Olympics 2018 - Gold for Germany in the two-man bob
The entire Grasse Zur Composite Testing team congratulates Francesco Friedrich and Thorsten Margis on their gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Without their FES bob, this victory would not have been possible.
We are proud to be able to test for FES!
Successful propeller pull-out test for gliders
An important part of the „B13 electric“ project of the Akaflieg Berlin e.V. is the design of own propeller blades. Anyone who operates a prototype and wants to fly with it (for the purpose of flight testing, for example) is in active contact with the staff of the German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA). There, a decision is made as to whether or not the aircraft is allowed to take to the air in the given configuration. In the case of the B13 electric drive, proof must therefore be provided that the propeller blades can withstand the forces that occur in flight.
The means of choice for this is a propeller pull-out test, carried out at Grasse Zur Composite Testing Berlin. The propeller passed the required test with 15 kN (corresponds to four times the expected load in flight with engine operation J=4). Subsequently, the load was continuously increased. At 25 kN, the first white cracks appeared in the glue-on area, a crack only occurred at 32 kN, but not in the propeller blade structure, but in the glue-on area.
Webinar in cooperation with DIN for DIN SPEC 4885
The webinar provides sound knowledge in the determination of shear parameters of fibre-reinforced plastics, shows the advantages of shear parameter determination by means of picture frames compared to other existing methods for shear parameter determination and enables the user to perform and evaluate shear tests according to DIN SPEC 4885. The webinar takes place in cooperation with Beuth.
The webinar is divided into imparting the basic theoretical knowledge on determining the shear characteristic value of fibre-reinforced plastics and the practical implementation of DIN SPEC 4885. To this end, the special features of the anisotropic material behaviour of fibre-reinforced plastics are explained and the state of the art is presented, taking into account a current overview of standards. The focus of the webinar is on the practical application of DIN SPEC 4885: the determination of shear parameters using shear frames is discussed in detail and many case studies are shown. This will enable both employees in the testing laboratory and decision-makers to find the right procedure for determining the shear coefficient for the respective application.
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Seminar program 2018
Would you like to refresh your knowledge of current norms and testing standards, of operational strength behaviour or of the design and simulation of components made of fibre-reinforced plastics? You would like to expand your expertise regarding the curing of resin-hardener systems made of PE and VE resins? Would you like to exchange ideas with other users in the field of materials testing of composites? Then you should not miss the next professional seminars at Grasse Zur Composite Testing!
The seminars offer time and opportunity to make contacts, to bring in your everyday challenges and questions and to discuss them in the sense of an exchange of experiences. The discussions can be continued over dinner in a pleasant atmosphere. Afterwards, it is possible to extend the stay with an interesting weekend in the capital Berlin. For more information and to register, click here!
The seminars are aimed at beginners and experienced materials engineers and include the following topics for 2018:
Determination of shear properties: comparison of different test methods for a special price!
As the end of the year slowly approaches, you may also have some funds left over in your project budgets that you would like to invest wisely. We would therefore like to draw your attention to this year’s special offer for the comparison of the common methods for the determination of shear parameters. The test programme includes the testing of your materials according to the following standards:
Shear test with specification of shear stiffness, shear strength and max. shear strain
In addition, you will receive information on curing and thus on the available curing reserve free of charge when placing an order:
Determination of the current and the maximum glass temperature by means of DSC
The offer includes the production of test specimens from material provided, the application of strain gauges, the measurement of the test specimens, the performance of the material tests and the preparation of meaningful test reports. The tests are carried out at room temperature; tests at elevated temperatures are also possible for an additional charge.
You do not find the right material tests for you? You would like to condition the test specimens in advance? You would like to carry out a personalised test programme or use other test standards? No problem: Contact us and we will realise your wish!
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Composites Europe 2017 in Stuttgart – meet you there!
Grasse Zur Composite Testing is going to exhibit at the most important trade fair for composite materials in Germany and beyond! Composites Europe is the most modern and innovative trade fair in the composites market. The fair established itself as one of the mayor industry events in europe and being the meeting place and network platform for the entire sector, it invites the whole composites community into the growth driver country of Europe. The international visitors meet exhibitors covering the complete process chain: Material solutions, lightweight concepts as well as latest production and automatisation solutions are shown for mastering your construction challenges of the future – covering all industrial applications such as building and construction, wind energy, automotive as well as aerospace technology.
Grasse Zur Composite Testing designs new testing systems for composite testing and runs an innovative test lab for material testing services at the place of business in Berlin. The testing systems are used for industrial research and development, for validating FEM simulations and for quality control in production.
