Join CKN’s Knowledge in Practice Centre to access composites manufacturing knowledge and best practices
As a subscriber to CKN, we keep you in the loop by sharing upcoming webinars and news updates to help you stay informed. However, to get the most value from the Composites Knowledge Network (CKN), we highly recommend joining our recently launched Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC), which is a wiki-based repository of composites knowledge developed to save you time and money by providing best practices and a one-stop learning resource.
There is no cost to joining the KPC. Simply fill out the Request Form and we’ll provide you with access. Once there, you can view past webinars and associated resources, explore case studies, gain technical know-how and access practical advice.
October AIM Event: Fibre Architecture: Availability, pros and cons, and selection for my application
Presenter: Casey Keulen
Selecting the form of fibre, often referred to as the fibre architecture is a critical decision during the development process. Fibre architecture has a significant effect on cost, processability, defect generation, design/geometry limitations, damage tolerance, and other outcomes of a composite part.
Individual fibres are grouped into bundles of thousands of fibres called tows. These tows then go through a secondary process to create a material form that is then used to produce a composite part. This fibre architecture may be in the form of a unidirectional fabric, woven fabric, non-crimp fabric, braided tube/sleeve or mat, among others.
In this webinar, we will discuss common types of fibre architecture, their pros and cons, suitability to specific processes, and provide insight on how to select a fibre architecture for your application.
This presentation is part of the ongoing CKN webinar series. Content discussed in the webinar is linked to the Knowledge in Practice Centre, allowing users to access this and other content in a consistent and coherent manner.
- Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2021
- Time: 9am Pacific | 12pm Eastern
- Registration: No cost. Registration required.
Hosted by Composites Knowledge Network and SAMPE Canada.
Register now for the October AIM event >
November AIM event: Fabric Forming: how it affects design and processing, and how simulation can address this
Presenters: Abbas Milani and Casey Keulen
One unique benefit that composite materials have is the ability to be formed into complex geometries that other materials struggle with. Forming fabric into these geometries is key to producing these geometries.
If the wrong fabric is used for a particular geometry and/or process it can lead to defects, such as severe fibre distortion, porosity, reduced fibre volume fraction, and undesirable part thicknesses. In a worst-case scenario, it could lead to scrapping tooling and materials, and going back to the beginning of the design/material selection process.
In this webinar, we will discuss how forming fibre material into a shape effects part design, material selection, and processing. We will introduce forming testing and simulation and discuss how it can be used in common applications with attention to fabric wrinkling defects.
This presentation is part of the ongoing CKN webinar series. Content discussed in the webinar is linked to the Knowledge in Practice Centre, allowing users to access this and other content in a consistent and coherent manner.
- Date: Wednesday, November 24
- Time: 9am Pacific | 12pm Eastern
- Registration: No cost. Registration required.
Hosted by Composites Knowledge Network and SAMPE Canada.
Register now for the November AIM event >
Watch now: Strengthening the Canadian Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Ecosystem: What types of intellectual property matter, and to whom?
In the recent webinar held October 18 and co-hosted by CKN and 4POINT0, five expert panelists discussed the findings of two surveys on IP strategy and open innovation practices of Canadian composite manufacturing companies and proposed strategies to strengthen the Canadian Advanced Manufacturing Innovation ecosystem.
Featuring Anoush Poursartip, Elicia Maine, Stewart Cramer, Shayan Fahimi and Rhonda O’Keefe.
Virtual Coffee Break Series on Diversity and Inclusion launching November 19
SAMPE Canada, CKN and CACMSA are organizing a series of virtual coffee breaks to discuss a variety of subjects related to Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). Topics will include the importance of D&I, mentorship, allyship, how to make your workplace more inclusive, unconscious bias, and more. Everyone is welcome to join.
Our first presenter is Courtney Mandock from Boeing Canada. She will be moderating a discussion on breaking stereotypes. As a former Canadian title holder, a female engineer in training, and a mental health advocate, she knows stereotypes intimately and is breaking them daily.
