Basalt fiber in the framework of Composite Europe 2017

Machinery and components used to manufacture basalt composites, basalt fiber and filaments, finished products and solutions to make basalt composites engineering and manufacture automated were showcased at the International Exhibition in Stuttgart.

The organizers of Composite Europe 2017 have already published an official report on the event. However, the delegates from Basalt Projects GC focused on the manufacturers who demonstrated products able to attract interest in the context of the basalt industry.

Composite Europe 2017 was traditionally held on a grand scale: 3 exhibition halls with a capacity of more than 8000 visitors were perfectly equipped in Messe Stuttgart. The exhibition was attended by 406 exhibitors from 28 countries.

In addition to machines, composite products, solutions to make basalt composites engineering and manufacture automated, the manufacturers of composite components, specifically resins and fibrous materials, were represented extensively during the exhibition.

In the overall environment of familiar carbon and glass fibers, there emerged basalt fibers: both natural and hybrid, as well as basalt fiber-based materials. These materials are increasingly attracting attention against the backdrop of developed countries’ growing activity in the field of environmental initiatives, such as sustainable manufacture and minimization of carbon emissions.

The stand of Basaltex, the basalt composites producer, demonstrated the final products such as sports items (snowboards, tennis rackets, protective gear for athletes) and structural composites. This stand also presented products of JEC Composites Show 2015 winner, FibriRock company: fire-resistant honeycomb panels with basalt fabric lining used to decorate rail cars and aeroplanes.

Norafin, a German manufacturer of special and technical non-wovens, presented a wide range of basalt products of the first processing stage – fabrics, fibers, etc.

BasaltFaserNetzwerk expanded beyond the display of basalt fiber itself. The company showcased various basalt fiber applications, starting from familiar rebar and fibers and finishing with filter materials and needle-punched fabrics.

The substantive and informative stand of Fraunhofer-Allianz Leichtbau attracted the visitors’ attention. Displayed basalt-composite products demonstrated the scope of their applications: blades and pipes produced from prepreg material consisting of basalt fiber and epoxy resin, as well as the latest development that is a space-oriented rebar manufactured by a special technology based on pultrusion technology.

The stand dedicated to natural and sustainable composites showed the development of Groupe DEPESTELE, Lincore®, offering a hybrid fabric containing flax and basalt fiber in equal proportions. This eco-friendly material is now being tested by potential consumers.

Major Chinese manufacturers – JiLin Tongxin Basalt Technology and Inner Mongolia Jinshi Basalt brought basalt fiber based products in Stuttgart.

Belgium located Isomatex exhibited their enriched basalt fiber Filava ™ and basalt fiber based composites. Isomatex focuses on the aerospace industry and has already taken a leap in this field: it patented  Fiber Metal Laminate based on Filava, and created Vulcano One drone.

Basalt fabrics, plaits, strips and hoses were presented by a lot of companies, including Güth & Wolf, Tissa Textiles and others.

It is worth noting that basalt fiber attracted the great interest of many companies; machinery manufacturers called it a material they are interested in testing using their machines.

One of the leading machinery manufacturers, Roth Composite Machinery, which also demonstrated its products at Composite Europe 2017, has been long speaking about the suitability of basalt fiber processing with their machines to produce semi-finished composite products.

The General Director of Basalt Projects GC, Maxim Chernykh, following the results of Composite Europe 2017 said:

The increase in the share of basalt fiber at such high-profile exhibitions clearly indicates the prospects and relevance of its application. Effective development of the domestic basalt industry will enable Russia to remain a competitive player in the world composite market and to supply products that fully meet modern technological challenges.