JEC Europe 2013 Competitive Intelligence Report

EXIBITION WATCH REPORT

JEC Europe 2013 – Paris, Porte de Versailles
Research, Testing and Industrial Instrumentation
exhibition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
RESUME............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Part 1.
innovations on composites materials................................................................................................ 5
1.1
BAC2 Limited.................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1.1 Presentation ................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1.2 New family of latent acid catalysts for easier storage of prepolymeric mixes ................................ 5
1.2
Arkema ............................................................................................................................................ 6
1.2.1 Presentation ................................................................................................................................ 6
1.2.2 New (Meth)acrylic based chemical formulations for thermoplastic parts ...................................... 6
1.3
Henkel ............................................................................................................................................. 7
1.3.1 Presentation ................................................................................................................................ 7
1.3.2 New polyurethane solution for RTM technology ........................................................................... 7
Part 2.
innovations on composite parts...................................................................................................... 10
2.1
Owens Corning ............................................................................................................................... 10
2.1.1 Presentation .............................................................................................................................. 10
2.1.2 High efficiency façade based on composite profiles .................................................................... 10
2.2
Fokker Aerostructures .................................................................................................................... 12
2.2.1 Presentation .............................................................................................................................. 12
2.2.2 Thermoplastic composite tailplane for helicopters ..................................................................... 12
2.3
BMW Group ................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3.1 Presentation .............................................................................................................................. 13
2.3.2 LifeDrive concept: the world’s first body architecture for electric vehicles .................................. 13
2.4
Zodiac Recrational .......................................................................................................................... 16
2.4.1 Presentation .............................................................................................................................. 16
2.4.2 New generations of ecodesigned semi-rigid boats ...................................................................... 16
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................... 18
About VEILLE SALON ....................................................................................................................................... 19
PRESENTATION of VIEDOC SARL ...................................................................................................................... 20

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DISCLAIMER

This report was compiled from interviews conducted by us with the exhibitors present at
each event, from gathering and analyzing information in conferences and from the
compilation of information on the web afterwards.

Thus, the data contained in this report have information value. Although the objective is to
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ABSTRACT
The JEC Europe 2013 composite show, held in Paris on 11th – 14th March, 2013, covered the sector’s major
topics: mass production, thermoplastics, smart composites with embedded sensors, new applications, the
environment, and recycling. Clearly, the trend in the composite world is on large production, and most notably
thermoplastics. The idea is to find more and more applications for cheaper thermoplastics, that can be handled
efficiently through RTM processes. Indeed, it is estimated that the composites market will grow at an average
annual global rate of 6%, to reach a value of about €90 billion and a volume of 10 million metric tons by 2015
(compared to €80 billion and 9.2 million MT in 2012).
However, there are still outstanding innovations for thermosetting materials, which are mostly based on faster
curing ways. Henkel is pushing polyurethane resins to the detriment of epoxy resins, because polyurethane can
be cured five times faster than epoxy. It should be interesting to see if polyurethane resins will become the
standard materials for thermosetting material for RTM processes in the future.
In terms of sectors, the automotive industry really brought it the next level in the JEC Europe 2013 exhibition
show. There were numerous demonstrations that suppliers are perfectly able to keep up with the output
demanded by the automotive industry, and 70% of the parts shown in the Exhibit Area were related to
automotive transportation. The most impressive innovation came from BMW, which find a way to produce car
body parts made of CFRP in less than 10 minutes for curing. This composite will be used in the mass produced
electric car named BMW i3, which will feature an estimated sales price of 40 000€ by November 2013 !

Key words: composite, resin, fiber, prepreg, carbon, CFRP, polyurethane, thermoplastic, epoxy, curing