- Date: Friday, November 19
- Time: 9am Pacific | 12pm Eastern
- Registration: No cost. Registration required.
Register now for the D&I coffee break >
CACSMA seeks stakeholder input on United States’ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
The Canadian Association for Composite Structures and Materials (CACSMA) has recently been approached by Global Affairs Canada, Government Procurement, Trade and Environment Division (TPZ), with a request to assist in soliciting input from stakeholders on the potential impact associated with the United States’ Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Global Affairs Canada would like to get a better sense from stakeholders of Canada’s commercial interests in this area and how the IIJA may impact Canadian suppliers. CACSMA has provided a backgrounder and specific questions to help structure your feedback.
Please direct all responses to Pierre Mertiny, CACSMA President at pmertiny@ualberta.ca
Review the CACSMA backgrounder and questions >
CANCOM 2022 organizing committee invites submission of abstracts for conference
The CANCOM 2022 organizing committee invites you to submit an abstract to the 12th Canadian-International Conference on Composites (cancom2022.ca) to be held in Fredericton and Moncton, July 12–15, 2022. A three-day technical conference (July 12-14, Fredericton) will feature a variety of international keynote speakers and technical presentations followed by an industry focused day on July 15 (Moncton), where industrial partners will offer workshops.
One-page abstracts are due no later than November 29, 2021. All abstracts will be reviewed by the CANCOM 2022 technical program coordination committee and delegates. Authors will be notified of abstract acceptance by January 31, 2022. Full-length papers are due by April 4, 2022.
The conference will also include the Professor Suong V. Hoa Student Paper Award. The top five students from all student paper submissions (as selected by the CANCOM 2022 organizing committee) will compete in a special session in the morning on the second day of the conference. Award winners will be announced during the conference banquet: 1st place $1000, 2nd $500 and 3rd $250.
More details on the call for submissions >
Submission forms, templates and award forms >
Vanguard Podcast Interviewee Jim Barnes (Boeing) gives shout-out to the CRN
During an October 1 podcast interview, interviewee James “Jim” Barnes, Director of Fighter Programs for Canada, Boeing, gave a shout-out to Composites Research Network (CRN). At about 16 minutes in, when asked by host J. Richard Jones about the innovative things Boeing is working on with Canadian-based Partners, Jim shared:
“We have concentrated on advanced manufacturing through composites. We work with the University of BC and by working with them we founded the Composites Research Network, and they conduct basic and applied research in many areas for composites including processing, impact, fracture and damage.”
“We’ve seen that develop over time; there’s an initial investment, then it’s a long sustainable growth, and we’ve been very happy with what we’ve been able to do with UBC and CRN. It also brings together industry and academia, which is also important to advance technology.”
Listen to the full interview >
CREPEC International Webinar: High Performance Composite Materials
Presenters: Prof. Pascal Hubert, CREPEC Director, Prof. Louis Laberge-Lebel, Prof. Mehdi Hojjati, Dr. François Lebel
CREPEC is a research center in Quebec, Canada in the field of high performance polymer and composite materials. It involves a total of 79 academic members from universities and college technology transfer centres.
CREPEC research program is divided along 3 axis: polymers, composites and the eco-responsable materials. The Centre has multiple interactions with the industry and is interested to expand its collaborations and partnerships abroad.
In this one hour webinar, CREPEC Director, Prof. Pascal Hubert, will present the Centre. Then, three members will present one of their research activities. Finally, there will be short question period. We are looking forward to your participation.
- Date: Thursday, November 11
- Time: 6am Pacific | 9am Eastern
- Registration: No cost. Registration required.
Register now for the CREPEC webinar >
Did you miss out on any of our recent AIM Events?
You can catch up on these events and more through the Knowledge in Practice Centre (KPC). Check in the Perspectives section.