The Northwest Composites Centre (NWCC), which is part of the University of Manchester’s Department of Materials in the UK, and composites technology company Cygnet Texkimp have embarked on a major new research project to benchmark the Multi Axis Winder (MAW) and 3D Winder technologies against their two closest alternative technologies – braiding and traditional filament winding.

The research will be undertaken by the NWCC’s commercial arm which provides independent, accredited testing and qualifying services to the aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, marine and wind energy industries, including all major primes and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers.

The project will demonstrate the damage tolerance and impact resistance of composite parts manufactured using Cygnet Texkimp’s MAW and 3D Winder technologies compared to parts created using braiding and conventional filament winding.

The 3D Winder is a robot-mounted, multi-axis, high-speed winding machine. Launched in 2018, it is the first winding technology of its kind capable of laying down very high volumes of fibre quickly and accurately to manufacture complex, curved composite components that are strong and repeatable.

The Multi Axis Winder (MAW) was launched in January 2021 and uses rotating rings to lay down large volumes of material at high speed around a static mandrel. This technology is a development of the 3D Winder but has been optimised for throughput and designed to manufacture long, straight, continuous composite parts with angles and slight curves, including aircraft wing spars, crash protection structures, fuel pipes, tubes, masts and other profiles.

The NWCC has been awarded funding and resources from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to carry out and showcase the results of its work.

“The Multi Axis Winder and the 3D Winder are both very new and innovative technologies,” said Dr Yan Liu, R&D specialist at Cygnet Texkimp. “Engaging the rigour of a respected, external testing body will help us to gather valuable data and demonstrate their uses and benefits to the industry, with the aim of accelerating their adoption.

www.cygnet-texkimp.com