JEC World 2018: basalt debuts and not just that

Paris saw another huge composite event: the 53rd JEC World 2018 which featured basalt composites and fiber in a broader range than the last year’s show.

JEC World brought together in one place all those concerned with composites: machine builders, raw materials producers, components manufacturers, design institutes, global research centers, technologies and products suppliers, international media.

This year, the organizers initiated some new events, such as the Composite Challenge, which gives a floor to PhD students allowing each one of them to explain their research project before professional society.

A particular emphasis on innovations was placed by the major composite startup competition Startup Booster and the Innovation Award, where 30 creative ideas were submitted to public scrutiny.

GS4C srl, the project of eco-yacht based on enriched basalt fiber, was shortlisted for this prestigious award in the Sustainability category. Basalt.Today is an official media sponsor of the company.

Display areas dedicated to specific fields called Planets have already got a foothold at the trade show and alongside with the last year’s Aero Planet, Auto Planet and Construction Planet, there Make It Real Planet appeared.

It is an area taken up by futuristic projects, which can be put into practice only with the use of composite materials. The trade show hosts described it as “illustration of boundless and endless capabilities of composites”.

Correspondents of Basalt.Today who visited the trade show indicated a great number of booths with basalt fiber on display, though composites based on glass and carbon fibers traditionally dominated.

Also manufactures of equipment and semi-finished products for the composite industry are increasingly indicating basalt fiber among the materials their equipment can process.

The following reference might be considered insignificant, but it says a lot: leading composite materials manufacturers consider basalt fiber to be a promising material that end-users are interested in.

Suffice it to say, during the Building Planet a single sponsor of the area, Olin Epoxy, demonstrated basalt-composite rebar. Holding strong positions in the wind power sector, Olin considers the construction industry and infrastructure to be underestimated applications for basalt plastics, though it is both high alkali and corrosion resistant, as well as lightweight.

Russia was represented by a collective booth organized by the Russian Export Center with a support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Composite Manufacturers Union.

This booth united Russian leading producers of raw materials and composite products: Russian Basalt LLC, the leading carbon fiber manufacturer Umatex Group, basalt composite production plant RedArmo, Production Enterprise ApATeCh, Research Institute Grafit, Prepreg-SKM, Itekma and Sintez-Proekt.

Russian Basalt LLC with headquarters in a city of Chelyabinsk showcased products under MeltRock brand: basalt roving, which they manufacture from the melt of natural rocks produced at the local deposits.

Roving manufactured by Russian Basalt LLC is used by some domestic and foreign companies to create products of the first and the next processing, so does RedArmo plant, part of Basalt Projects Group.

In its turn, RedArmo introduced to the global audience its advanced products under the brand RedArmo: chopped basalt fiber, CBF and epoxy resin based basalt composite fiber, basalt plastic rebar.

When speaking to Basalt.Today correspondents, the company representatives highlighted the interest to basalt fiber-based products. Starting with a traditional application, that is the construction industry, following with potential application in the other industries from the agriculture and automotive to hybrid materials for aerospace and design solutions.

In addition, trade show attendees and participants were provided with information about the next International Basalt Forum, they also had a chance to communicate with delegates from Basalt Union. The representatives of Basalt Projects Group familiarized the visitors with the benefits of creating continuous basalt fiber production according to Technology 2.0, which the company has already implemented.

Continuous basalt fiber and basalt fiber based products were also displayed by some other companies.

Mafic (Ireland) currently implementing a project for the construction of CBF manufacturing facility in North Carolina, USA, showcased specimens of roving, fiber and basalt composite products.

Belgium located Basaltex and Isomatex put a lot of basalt products on the display. They featured fiber, textile, and other basalt fiber based products.

In addition, this year Isomatex did not only exhibit its products, but also appeared as an official partner of GS4C providing enriched basalt fiber TM Filava for the project of eco-yacht Loop650. The project was nominated for JEC Innovation Awards along with Audi, BMW and Airbus corporations.

Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang GBF Basalt Fiber Co. showcased basalt fiber, textiles, meshes and other products.

It is noteworthy that every year the number of exhibitors from various industries that use basalt fiber in their operation is increasing. It is a chance to fill a niche of materials that ensure properties close to carbon fiber but with lower cost.

Thus, US-based Highland Composites showcased basalt fiber reinforced mesh structures used both to reduce the weight of bicycle frames, and to make transfer compartments of rocket stations and other carrier systems, as well as braided basalt fiber sleeves.

France located Groupe Depestele as ever demonstrated hybrid fabrics TM Lincore composed of basalt fiber 50% and linen fiber 50%. These fabrics are in line with the concept of sustainability and safety.

A market leader in machinery to produce fiber reinforced composites Roth Composite Machinery presented its engineering expertise in filament winding processes as well as the manufacture of prepregs at the International trade show for the composite industry.

With the new Rothawin technology they accelerated filament winding processes for the manufacture of hydrogen tanks in large-scale production by five to ten times. These machines can use various fiber types including basalt.

The trade show was an absolute success. Our new products attracted a great interest of the specialist public,

declared Bernd Fischer, Sales Director of Roth Composite Machinery.

Also the new machine Eco is experiencing increased demand. It is a standardized version of the gantry type Filament Winding Machine.

Rossignol known worldwide as a leading manufacturer of sports equipment demonstrated a new version of the Rossignol Experience 84 HD ski with basalt fabric Diagotex used in the construction.

This model uses carbon to provide the skis with the necessary stiffness, boost, lightness and power transmission at a low specific weight, while basalt contributes to its shock-absorbing and stabilizing properties.

Bayern Innovativ booth allowed the visitors to get information about CG TEC solution: a multilayer protective tube made of high-performance basalt fiber, which we described earlier.

The Composite Systems division of Lindauer DORNIER GmbH demonstrated its solutions for producing tapes and semi-finished goods from basalt, carbon, aramid and glass fiber for composites.

Thanks to the Russian Export Center, basalt fibers and composites manufacturers from Russia took a leap towards international markets. The export potential of basalt products is difficult to overestimate, and the trade show outcomes proved it: the interest is constantly growing,

says Oksana Chernykh, General Director of the International Basalt Forum.