JEC Forums, organized by JEC — the largest composite industry organization, will return for the fourth time in Boston Sept. 22-23 at the newly enhanced Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC).
As planes and cars use composites extensively, all the key products present in these transportation-based topics take advantage of the many properties of composites materials. Superior strength/weight, durability, tailorable physical properties and corrosion resistance are just a few of the factors that make composites such a compelling materials alternative in both the Aeronautics and the Automotive Industries.
The first day of the Forum will focus on Design, Optimization and Simulation while the second day will underline Mass production and cost-reduction of composites in Aeronautics and Automotive. The two-day forum will also organize networking sessions over the 2 days with table-tops exhibitors and a JEC Leardership Circle dedicated to Simulation.
Program:
Design optimization: the end of the black metal approach
For a long time, composites were used as “black metal”, following the method of considering a metal component’s geometry and simply replacing that material. This approach, however, causes a number of issues that make it impractical: during the design, composites structures require more consideration than equivalent metal ones in order to be used to their full potential. This session will delve into the optimization of this first and crucial step in concept development.
Simulation: combining speed and accuracy
Predicting the behavior of composite materials without actually manufacturing the part is an important endeavor, since it can save significant amounts of funds. With several industries leaning towards mass production, speed is of the essence but accuracy can’t be sacrificed in the process. To this effect, simulation tools need to provide with a global view: from virtual design to virtual testing, and then on to virtual manufacturing.
How can production ramp-up goals be met in the aeronautics industry?
For the last few decades, the aeronautics market has become a major opportunity for the composites industry. With the automotive industry quickly evolving towards high production rates and lowered costs, the challenge is still up in the air for the aeronautics world. The reason behind this is that the less costly, mass produced parts that could possibly be used in aircrafts need to meet the subsequent requirements that are much rigorous in the aeronautics industry: strength, stiffness and damage tolerance, etc. This session will delve into all the questions and possible solutions the industry is working on.
Cost-competitive solutions for mass production in the automotive industry
Composites materials have been present in the mainstream automotive industry for a while now, but one of the biggest challenges they face is the transition to high volumes of production. These days, the automotive industry is the largest consumer of composite materials, accounting for over 20% of total consumption. Currently, most of the composite parts that are produced are too expensive for mass production because of the cost or raw materials and the lengthy production time. This session covers how the industry is planning on overcoming these obstacles.
