JEC Group unveiled the winners of the JEC Composites Innovation Awards 2020 at an online ceremony on Wednesday May 13. This virtual awards ceremony was a first in the competition's history, with over 600 participants. Thirteen winners were chosen in 11 categories representing the various composite-using industries, plus two special categories.
A highlight for the composites industry
Launched in 1996, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have showcased 1,900 companies over the past 24 years. 198 companies and 475 partners have been rewarded for their innovation in the composites field. The JEC Composites Innovation Awards are based on the following criteria for rewarding composites professionals: involvement in the value chain, technicality and commercial potential.
After a pre-selection of 33 finalists, the jury selected one winner per category.
"More than just an awards ceremony, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards are a source of inspiration for the industry and a vehicle for excellence for all the winners. It's an essential and eagerly-awaited event for the composites industry, and one we couldn't afford to miss, says Franck Glowacz, Innovation Content Leader at JEC Group.
And the winners are...
Some 13 companies, ranging from large recognized groups to talented nuggets, were rewarded for their innovations.
- In the " Additive Manufacturing "The Spanish company Eurecat, for its innovation CFIP Technology, a new post-treatment technology that uses continuous fibers to reinforce a wide variety of parts, whatever the material or manufacturing technology.
- In the "Aeronautics" sector, the French company Institut de Soudure Groupe & Arkema won the award for their "Innovation solutions for welding of TP composites", a new solution developed and patented for high-performance welding of thermoplastic composites.
- In the industry " Automotive "The German automaker Volkswagen was honored for its " Lightweight FRP center tunnel (LehoMit-Hybrid) " An innovative, cost-effective thermoplastic structural hybrid automotive body component, suitable for high-volume production, which can be introduced prior to cathodic dip processing with corresponding assembly technology.
- In the " Construction, Infrastructures & Civil Engineering "Carbo-Link's Swiss products are the focus of attention with CL Restrap, thin strips of pre-impregnated and cured CFRP, continuously looped to form a flexible carbon strip. All to reinforce concrete beams of any size in any infrastructure, for unlimited service life.
- In the "Design & Furniture" sector, Finnish company Mecelec Composites won the award for its "Mass-produced flax fiber roofs", the first application of BMC flax fiber for mass production.
- A Finnish company has also won an award, this time in the category "The best of the best". Maritime Transportation & Shipbuilding ". Norsepower Oy Ltd. for its " Norsepower Rotor Sail Lightweight Solution "helps freight and passenger vessels reduce fuel costs by 5 to 30 %, by improving a vessel's propulsion system through the use of wind as an auxiliary propulsion measure.
- In the " Process "Austrian company Engel Austria won an award for its " Line for tailored Thermoplastic Composite Blanks "This innovative unit, comprising a pick-and-place stacking cell and a heating and cooling consolidation unit, is capable of producing a custom thermoplastic blank in a cycle time of one to three minutes.
- For the " Railway Vehicles & Infrastructures "British company Far-UK Ltd won the award for its " Project Brainstorm "The result is an even lighter frame made of very light composite tubes, with a new design for tramway structures, reducing investment and manufacturing costs, as well as carbon emissions.
- In the "Recycling" field, Thailand's Cobra International has been awarded a prize for its "Recycling" project. Closed Loop Recycling of Epoxy Composites "A sustainable solution for the closed-loop recycling of infused epoxy molding tools and RTM thermoset epoxy watersports fins for Starboard and MFC.
- For the " Space "Korean company Hankuk Carbon won the award for its "Lightweight & Liner-less Carbon Subscale Cryotank", which reduces the weight of a space launcher by 30 % by replacing the current fuel tank with a cryotank made of uncoated carbon composites.
- In the industry " Sports & Healthcare "The Japanese company Asics Corporation received an award for their "Future of Sprints: Spike-Less CFRTP Sprinting Shoe", a revolutionary shaping methodology using ultra-thin, pre-shaped and randomly oriented CFRTP strips.
- The "JEC Composites Magazine" special prize was awarded to Cookson Precious Metals, for its " 3D-Printed Bushings for Glass Fibre Production "This makes it easy to manufacture glass fibers with innovative geometries.
- Last but not least, the public vote rewarded French company Stratiforme Industries for its " Destiny Thermoplastic resin Train Front end "The aim is to launch a new range of components for commercial aircraft interiors and rail applications based on thermoplastic composites.
"The entire international composites community was rewarded at the ceremony, proving that it retains its innovative momentum and creative capacity despite the circumstances. See you at the next JEC Composites Innovation Awards during JEC Korea 2020 and JEC World 2021".say the organizers.
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