RESUME
Le salon JEC Europe 2012 s’est déroulé du 11 au 14 mars 2013 et il était possible de constater que les
préoccupations majeures du secteur était d’arriver à des applications de masse en faisant appel à des
thermoplastiques et malgré tout d’essayer de produire des thermodurcissables beaucoup plus rapidement, ce
qui diminuerait considérablement leur coût. D’ailleurs, sur ce point, outre l’amélioration continue pour réduire
les temps de cuisson des résines epoxy, la grande firme allemande Henkel semble abandonner cette voie et
pousse considérablement pour que la profession donne sa chance aux résines polyuréthane, qui permettent
d’atteindre des temps de cuisson cinq plus court avec des propriétés mécaniques acceptables. Il sera
intéressant de voir si d’autres sociétés suivent Henkel dans cette position en rupture avec ce qu’il se fait
actuellement.
Au niveau des secteurs industriels, l’automobile est vraiment au-dessus du lot dans leur effort constant pour
réduire les coûts et arriver à des applications de masse. Il faut noter l’étonnante performance de BMW qui a
trouvé un moyen de cuire des pièces thermodurcissable renforcé par des fibres de carbone (CFRP) en moins de
10 minutes. BMW annonce déjà qu’il utilisera ces pièces de grande taille dans la carrosserie de sa prochaine
voiture électrique BMW i3, qui sera vendu au mois de novembre 2013 à un prix estimé à 40 000 euros.
Mots clés : composite, résine, verre, carbone, pré-imprégné, cuisson, époxy, polyurethane, thermoplastique


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PART 1.

INNOVATIONS ON COMPOSITES MATERIALS

1.1 BAC2 LIMITED
1.1.1

Presentation
Address : Bac2 Limited
Basepoint Romsey, Romsey
SO51 9AQ, UK
Website
http://www.bac2.co.uk/

Contact : +44 1794 329342
Mail: enquiries@bac2.co.uk
:

Bac2 was formed in 2002 by Dr. Graham Murray to develop commercial-scale electrically conductive polymer
composites based on novel thermoset catalyst technology. His extensive experience of phenolic resin and
catalyst technology now lead the Company’s focus on Latent acid catalysts for improved thermoset process
control in industry. Mike Stannard joined as CEO in 2005 to expand Bac2’s commercial activities in the fuel cell
market and electronics industries. Bac2 is privately held and is based in Romsey near Southampton on the
south coast of England.

1.1.2

New family of latent acid catalysts for easier storage of prepolymeric mixes

The development of the CSR family of latent acid catalysts was driven by the desire to make pre-polymeric
mixes easier to store, transport, handle and process during product manufacturing. Without a latent catalyst to
control polymerization, the storage life of pre-polymeric mixes may be anything from a few seconds to a few
minutes. Other catalysts that extend storage life are available. However, they typically require temperatures
above 200°C for activation, something that is both energy-hungry and impractical with many of the materials
involved in manufacturing processes that utilize resins. Bac2 developed the CSR family of latent acid catalysts
to address the above issues. The key innovation was to develop a family of products that activate between
50°C and 120°C, depending on the application and the speed of cure required, enabling them to be used with
many materials and processes. Critically, the catalysts do not have a detrimental effect on the mould flow or
other characteristics of the resins with which they are used. Originally developed for use with Bac2’s electrically
conductive ElectroPhen polymer resin, the CSR family of catalysts has since been expanded to include
formulations that retard and control the curing of phenol-formaldehyde resoles, furan resins, urea and
melamine formaldehyde resins.
Using CSR catalysts, the storage life of pre-polymeric mixes has been extended to over 3 months, simplifying
storage, transportation and materials handling. Process efficiency improvements of 130% have been
demonstrated in pultrusion. In SMC and BMC processes, room-temperature storage life is extended to several
months. CSR catalysts also enable the manufacture of inherently flame-retardant mouldings by facilitating the
production of stable phenolic and furan-based pre-polymeric mixes.
Bac2 estimates the potential global market for its latent acid catalysts to be at least £100 million. The company
has identified 3 primary sectors where the innovation offers the greatest benefits:
1. During the manufacture of wood products such as MDF, particle board and plywood, high temperatures are
used to cure the resin used for bonding the materials and to drive out moisture. Using CSR reduces the cure

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time, reducing the time during which the high temperatures need to be maintained. This in turn reduces the
energy consumption and cost.
2. In abrasives manufacture, the overall temperature of the manufacturing process is reduced, saving energy
and cost.
3. In the manufacture of sheet or bulk moulded composites, for which there are applications in everything from
interior fittings in transportation to seating for stadiums, CSR can be used to produce inherently flameretardant products at lower temperatures than previously possible.

1.2 ARKEMA
1.2.1

Presentation
Address :
Arkema group headquarters
420 rue d'Estienne d'Orves
92705 Colombes Cedex

Contact : Mrs Sybille CHAIX
Tel (+33) (0) 1 49 00 70 30
Email: info@byk.com

Website : http://www.arkema.com/
A global chemical major, Arkema has operations in over 40 countries, with leadership positions in specialty
chemicals and performance materials. With operations in more than 40 countries, some 14,000 employees and
10 research centers, Arkema generates annual revenue of €6.4 billion, and holds leadership positions in all its
markets with a portfolio of internationally recognized brands.

