Industry, UK govt should come together on composites

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

The study was carried out by a multidisciplinary team from Southampton's faculties of engineering and the environment, and business, law and art (Institute of Maritime Law), supported by the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute and the university's department for Research and Innovation Services (RIS).

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

The position paper 'Modernising composite materials regulations' recognises the UK as a global leader in the research and development of composite materials and structures but points out that the country is not the most agile in bringing these new products to market. As economic and sustainability pressures have grown, pressure has also increased to reduce energy consumption and improve 'through-life costs' and installation times. 

This has led to an increase in demand for stronger, lighter, more intelligent and more durable materials tailor made for purpose.

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

In 2013, the global market for composite products was $68billion, which is predicted to grow to $105billion by 2030. The UK's share of this market is around three per cent at £2billion which is estimated to grow to £12billion or more by 2030. This estimated figure could rise to as high as £16billion if the sectors that have not previously used composites were to experience the same rate of growth in use of composites as the aerospace sector. More than 50 per cent of the weight of the newest generation of aeroplanes is made up by composite materials replacing metal alloys. 

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

One of the reasons to the uptake of composites in new sectors is that regulations, codes and standards are often inappropriate for composites. They are both explicitly and implicitly based on named materials, such as steel, and do not permit consideration of composites applications despite.

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

"Advanced polymer composite materials have a huge potential to shape the modern world. The use of composites in aerospace and automobile design is now the norm, but they have much broader potential for use in other sectors such as in building and bridge construction, railway and rail infrastructure, as well as marine and offshore. In aerospace alone, 52 per cent by weight of the latest generation of aircraft are now composed of composite materials," said Professor Ole Thybo Thomsen, a world leading expert on composite structures who is Head of the Infrastructure Research Group at Southampton and co-author of the position paper. 

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

"In the UK there is currently very limited coordination and centralisation of the codes and standards data associated with new composite materials. There is neither a coherent development of certified testing facilities, nor a formal process for different sectors to share information and best practice," said Professor Simon Quinn, director of the university's Research Institute for Industry (RiFi) and the lead researcher of the paper. 

 

Industry and government should work together to put an end to the constraints which inhibit growth and use of composite materials in sectors like marine, rail, oil and gas, and construction in the UK, according to a report by the University of Southampton which says effective regulation could bring more than £4billion worth of benefit to the country by 2030.#

The paper recommends that 'performance' assessment methods should be adapted to the needs of each sector to make it easier for manufacturers to prove that their materials can perform to the required operational safety and performance standards related to that sector. The paper also calls for one government department to have overall responsibility for regulation, with representation in other departments. (SV)