SABIC TO PREVIEW FIRST DIGITAL COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING LINE AT JEC WORLD 2019, DEMONSTRATE VERSATILITY OF UDMAX™ TAPE

SABIC will highlight the progress of its Digital Composites Manufacturing line, a breakthrough in automated digital system for rapid, large-scale laminate manufacturing, via a 360-degree virtual reality experience at JEC World 2019 (Hall 6, stand P12). Through its “Innovations of Scale” theme, the company is celebrating an important milestone for this major project, which will help industrialize thermoplastic composite laminates, enabling broader adoption of this material across industries, such as consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, sporting goods, healthcare, and mass transportation. 

The Digital Composites Manufacturing line, a partnership between Airborne and SABIC and powered by Siemens and Kuka technologies, is one of the three finalists in the category “Industry & Engineering” at the 2019 JEC Innovation Awards. The winner will be announced at the JEC Innovation Awards ceremony, on Wednesday 13 March at 4.30pm at the Agora stage.

In conjunction with the Digital Composites Manufacturing line exhibit, SABIC will showcase its ultra-strong, lightweight UDMAX™ tape, a unidirectional, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite used in automated and manual laminating, as well as other manufacturing processes. These include stamping and pressing, thermoforming, and winding with or without injection overmolding. To demonstrate this processing versatility, the company will display diverse UDMAX™ tape applications from the automotive, consumer products and industrial sectors. 

One noteworthy application to be featured at the SABIC stand is a laminated bulkhead from a commercial vehicle. This part incorporates UDMAX GPP tape within the structure to reduce weight by 30 percent vs. metal while improving processing efficiency and lowering tooling costs. 

JEC World 2019 will run from March 12 to 14 in Paris, France. SABIC management and technical experts will be available throughout the show to answer questions and share insights on the company’s portfolio of advanced composite materials and technical capabilities. These resources help create value for customers seeking to leverage the benefits of composites to address their challenges.