1.2.2

New (Meth)acrylic based chemical formulations for thermoplastic parts

Altuglas® composite resin solutions are innovative (meth) acrylic formulations developed within a research and
development partnership between Arkema and PPE (Pôle Plasturgie de l’Est). In early 2011, Arkema and PPE
created a joint research laboratory located in Saint-Avold (France) aimed at the development of innovative
chemistries and processes for the production of thermoplastic composite parts. To optimize Altuglas®
Composite formulations, Arkema and PPE have partnered with specialists in the composite industry – MVC
(Brazil), Chomarat (France) and 3B-Fibreglass (Belgium). This leads to Altuglas® Composite suitable for:
 High performance structural composite parts used in applications such as wind turbines, automotive
parts or sports equipment, mostly based today on epoxy resins.
 Aesthetic semi-structural composite parts such as shaped truck parts, bus body panels, hoods for
agricultural machinery, etc., usually made of UPR-based composites.
These formulations can be used to produce (meth)acrylic thermoplastic composites reinforced with continuous
glass, carbon or flax fibers with the same low-pressure processes and equipment as those currently used to
produce thermoset composite parts. The resulting (meth) acrylic thermoplastic composite parts show
mechanical properties similar to those of parts made of thermoset materials while presenting the major

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advantages of being post-thermoformable and
composite/composite or composite/metal assemblies.

recyclable

and

offering

new

possibilities

for

Altuglas® Composite resin solutions enable the production of (meth)acrylic thermoplastic composites,
reinforced by continuous glass, carbon or flax fibers with the same processes (RTM or Infusion) used today to
produce thermoset composite parts (made with Unsaturated Polyester, Vinyl Ester or Epoxy resins) with similar
polymerization cycle times. The resulting parts show properties, in terms of rigidity and mechanical strength,
comparable to parts made with thermoset resins, while presenting the major advantages of being recyclable
and suitable for post-thermoforming and welding.
The (meth)acrylic nature of Altuglas® Composite enables more possibilities for composite/composite or
composite/metal assemblies. Very high mechanical strength for such assemblies can be achieved through the
use of adhesives (e.g. methacrylate-based structural adhesives) or, due to the thermoplastic nature of the
matrix, through welding in the case of composite/composite assemblies.
Moreover, Altuglas® Composite resins solutions are styrene-free. They are available with ready-to-use
Luperox® peroxide initiators from Arkema’s range, allowing optimized polymerization.
Altuglas® Composite resins are marketed by Altuglas International, a subsidiary of Arkema.

1.3 HENKEL
1.3.1

Presentation
Address :
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
(Headquarters), Henkelstraße 67
40191 Düsseldorf, Germany

Contact :
M. Stefan Kreiling
Phone +49-211-797-9933
Mail:

Website:
http://www.henkel.com/

Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home
Care, Beauty Care and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions
both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and
Loctite. Henkel, headquartered in Düsseldorf / Germany, has some 47,000 employees worldwide and counts
among the most internationally aligned German-based companies in the global marketplace.

1.3.2

New polyurethane solution for RTM technology

Henkel has developed a novel polyurethane matrix resin that is compatible with carbon and glass fibers. Its
reactivity profile is designed for fast automotive RTM processes. The presentation outlines key processing and
performance characteristics of the new matrix resin. Due to its inherent fracture toughness properties the
polyurethane technology can offer superior fatigue resistance and damage tolerance compared to standard
resin systems.
The polyurethane thermosetting matrix system described here has been commercialized by Henkel
Corporation under the trade name Loctite MAX 2. It is a two-component polyurethane matrix resin which can
be further accelerated by addition of a cure accelerator depending on the cure speeds required in the
respective process. Laminates were made from non crimp fabric (glass, carbon) commercially available from
Saertex, Hexcel or SGL Carbon.
Low matrix resin viscosities allow fast injection of the resin into the respective molds and at the same time
good fiber wetting and fabric penetration even at high fiber volume contents. The rheological behavior of the

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thermosetting resin has been evaluated in dependency of the temperature in order to define a processing
window for injection at minimum resin viscosity. Isothermic viscosity curves were recorded to determine the
temperature effect on cure kinetics.

