EconCore presents its innovative technology for the production of economic honeycomb sandwich materials at CAMX 2017

EconCore will be presenting its innovative technology for the continuous production of honeycomb sandwich materials at CAMX 2017, the composites and advanced materials expo taking place in Orlando, FL, on December 12-14. The high-speed, high-efficiency continuous process can produce honeycombs from a wide range of thermoplastics and laminate them in-line with skin materials of various types. The high level of integration helps ensure exceptional cost-effectiveness, not possible with conventional technologies. It is ideal for companies operating in cost-sensitive applications, including automotive and transportation, industrial packaging, and building & construction.

EconCore will be supporting one of its latest US-based licensees – Wabash National Corporation, a leading American manufacturer of truck and trailer bodies. “EconCore provides the most innovative technology to produce lightweight honeycomb sandwich panels – something we have not seen in the market for a very long time,” says Gustavo Sumcad, Director of Engineering at Wabash. EconCore will also support its Mexican licensee Fynotej, which will start up a honeycomb production line early next year. Fynotej manufactures fibers, yarns and non-woven products, serving various markets, including producers of automobile trunk paneling.

On Stand D74 in the exhibit hall, EconCore will present different light-weighting options using various sandwich material combinations that the honeycomb technology enables. In heavy-duty transportation alone, applications include roofing and walls of trucks and trailers, aerodynamic elements, and cladding of vans, as well as solutions for logistics and storage.

To illustrate how its portfolio is growing, EconCore is highlighting its development of high performance thermoplastic core materials made from high-end polyamides in FST compliant formulations, among other polymers with resistance to high temperatures. The company will also discuss technology it is developing for converting recycled mass-market thermoplastics into high performance core materials by controlling the thermodynamics that influence material performance.

Another product presented on the stand will be on EconCore’s award-winning lightweight polymer solar panel concept, which is one-third the weight of a standard glass solar panel while being significantly more rugged and resistant to damage. The sandwich panel is laminated off-line with the photovoltaic (PV) cells. This part of the process requires elevated temperatures, which is one reason why polyamides were the materials of choice for both, the honeycomb core and the composite skins layers.

The application of photovoltaic panels fits very well with EconCore’s honeycomb technology. The large volume demand and cost sensitiveness behind the application call for the use of very effective technologies. Furthermore, the honeycomb technology delivers a very high rigidity-to-weight ratio allowing for optimization of the final product.

“Our goal is to continuously improve upon the technology to further optimize the process and open new application possibilities,” says Tomasz Czarnecki, COO at EconCore. “We are looking forward to interesting discussions at CAMX.”