and more cost effective parts.

Steering allows the control of fiber orientation during forming and reduces forming-induced defects and improve structural performance.

Combining RTS-made steered blanks with Solvay’s Double Diaphragm Forming (DDF) technology and rapid curing prepregs helps reduce part weight and takt time, which allows high volume part production for composite industry.

Wingbox demonstrator manufactured using iCOMAT’s RTS process and Solvay’s CYCOM EP2190 unidirectional prepreg.

Evangelo Zympeloudis, CEO of iCOMAT, explained that steering could drastically improve structural properties but the only way to achieve their vision was to unlock industrial rates and fully automated production.

“This partnership with iCOMAT enables us to bring to market a groundbreaking solution that, when combined with Solvay’s technologies, will change the way our customers approach part manufacturing,” added Marc Doyle, EVP Composite Materials Market, Solvay Composite Materials Global Business Unit.

Solvay and iCOMAT will collaborate in accelerating RTS’ commercial exploitation using a new RTS pilot manufacturing cell to be operated in 2024 at Solvay’s Composite Material Application Center in Heanor, UK.