Engineered Composite Structures
Automated Dynamics manufactures and designs composites in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including cylinders, cones, box beams, T's I-beams, triangles, coils, flat laminates, ovals and complex geometries up to 40 feet long with ODs from 0.020 inches to 60 inches.
Excellence in Design
Automated Dynamics' composite structures are most suited when solutions are needed to replace metal, reduce weight, isolate electronics, or offer a high level corrosion resistance.
Our continuous fiber/PEEK, PPS and other thermoplastic matrix parts have unmatched mechanical properties when compared to conventionally molded thermoplastic parts.
Excellence in Capabilities
Automated Dynamics' composite production processes include fiber placement, filament winding, thermoforming, compression molding, autoclave and hand lay-up enabling it to manufacture a wide range of thermoplastic and thermoset composite structures in the most cost effective manner possible.
Advanced Thermoplastic Fiber Placement is our proprietary, patented technology which uses uni-directional pre-preg material (continuous fiber reinforcing in thermoplastic resin matrix) with high heat and pressure to consolidate the structure 'on the fly' (in-situ) or as it is manufactured. There is no post-processing (oven cure) which allows for greatly reduced residual stresses.
This technology allows us to orient the reinforcing fiber from 0 degree (axial) to 90 degrees (hoop) and anywhere in between. The result? A well-consolidated structure with excellent continuous fiber distribution and superior wet-out for a high quality, high performance part. And our robotic in-situ process provides the repeatability and accuracy you need for production runs.
Many structures in our photo gallery represent our fiber placement technology capabilities in both size and shape. We have also included a video gallery to help demonstrate the benefits of in-situ fiber placement. And lastly, there is a wealth of technical support at Automated Dynamics which is evident in the technical papers that are available for your review.
Excellence in Service
Automated Dynamics provides a wide range of products for the Aerospace, Industrial, Semiconductor and Oilfield markets and offer full engineering, proof of concept, material selection, development, prototyping, initial order and full production capabilities with over twenty years of proven experience and state-of-the-art technology.
Products & Industries
High temperature, high pressure, corrosive chemicals and harsh solvents are places not intended for metal. Environments like sub-sea, downhole oil exploration along with petro-chemical plants, gas plants and other extreme fluid-handling operations.
These are the most demanding environments on earth. And we know them well.
Your challenges become our opportunities. Companies typically come to us when everything else has failed. We offer design assistance, engineering, prototyping and production of fiber reinforced thermoplastic and thermoset composite parts and components.
Oilfield Applications
The oilfield community has used thermoplastics such as polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), polyphenelyne sulfide (PPS) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for many years to successfully solve application problems. Before Automated Dynamics' entry in oilfield, the use of thermoplastics was restricted to injection and compression molded parts.
Our Advanced Fiber Placement Technology provides oilfield applications fiber-reinforced composite structures with high strength and stiffness, exceptional fatigue resistance, superior chemical and solvent resistance, high temperature capability and unmatched durability. They offer performance and mechanical properties not found in molded parts. Material data sheets for specific properties are available for download in the Materials page.
Some examples include: thermoplastic composite drillable packers, rf transparent antenna shields, cable supports, pistons, collars, sleeves, plugs, stops, locking rings, pipe, pressure vessels and accumulators, valve plates/seats/bodies, anti-extrusion springs/back-up rings, coiled springs and downhole tool components.
Aerospace/Defense Applications
Automated Dynamics fabricates complex structures for strong, lightweight products required for aerospace and defense applications.
Thermoplastic composite parts typically weigh 45 percent less than comparable aluminum parts and can save as much as 40 percent in manufacturing costs. Our in-situ consolidation process permits high-speed fabrication of thermoplastic composite structures with no post-processing required. Our structures offer superior mechanical properties and unmatched damage tolerance. They have unequalled corrosion resistance and enhanced fatigue resistance.
Some examples include: helicopter tailbooms – monocoque and internally stiffened, blade grip elements, horizontal stabilizers, fuselage and rib-stiffened fuselage panels, tension straps, wing spars, leading edges, rocket motor cases, missile bodies, sub-sea pressure hulls, helicopter cabin tubs and unmanned vehicle fuselages and bodies.
Industrial Applications
High performance thermoplastic composites offer exceptional mechanical strength and stiffness. Our fabricated thermoplastic composites provide excellent wear properties for industrial applications, low CTE, high temperature resistance and outstanding corrosion resistance for use in aggressive environments.