While the high cure exothermy of epoxy matrix resins may lead to undesired local overheating, polyurethane
chemistry offers safe processing of the resin at various temperatures even when accelerated to realize fast
reaction times. The following differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) chart shows a basic comparison of cure
profiles of standard epoxy versus polyurethane resin systems. The released cure reaction heat (adjusted to 1g
of resin) is decreased for the polyurethane resin by almost a factor of 2 indicating lower risk of hot spot
occurrence especially for thick laminates.

Polyurethane matrix resins provide a high modulus in combination with an elongation of break of 5-10 %. The
critical stress intensity factor is a measure for the neat resin toughness performance. In this content,
polyurethane chemistry induces a unique intrinsic toughness to the cured resin due to its specific polymer
backbone structure. A combination of soft polymer segments with strong H-bridging of the urethane moieties
is responsible for this advantageous characteristic. No further addition of cost-intensive and viscosityincreasing toughening agents is necessary as compared to epoxy chemistry. The intrinsic toughness of the
resulting composite is especially important when the application in the car demands high damage tolerances
and durabilities of the part.

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Table 1 shows selected properties of the neat polyurethane thermosetting resin after an in-mold cycle of 30
min at 90°C.

Different toughening mechanisms have been described in the literature (crack-pinning mechanism,
microcracking mechanism, crack-path deflection mechanism, massive shear-banding mechanism).3 In the case
of polyurethane, plastic deformation of the localized shear yielding mechanism is believed to be the major
contributor to toughness. The excellent toughness properties of polyurethanes transfer also into a superior
fatigue behavior which positively affects durability of the composite in the application. Especially for chassis
applications, composite matrices offering high fatigue resistance are being selected in order to withstand the
cyclic loads occurring during driving operations.


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PART 2.

INNOVATIONS ON COMPOSITE PARTS

2.1 OWENS CORNING
2.1.1

Presentation
Address : Owens-Corning
Fiberglas France
Zoning Industriel Ardoise,
30290 Ardoise (L')
Website:
http://www.owenscorning.eu

Contact : Eric DAILLIES
Tel : +33 664 06 2503
Email:
eric.dallies@owenscorning.com

Owens Corning Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass and related products. It was
formed in 1935 as a partnership between two major American glassworks, Corning Glass Works and OwensIllinois. The company was spun off as a separate entity on November 1, 1938. However, major medical
liabilities due to the company's use of asbestos as a fireproofing agent led to the company's Chapter 11
bankruptcy in 2000. The company emerged from Chapter 11 in October 2006.

2.1.2

High efficiency façade based on composite profiles

As new European thermal insulation regulations for building envelopes become increasingly stricter (RT 2005 –
2012), the best way to lower the energy needs of buildings is through thermal insulation of façade
components. Current façade panels made of aluminium profiles with embedded polyamide thermal breaks will
only meet the lowest limits of these regulations. Moreover, the use of conventional materials would result in
thicker and thicker wall constructions. This has driven Owens Corning and its partners to study, design and plan
the industrialization of an incremental solution targeting new and old buildings (fewer than ten floor levels)
that could meet new thermal regulations.
The global panel solution, named COFAHE, is the result of a strong partnership among key industrial players
and is composed of different parts and materials. The profile component uses composites to replace the PA
thermal breaks and part of the aluminium.
The main advantages of this composite component are:
 an almost “ready-to-use” (panel) incremental solution with minimum changes in existing technology
and machinery, and no change in the aesthetic aspect of the façade;
 lower thermal conductivity and better insulation while keeping good mechanical properties, thanks to
the composite/aluminium combination;
 a solution that can evolve in the future to meet the expected tightening of thermal regulations, as
opposed to current solutions, which have reached their limits.


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Together with Goyer, OC assessed the value that will be created by replacing all their PA thermal breaks with
pultruded reinforced vinylester (reinforced with Xstrand® H glass in this case). The change is motivated by the
improved mechanical properties and thermal insulation. COFAHE solution decreases by almost 4 times the U
surface factor to 0.85 W/m2.K (Thermal conductivity requirement stated by RT 2005 Regulation is: U surface
factor (W/m2.K) <2.3).

Moreover, building contractors will be able to sell larger living surfaces inside the buildings using composite
profiles combined with extremely thin vacuum-insulated panels instead of traditional mineral wool. Europewide, the potential market for the COFAHE façade panel solution is 4-5 million.


