Archived Rail Transport Sector News - 2011

Editors - please refer to the Notes to Editors for background information on Umeco plc and its operating divisions.

Advanced Composites Group Demonstrates its Composites Expertise at the 2011 Rail Interiors Expo

ACG Focuses on Aerospace, Rail and Tooling Applications at the 2011 China Composites Expo

ACG’s Phenolic Prepreg Hailed a Resounding Success on Bombardier’s Class 379 Electrostar EMU Passenger Trains

Other News	2010	2009
Rail Transport

3rd November 2011

Advanced Composites Group Demonstrates its Composites Expertise at the 2011 Rail Interiors Expo

ACG, a member of Umeco Composites Structural Materials (UCSM) – a division of Umeco plc, will be exhibiting on Stand 9245 in Hall 9 at the Railway Interiors Expo 2011 in the Koelnmesse, Cologne, Germany from the 15th to 17th November.

ACG will focus on the application of its advanced composites technologies across mass transit applications, but particularly its MTM®82S-C phenolic resin prepreg system.

MTM82S-C prepreg technology facilitates the manufacture of thin, lightweight sections that provide outstanding mechanical performance and significant weight savings for railway interior applications.

Typical applications for MTM82S-C include wall panels, window frames, partitions, connecting archways, floors, ceilings, standbacks, luggage racks, seats and doors. ACG will exhibit a full-size MTM82S-C prepreg standback, one of 960 units currently installed on commuter trains in the United Kingdom. In addition, sandwich panels made from foam core and MTM82S-C laminate skins will be on display in the form of a lightweight seat and a lightweight ceiling panel.

MTM82S-C prepregs are available on a wide range of carbon and glass fibre reinforcements, making them suitable for both monolithic and sandwich structures.

MTM82S-C prepregs have been extensively tested and proven to offer outstanding fire, smoke and toxicity performance properties, meeting the requirements of BS 6853 Cat 1a, French Standard NFF16-101 rating M1/F1, and German DIN5510 ratings S4, SR2 and ST2.

From its prepreg manufacturing facilities in the UK, Germany, and the USA, UCSM services the rail interiors market by delivering custom formatted products manufactured to short lead times and delivered through a global network of dedicated sales and support agencies.

ACG’s representatives will be on hand to discuss and demonstrate, through the use of exhibits, the application of the company’s prepregs.

Image: Courtesy of Stansted Express, ©ACG Ltd.

Advanced Composites Group

Richard Horn – Rail Transport Market Sector Manager
E-mail: rhorn @ acg.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1773 766200

23rd August 2011

ACG Focuses on Aerospace, Rail and Tooling Applications at the 2011 China Composites Expo

ACG, part of Umeco Composites Structural Materials (UCSM) – a division of Umeco plc, will be exhibiting with sister company Richmond Aerovac and partner company Shanghai Leadgo-Tech Ltd. on Stand 8334-8443 at the World Expo Theme Pavilion in Shanghai from the 7th to 9th September 2011.

ACG’s focus will be on the application of its advanced composites technologies across aerospace and rail applications, particularly its medium temperature moulding (MTM®) phenolic and epoxy resin prepreg systems. Associated tooling materials for both market sectors will also be on display.

For structural applications in the aerospace sector, ACG will display a range of ACG’s industry-leading Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) technology. ACGs MTM44-1 OoA processing prepregs have been evaluated by Airbus, Dassault Aviation, GKN and other major OEMs during development programs aimed at defining the design and technologies for low cost aircraft structures. This has led to the adoption of MTM44-1 for the manufacture of wing panels on the Airbus A350 XWB jetliner, marking the first use of OoA processing in a commercial aircraft structure. Manufacture is presently at the ramp up stage and full production is expected to begin in late 2011.

Supported by FAA Public ‘A’ and ‘B’ basis databases, MTM45-1 and MTM46 are widely used for the manufacture of structural components in military aircraft, UAV’s and general aviation. MTM47, ACG’s latest OoA prepreg development, offers enhanced compression performance comparable with 180°C autoclave systems, combined with excellent hot/wet open-hole compression behaviour.