Some examples include: thermoplastic composite seals, valve parts, high pressure accumulators, back-up rings, anti-extrusion devices, driveshafts, flywheels, bearing and wear surface products, idler rollers and shafts and controlled CTE mounting plates.
Other custom structures include applications for:
Semiconductor Industry
Medical Industry
Converting Industry
Sporting Goods Industry
Fluid Handling Industry
Finished Part Production Industry
Processes for Composite Structures
We have provided engineered composite solutions with the following processes, quite often in combination, for many complex challenges:
Autoclaving
Autoclaving is process that operates at elevated temperature and pressure to consolidate plastic and fibers into a solid structure. Automated Dynamics manufactures structures using an autoclave based on the size, shape, and complexity of the part.
Thermoplastic Fiber Placement
We have developed Advanced Fiber Placement Technology to make continuous carbon and glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites for extreme environments. These thermoplastics are reinforced with continuous carbon fiber, fiberglass and aramid reinforcement that consistently perform in aggressive environments of 350-600 degree temperatures with extreme pressure and a myriad of chemicals and solvents that typically corrode through metal.
Stamping
A thin wall of material offline is pre-heated (above Tg but below the melt temperature), and then shuttled to a stamping station that has a mold in the shape of the desired product. The material is then pressed into the mold and the part is formed.
Compression Molding
Raw material (a fiber reinforced thermoplastic) is placed inside a mold that is then brought above the materials' melt temperature. The mold is then compressed and the part is cooled and removed.
Thermoset Fiber Placement
Automated Dynamics makes thermoset parts that have good chemical resistance, excellent mechanical strength, and excellent dimensional stability at certain temperatures. The fiber placement process requires a secondary curing operation that makes the finished part non-reformable.
The systems incorporated in our automated thermoset processes, including the elastomeric compaction roller, are so effective at achieving near net shapes that intermediate debulk steps are typically eliminated for even the thickest laminates. Consequently, fabrication time and manufacturing space are dramatically reduced, as compared with hand layup and other high touch labor intensive thermoset processing technologies.
Materials
Automated Dynamics' high temperature, engineering grade resins have superior impact resistance and damage tolerance. Our continuous fiber/PEEK and PPS composites have up to five times the impact resistance (fracture toughness) of a thermoset (epoxy) material, excellent fatigue resistance and are extremely durable with a long service life. A testament as to why carbon fiber and fiberglass/PEEK and PPS composites are replacing metal and traditional thermosets in a wide variety of applications.
Mechanical Properties
Our standard modulus grade carbon fiber/PEEK composite has 300,000 psi tensile strength with more than 540,000 psi tensile strength available in intermediate modulus and aerospace grade materials. For complete mechanical and material properties, material data sheets are avaiable to download at the bottom of the page.
Low Coefficient of Friction
Continuous graphite fibers in our parts offer an exceptionally low coefficient of friction and are self-lubricating, making them ideal for applications where high loads and/or temperature rule out a molded product.
Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Automated Dynamics’ carbon fiber composite parts have a very low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) so we can design a part to match the CTE of a surrounding metal, when required. Or we can keep the CTE near zero and the part will grow very little at elevated temperature. This dimensional stability allows our composite parts such as seals to be fit with much tighter tolerances than a molded or metal part.
Survives Abrasive Media
Our thermoplastic composite parts survive abrasive media like granite that can grind other composite materials to shreds. Our S2 fiberglass/PEEK structures demonstrate excellent abrasion resistance (sliding and rotating motions) in a wide variety of conditions and is ideally suited for downhole drilling applications.
Thermoplastic Polymer Matrix Materials
PEEK — Polyetheretherketone
PEI — Polyetherimide
PPS — Polyphenylene Sulfide
PA — Polyamide (nylons PA-6, PA-12, PA-66)
PFA — Perfluoroalkoxy resin
PP — Polypropylene
PE — Polyethylene
Thermoset Polymer Matrix Materials
Polyester
Vinylester
Epoxy
BMI
Reinforcement Fibers
Graphite (Carbon) — High Strength (HS) and Intermediate Modulus (IM) and Standard
Aramid — Kevlar R, Twaron R
Glass — E-glass, S-2 glass
Please see our material data sheets for complete mechanical and material properties.
Specific properties are available on each of the following materials:
Contact Composite Structures
Contact Automated Dynamics to learn how we can helpyou design and fabricate a composite solution to meet your performance requirements.
Worldwide Oil & GasJim Harty |
Aerospace / Defence / IndustrialChip Quinn |