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Generally speaking, the COFAHE panel results 30% more expensive while 80% of the overcost is due to
assembling tasks adding labor/time consumption. On the contrary, composite material enables saving PA
breaker and Al material costs. For competitive industrialization, key step is improvement of the Al/composite
profile assembling process and cost

2.2 FOKKER AEROSTRUCTURES
2.2.1

Presentation
Address : Fokker Aerostructures
Industrieweg
4,
3351
LB
Papendrecht, P.O.box 1, 3350 AA
Papendrecht, The Netherlands

Contact :
Tel : +31 (0)78 6419911
Website:
http://www.fokker.com/aerostructures

Fokker Aerostructures is a recognized, first-class specialist in the design, development and manufacturing of
lightweight structures, modules and landing gear for the aerospace and defense industry. We operate at the
forefront of today’s technology. Our highly skilled workforce includes professionals in the Netherlands,
Romania, Mexico and the United States. Fokker Aerostructures is a Business Unit of Fokker Technologies.

2.2.2

Thermoplastic composite tailplane for helicopters

The innovation is a full thermoplastic horizontal tailplane with a co-consolidated, single-piece multi-spar
torsion box for the AgustaWestland AW169 helicopter. This main load-carrying member is 3 metres long and
spans tip-to-tip. It consists of four preforms that are melted together under pressure. Replaceable
thermoplastic leading and trailing edges are attached to the torsion box. The leading edges are made of
consolidated thermoplastic laminates, supported by a number of thin press-formed ribs. Thermoplastics were
used for the leading edges because of their good impact properties. The trailing edges are made of thin
thermofolded thermoplastic laminates supported by press-formed ribs. All the components are made of
TenCate Cetex® carbon/PPS fabric-based materials. The strongly curved winglets are conventional laminated
carbon/epoxy prepreg parts. The new design results in a 15% weight reduction for AgustaWestland vis-à-vis
previous composite tailplane designs.
The value of the innovation lies primarily in weight and cost savings. The weight saving results in lower fuel
consumption and NOx/CO2 emissions. The low-weight solution is made possible by the toughness of the
thermoplastic material and by the strong, stiff multi-spar torsion box design. The design is made affordable by
applying co-consolidation of simple preforms to create the main structural element of the single-piece torsion
box.
AgustaWestland expects the new AW169 to be highly successful in the civil market, and that the company will
easily exceed sales of 500 aircraft. The new concept could also be applied to more tailplanes. The
coconsolidated multi-spar concept is also suitable for other products such as aircraft floor panels.


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2.3 BMW GROUP
2.3.1

Presentation
Contact : Tobias Hahn
BMW Group Technology Communications
Telephone: +49-89-38-2-60816
Fax: +49-89-382-28567
Media Website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-mail: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with
its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities
in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000
motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. The pre-tax profit for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled
euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000
associates.

2.3.2

LifeDrive concept: the world’s first body architecture for electric vehicles

All the major carmakers have realized that they need electric vehicles to succeed in China, a crucial market
where the government is keen to promote emission-free transport. Though carmakers all over the world are
rushing out electric models, BMW i's LifeDrive architecture is the first to be custom-built for electric vehicles. In
the early 1930s, progress in metal cutting and a desire for lighter, more powerful automobiles gave birth to an
innovation that would dominate motor vehicle manufacturing for many decades: the integral monocoque
body. Three quarters of a century later, at the dawn of the electric vehicle era, the BMW i team was again
facing the challenge of how to reduce a vehicle's weight – this time to accommodate the battery for an electric
motor.
The result of their deliberations was the world's first body architecture specifically designed and purpose-built
for the series production of electric vehicles: the LifeDrive concept. In contrast to vehicles with a monocoque
body, the LifeDrive architecture is made up of two separate functional units. The upper Life module consists
mainly of a high-strength and extremely lightweight passenger cell made of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic
(CFRP) hardened with epoxy and molded into components. This innovative concept not only compensates for
the extra weight of the battery unit, but it also lowers the vehicle's centre of gravity to make it a more dynamic
vehicle to drive. A lightweight design is not the only benefit LifeDrive brings. The carbon-fibre passenger cell is
exceptionally rigid and strong.
Building moderately priced cars from CFRP had long been a holy grail for automotive engineers, because a
carbon chassis weighs half as much as a steel counterpart and 30 percent less than aluminum. The savings in
weight translates into better performance and higher fuel efficiency. Therefore, it’s a material of choice for
everything from Formula One racers and America’s Cup yachts to jet fighters, spacecraft, and the Boeing 787.