For interior applications in the rail and aerospace sectors, ACG’s phenolic and epoxy prepregs, which are available on a wide range of carbon and glass fibre materials, are suitable for both monolithic and sandwich structures. Offering extremely low fire propagation and surface spread of flame, combined with low smoke and toxic gas emission, these prepregs match the stringent requirements of aerospace standards FAR25.853 and ABD0031, and numerous British, French and German standards set by the rail sector.

ACG’s representatives will be available to discuss a comprehensive range of lightweight, high quality, robust tooling solutions specifically developed for the aerospace and rail industries. Focusing on its customers’ needs, ACG has developed true Out-of-Autoclave (OoA) vacuum-only curing tooling prepregs that provide pit-free surface profiles and autoclave quality tool skin laminates with high end use temperatures and extended tooling life. Tooling designed and manufactured by ACG and its approved partners has a reputation of withstanding repeated process cycling. In addition to manufacturing composite materials, ACG offers a complete technology transfer and support package encompassing tooling design philosophy, and pattern and tooling construction.

ACG is a prominent global provider of optimised structural and tooling composites solutions to the automotive, aerospace, rail, marine, space, motorsport, defence, and alternative energy markets, and offers unparalleled world-wide technical support.

Images: Bigstock.com

For further information, please contact:

Advanced Composites Group Ltd

Xavier Gambert – Aerospace Market Sector Manager
E-mail: xgambert @ acg.co.uk
Richard Horn – Rail Transport Market Sector Manager
E-mail: rhorn @ acg.co.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1773 766200

31st May 2011

ACG’s Phenolic Prepreg Hailed a Resounding Success on Bombardier’s Class 379 Electrostar EMU Passenger Trains

Phenolic prepreg from ACG, a member of Umeco Composites Structural Materials (UCSM) – a division of Umeco plc, has been hailed a resounding success for standbacks manufactured by Ipeco Composites for Bombardier Transportation’s Class 379 Electrostar EMU Passenger Trains, operated by National Express on their Stansted Airport rail link.

Bristol UK based Ipeco Composites recently manufactured 960 standbacks for Bombardier Transportation, UK using ACG’s MTM®82S-C phenolic prepreg which meets the requirements of BS6853 Cat.1a, the standard governing the fire performance of rail rolling stock.

Ipeco has a history of manufacturing phenolic prepreg structures for the aircraft industry and it was a natural progression for the company to extend its expertise to the railway industry. All units passed effortlessly through Bombardier Transportation’s rigorous quality approval process with flying colours, a key factor being the superior dimensional tolerances prepreg moulding offers in comparison to wet layup processes. The autoclaved MTM82S-C standbacks were installed by Bombardier without rework, thus reducing onsite labour costs and so contributing to the quality and timely delivery of this fleet of trains.

National Express, Bombardier Transportation’s client, will benefit from reduced in-service operation and maintenance costs brought about through a significant weight saving and the robust nature of prepreg composite parts. At only 6.4kg per unit, the standbacks provide a 40% reduction over a typical 10.5kg wet layup structure.

ACG’s medium temperature moulding MTM82S-C is one of a range of controlled flow phenolic resin matrices exhibiting excellent fire, smoke and toxicity performance, and good mechanical properties. In addition to BS6853 Cat.1a, MTM82S-C is qualified to the following fire performance specifications: BS 467 Part 6 and 7, NF P 92-501 Rating M1, NF F 16-101 Rating F1 and DIN 5510 Rating S4, SR2, ST2.

MTM82S-C, suitable for both monolithic and sandwich structures, can be autoclaved, press moulded or oven/vacuum bag (Out-of-Autoclave [OoA]) processed, and can be supplied on a range of fabrics and fibres.

Image: Credit to Frank Richards

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:

Advanced Composites Group Ltd

Richard Horn – Rail Transport Market Sector Manager
Telephone: +44 (0)1773 766200
E-mail: rhorn @ acg.co.uk

Additional Notes to Editors

Bombardier Transportation, a global leader in rail technology, offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. BOMBARDIER ECO4 technologies – built on the four cornerstones of energy, efficiency, economy and ecology – conserve energy, protect the environment and help to improve total train performance. Bombardier Transportation is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has a presence in over 60 countries. It has an installed base of over 100,000 vehicles worldwide.

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Other News	2010	2009
Rail Transport