Harper International, a global leader in complete thermal processing solutions and technical services essential for the production of advanced materials, has announced that in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), they have been awarded funding for a project through the US Department of Energy Advanced Manufacturing Office’s HPC4Mfg Program.

The Program was designed to spur the use of high performance supercomputers to advance US manufacturing via public-private partnerships. Specifically, the Harper International / ORNL project, titled “Development and Validation of Simulation Capability for the High Capacity Production Carbon Fibre”, will focus on analysis of critical processing factors, such as temperature, gas flow and chemical reaction, in carbon fibre production equipment. The purpose is to ensure designs provide the necessary uniformity to produce fibre of a certain quality, output and cost ideal for automotive applications. Results will then be validated at the pilot scale equipment designed and installed by Harper at ORNL’s carbon fibre technology facility, followed by testing in a commercial production facility.

Dr. Prasad Apte, director of technology at Harper International said, “This project allows Harper to continue its work as a champion of innovative carbon fibre processing technologies to meet the needs of future markets, such as mass automotive applications, now with access to world-class supercomputers and deeper scientific expertise. We are proud to be collaborating with the pioneering thought leaders at ORNL in continuation of our strong relationship.” (G K)