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According to Joerg Pohlman, director of BMW’s carbon fiber projects, cost was the sticking point. The
technology took hundreds of millions of dollars of research and development to perfect. But now BMW is
unveiling a technology that it says can mold a woven sheet of carbon fiber into a completed car part in less
than 10 minutes. Those parts will go into the groundbreaking BMW i3, a plug-in hybrid that analysts estimate
will cost just $40 000 to $50 000 per car, barely more than the price of a Nissan Leaf EV. The company now
intends to begin building more than 1 million carbon-fiber components a year and to eventually base many of
its cars on the material. Sales for BMW i3 are scheduled to start in November 2013 at a price of €40,000
(US$52,000) for the all-electric version, and the range-extender option costs an additional €3,000 (US$4,000).

A linchpin of the plan is in Moses Lake, Wash., where the lure of cheap, clean hydropower sparked a $100
million partnership between BMW and Germany’s SGL, among the world’s top manufacturers of carbon-based
products. BMW and SGL bill it as the world’s greenest, most efficient carbon-fiber plant. That’s one reason why
the i3’s total life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions will be one-third less than that of the most efficient internalcombustion cars—50 percent less if the i3 is recharged using renewable energy.


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Along Moses Lake’s 245-meter production line, bundles of 50 000 silky white polymer acrylic strands—each a
tenth as thick as a human hair—are carbonized in furnaces at 1400 °C. Spools of the black fiber head to
Wackersdorf, Germany, where they’re woven into sheets. At another German factory, sheets are pressurized,
impregnated with liquid thermosetting plastic, and molded—in BMW’s speedier, proprietary take on resintransfer molding—to form finished components in less than 10 minutes. The trail ends in Leipzig, where
components are glue-welded together, forming the bones of a radically new type of car.
According to Pohlman, other efficiencies will make carbon fiber about as inexpensive to manufacture as
aluminum within three to five years. Instead of 350 or 400 metal parts, the i3’s chassis has about 35. The
simple construction—a bit like gluing together a model car—eliminates dozens of factory welding robots and
manufacturing stations. And unlike steel—even clear-coated steel—carbon fiber never rusts, requires no costly
corrosion treatments, and is designed to last for decades with minimal structural fatigue. The plastic
underpinnings, experts say, will long outlast the cars and technology that surround them. True, that raises the
question of how to recycle the stuff, which is tricky, because recycled fiber isn’t strong enough to reuse in a car
chassis.

Moreover, in the case of the BMW i3 there is no space-consuming tunnel running through the middle of the
vehicle, since all the power components are housed in the drive module. As a result, passengers can enjoy
streamlined seating and a lounge-like sense of space.
Up to 2020, BMW anticipates a worldwide market share of 4 to 8% for electric vehicles (BEV and plug-in
hybrid). Furthermore, together with the German Government, BMW adheres to the target of one million
electric vehicles on German roads by 2020. Although the LifeDrive concept with its CFRP passenger cell is a
stand-alone vehicle architecture that is purpose-built for the BMW i3 and BMW i8, other model series may also
stand to benefit in the long term from the CFRP expertise that BMW has developed.

At the new vehicle’s core is a carbon-fiber passenger compartment that has already passed crash tests. The
fiber, which in its raw state resembles horse hair, will come from the Moses Lake plant, where BMW and the
SGL Group, the carbon company, are building components specifically for the new vehicle.


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2.4 ZODIAC RECRATIONAL
2.4.1

Presentation
Address :
ZODIAC INTERNATIONAL
1, Quai de Grenelle
75015 PARIS, France

Contact : Sébastien BOUTIER
Tel :
Mail:

Website:
WWW.ZODIACMARINE.COM

Zodiac Recreational is the world’s leader in the design, manufacturing and distribution of inflatable and Rigid
Inflatable Boats (RIBs). The first inflatable boat was invented by Zodiac in the mid-1930s, and the brand was
made popular in the 1950s by Jacques-Yves Cousteau who used Zodiac tenders during his expeditions. Today,
Zodiac is the leading brand and most recognized business in the nautical industry with an extensive range of
products including RIBs, recreational tenders, inflatable boats, jet tenders, life rafts, and related boat
accessories. Zodiac Recreational also serves the space industry with a stratospheric balloon and multi-layer
insulation activity, that will be included as part of the acquisition.
Zodiac Recreational products include three brand names: Zodiac, Bombard, and Avon. The products are
distributed through a network of dealers in Europe and the US, and through importers for other select markets.
OpenGate Capital LLC announced in July 2012 it signed an agreement to acquire Zodiac Recreational from
Zodiac Marine & Pool. OpenGate, a Los Angeles-based private investment and acquisition firm with offices in
Paris and Brazil, completed the transaction in February 2013.

