Retrac uses a new carbon fiber manufacturing method that promises to significantly increase its use in all kinds of sectors, including the automotive industry.
Technology seeks to find new materials that improve existing ones, but also to find new methods of handling those that have amply proven their value. It is the case of the carbon fiber and the new Retrac technique to simplify a method that until now has limited the use of this precious compound.
Although carbon fiber has been used in all kinds of fields for many years, it is expensive mainly due to the complexity of its handling and the tools necessary for it. But nevertheless, Retract has devised a system that can radically change this.
compression molding
Retrac is one of the UK’s leading advanced manufacturing specialists. Based in Swindon, this company specializes in precision metal and composite both for tools and component manufacturing.
Its activity is not only automotive; as it serves sectors such as aerospace, defense and the marine. It all started with Formula 1 and today it supplies half the grid with either CNC machined metal parts or composite parts.
It is no wonder, therefore, that Retrac is at the forefront of composite material technology such as carbon fiber, which typically needs to be cured by applying vacuum, heat and pressure in a autoclave.
This is a lengthy process that tends to require long periods of high energy consumption. That is why Retrac has focused on the development of the compression molding in the last 18 months to offer a solution that is more efficient but also faster, opening the possibility for lower-volume manufacturers to adopt compounds at the right price for mass production.
Compression molding itself is not new and many manufacturers use it. However, Retrac applies pressure in a different way thanks to a 60 ton machine of servo driven design and with software which, unlike conventional hydraulic ones, allows precise control of the position and load of the plate in each part of the pressing cycle.
This is critical for high-quality, repeatable manufacturing of composite parts, as it makes a big difference in quality, but also allows standard parts to be achieved even using recycled or more sustainable materials. That’s a key difference and, more importantly, also it’s much faster.
4 minutes
As explained Dan Walmsley, CEO of Retrac, with this system you can save a huge amount of time, which in addition to allowing greater efficiency generates considerable savings.
“One example that our engineers have highlighted is an example of a body panel we’re working on for a large niche vehicle manufacturer,” notes Walmsley. «We can produce the desired part in about four minutes. An autoclave cycle for a similar part is likely to be 360-720 minutes.”
Although an autoclave has the capacity to make several pieces at the same time, “Initial tests suggest that it might be possible to make parts in 10% of the time, or even less, with considerably less energy”Walmsley points out. “Because of its speed and repeatability, in terms of automotive manufacturers, mid-volume production, running in the tens of thousands of parts per year, becomes achievable.”
This technique is combined with plant-based fibers, bioresins and recycled carbon fiber. In total, a new range of five different sustainable options that have been developed to provide a level of affordability without compromising sustainability or performance.
Similarly, Retrac has a host of recycled carbon fiber and natural fiber options that can be applied to a number of different structures. These materials consist of non-woven flax (RCF), recycled carbon fiber (RC2), Evopreg ampliTex flax and powerRibs, woven glass thermoplastic and woven carbon thermoplastic.
Retrac’s CEO further confirms that his company has “engaged with multiple manufacturers, particularly of hypercars and commercial electric vehicles».