Indian Transport & Logistics

Sturdy, light and very robust

Sturdy, light and very robust
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Fibre-reinforced composites are currently conquering many sectors of industry. Very few international construction material markets have such great potential for growth as composites do, since many fields of industry require new materials which enable them to manufacture products which are much lighter, yet much more durable at the same time. Manufacturers of utility vehicles, refrigerated lorries, cargo containers or caravans and motor homes all need materials which combine lightweight construction with extreme sturdiness at the same time. And this is precisely where fibre-reinforced composites are setting trends for the future. The spectrum of high-performance composites is growing at LAMILUX, Europe’s leading producer of fibre-reinforced composites, thanks to intensive research and development work. The high-grade fibre-reinforced plates and sheets which the German company offers its customers all over the world constitute a top-quality construction material with properties perfectly tailored to the application at hand. Exclusively made in Germany, the composites are used to build vehicles, mobile homes and caravans, cold storage houses and refrigeration cells, as well as in the construction industry in general. A highly-durable, permanently bonded composite The fibre-reinforced composites are produced on four flat sheet production lines, each roughly one hundred metres long. They are considered to represent the cutting edge of technology – the most sophisticated of their kind in Europe. During the continuous production process, fibre mats are saturated in resins and additives. The manufacturing process carries the plastic sheets through many different stations, where they are given properties in accordance with pre-defined parameters as required for the desired application which they will be used for. The result: a high-strength, permanently bonded composite material. The highly automated, computer-controlled production technology allows LAMILUX to manufacture fibre-reinforced composites in consistently optimum quality which can be reproduced at any time. An extensive quality management programme ensures that the stringent production standards are met. In addition to in-process production monitoring, this also includes final, exhaustive laboratory inspections. Quality assurance certified by TÜV Süd As the world’s first manufacturer of fibre-reinforced composites, LAMILUX has recently been awarded the internationally recognised Oktagon seal of approval by the renowned German technical inspection agency TÜV SÜD. It certifies that LAMILUX meets the highest quality control and quality assurance standards. To obtain it, LAMILUX volunteered to have its laboratory and testing facilities appraised and inspected by the renowned testing institute, thus imposing the highest quality standards upon itself. At the end of the detailed certification process, the TÜV specialists had assessed just under 20 analysis, measurement and testing methods with regard to their usefulness and significance in quality assurance. Perfectly adapted material properties LAMILUX attaches great importance to offering composites with properties which are ideally adapted to the individual applications they will be used for. “Whenever customers are working on new product solutions and innovations, their demands and requirements set the benchmark for developing and manufacturing the composites,” emphasises qualified engineer Sascha Oswald, Product Manager at LAMILUX. For instance, the fibre-reinforced composites would have to be adaptable to the customers’ highly specific intended purposes. This might involve such properties as the glossiness of the surface, thermal insulation values, strength and stability, resistance to chemicals, resistance to the effects of weather and UV radiation, or thermal expansion coefficients. “Intensive research and development,” Oswald continues, “has enabled us to imbue fibre-reinforced composites with many different physical, chemical and thermal properties. This makes them a customizable material suitable for a large range of industrial applications.” A quality material offering many benefits In addition to the material’s low weight, Oswald cites strength and durability as major product advantage over conventional materials such as aluminium and sheet steel. “The material is very robust and can withstand tremendous mechanical force. And should it be damaged in spite of that, even on a large scale, the material is easy to repair.” Moreover, fibre-reinforced composites with sealed surfaces are exceptionally resistant to corrosion, weathering and UV radiation, all of which result in a long-lasting pleasing appearance and equally attractive value retention.n

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