2.4.2

New generations of ecodesigned semi-rigid boats

These new semi-rigid boats consist of an assembly between a rigid composite hull and an inflatable float. The
two boats presented were designed along the same ecodesign guidelines.
The project’s main objective was to reduce the environmental impact of the Bombard AirEthic semi-rigid boat
and the Zodiac Z-Concept dinghy. The AirEthic is a series-produced boat, and the Z-Concept is a concept boat
that incorporates all aspects of eco-impact reduction, including recyclable thermoplastic materials, bio-sourced
materials, clean processes and electric motor.
To reduce the composite hull’s environmental footprint, the project managers chose to produce it using the
RTM process with flax-fibre reinforcement. The AirEthic’s underwater hull and deck are both RTM moulded
with flax-fibre reinforcement. The Z-Concept’s entire hull is one-step moulded, with the flax reinforcement on
the deck side.
Zodiac has been using composite materials for this type of boat for a long time. Composites give these boats

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the desired strength and low weight, along with the possibility to create complex shapes at moderate
investment and production costs. Because flax is a bio-sourced plant fiber, using it lowers the composite’s
environmental impact. It is possible to replace part of the glass fiber reinforcement with flax.
These boats are Zodiac’s first ecodesigned models. The AirEthic project was launched in April 2012, and the
boat was presented at the December 2012 International Boat Show in Paris. The Z-Concept project got off to a
start in July 2012, and the boat concept was also presented at the Paris Boat Show.
Over the long term, consumers’ growing concerns about environmental impacts when they choose a product
and the gradual toughening of regulations on production conditions will make traditional polyester materials
and techniques obsolete, relegating them to bottom-of-the-line product offers.
The new process and these materials could eventually be applied to all Zodiac boats, since the experience with
both models shows that this is feasible for this type of boat. The principle could also apply to most composite
parts.


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CONCLUSION
The JEC Europe 2013 composite show, held in Paris on 11th – 14th March, 2013, covered the sector’s major
topics: mass production, thermoplastics, smart composites with embedded sensors, new applications, the
environment, and recycling.
Clearly, the trend in the composite world is on large production, and most notably thermoplastics. The idea is
to find more and more applications for cheaper thermoplastics, that can be handled efficiently through RTM
processes. Indeed, it is estimated that the composites market will grow at an average annual global rate of 6%,
to reach a value of about €90 billion and a volume of 10 million metric tons by 2015 (compared to €80 billion
and 9.2 million MT in 2012).
However, there are still outstanding innovations for thermosetting materials, which are mostly based on ways
to cure faster these materials. One should notice that Henkel is pushing polyurethane resins to the detriment
of epoxy resins, because parts made of polyurethane can be made five times as fast as those made of epoxy
through RTM processes. It should be interesting to see if polyurethane resins will become the standard
materials for thermosetting material in the future.
In terms of sectors, the automotive industry really brought it the next level in the JEC Europe 2013 exhibition
show. There were numerous demonstrations that suppliers are perfectly able to keep up with the output
demanded by the automotive industry, and 70% of the parts shown in the Exhibit Area were related to
automotive transportation. The most impressive innovation came from BMW, which find a way to produce car
body parts made of CFRP in less than 10 minutes for curing. This composite will be used in the mass produced
electric car named BMW i3 featuring an estimated sales price of 40 000€ !
By way of conclusion, this JEC Europe 2013 composite show was really a success. Given the demand and the
fact that JEC Europe already entirely fills Hall 1, JEC Group has decided to increase the surface area of the trade
show significantly for 2014. So next year, JEC Europe will take place in Halls 7.2 and 7.3 of the Porte de
Versailles fairgrounds, with a total surface area of 54,000 square meters – equivalent to eight World Cup soccer
fields!


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PRESENTATION OF VIEDOC SARL
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JEC Europe 2013 Competitive Intelligence Report

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