At the Composites Europe 2017 we introduce the new Ultrasonic Measurement Device GZ US-Plus. The testing device is applicable for cure control of non-reinforced and reinforced thermosets and can be used in research and development of new material systems as well as in-process quality control. Many suppliers to the automotive and aerospace industry already use the system successfully as it increases process reliability due to its standardized routine on the one hand and on the other hand reduces costs significantly by saving cure time.
In addition to the testing devices, Grasse Zur Composite Testing offers a fullservice package for material testings of GFRP and CFRP. The tests are carried out in our in-house laboratory. In collaboration with our clients we specify the wishes and requirements regarding the determination of material parameters. The customers benefit from a complete process from a single source.
We are looking forward to your visit and to talking to you about composite testing. Meet us at our exhibition stand in Hall 4 / Booth E28!
In-plane shear test methodologies for fiber-reinforced polymers
Strength, lightness, stiffness and durability are some of the reasons why fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are increasingly being employed in many engineering sectors. As the research for new material configurations, the development of automated manufacturing techniques and the range of applications continue to rise, innovative and improved testing methodologies need to continuously be developed in order to optimise their analysis and design. Therefore, reliable testing methodologies which are able to take into account the complex material behaviour of composites are required.
Together with the tensile and compressive mechanical properties of composite materials, the in-plane shear properties also play an important role. In this case, the loading direction is not along the fibres and, therefore, the anisotropy of these materials is highlighted. The strength of the material decreases when the loading direction is shifted and, consequently, not only depends on the reinforcing fibres, but also on the interaction between the fibre/matrix.
Regarding the determination of in-plane shear properties, several test methods are widely used. These generally include the short beam shear (ASTM D2344), the Iosipescu shear (ASTM D5379), the ±45° tensile shear (DIN EN ISO 14129), the torsional tube shear (ASTM D5448), the two- and three-rail shear (ASTM D4255) and the V-notched rail shear (ASTM D7078).
The extensive variety of testing methods is due to the difficulty in determining the in-plane shear properties of composite materials by means of a pure and uniform shear distribution throughout the test specimen up to failure. Therefore, each methodology presents its own advantages and disadvantages.
At Grasse Zur Composite Testing, an experimental comparison between three different test methodologies used in the characterisation of the in-plane shear response of composite materials has been undertaken. These are the ±45° tensile shear, the V-Notched rail shear and the newly developed shear frame from Grasse Zur Composite Testing (DIN SPEC 4885).
Read the full paper by Dr. Francesc Cobos here.
Aerospace Innovative – plastic meets aerospace
On 31 May 2016, the conference „Aerospace Innovative – plastic meets aerospace“ will take place at the Aerospace Centre in Wildau near Berlin. The organisers of the conference, which will focus on the latest information from the areas of engines, lightweight composite materials and sensor technology as well as the development of new cooperations, are the Berlin-Brandenburg Aerospace Allianz e.V., the Plastics and Chemistry Cluster Brandenburg (ZAB) and the Saxony Economic Development Corporation.
The programme includes three parallel sessions on the topics of engine technology or plastics technology and lightweight design and brings together experts from research, development and manufacturing. We are pleased to participate in the conference with a contribution on „Innovative process control and quality assurance using ultrasound in the manufacture of composite components“.
Further information on registration and the programme can be found on the website of the Plastics and Chemistry Cluster Brandenburg. Participation is free of charge. We look forward to the professional exchange and lively discussions with you!
Overview of seminars 2016
In cooperation with Novak Composites, we’re offering a few interesting professional seminars and advanced trainings about the subject Composites in 2016. The seminars are taking place in our head office in Berlin and generally consist of a theoretical and a practical part, including the experimental testing of composite materials. Please note that we have limited numbers of participations to guarantee a higher standard for the workshops.
The seminars regarding strain gauge application works in cooperation with Preusser Messtechnik. Therefore we’re using strain gauges and other products from TML, which are necessary for the application of strain gauges on samples based on fiber-reinforced synthetic material.
We’re offering limited numbers of participation for students at reduced prices. Just contact us. We’re looking forward to your application!
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Trainings and technical seminars at Grasse Zur Composite Testing
From April 2016, we at Grasse Zur Composite Testing will be offering training courses and professional seminars on the subject of testing fibre-reinforced plastics. We would like to cordially invite you to the „Professional Seminar on Strain Gauge Technology“:
The training courses take place in cooperation with Preusser Messtechnik. Strain gauges and other products from TML are used, which are necessary for the application of strain gauges on test specimens made of fibre-reinforced plastics.
For further information, please see the information sheet. We look forward to your registration!