December 7, 2022 Electric Composite Press for US Aerospace Company

German BBG supplies an electric composite press for aircraft interior parts to a reputed aerospace company in the USA.

• BBG supplies electric composite press for US aerospace company
• Press for aircraft interior parts shows compelling performance in the pilot plant

Mindelheim/Germany. BBG, the Mindelheim-based systems partner for the plastics processing industry, supplies an electric composite press for aircraft interior parts to a reputed aerospace company in the USA.

The cooperation between the two companies goes back to a project managed by the US subsidiary BBG North America. Composite prototype parts were produced for the aircraft manufacturer at the BBG technical center at Oxford, Michigan. Convinced of the “made in Germany” production technology, the company ordered a pilot plant including the molds for the production of lightweight components.

Long years of experience with composite presses

BBG can rely on decades of experience in the development and manufacturing of mold carrier systems and composite presses. Especially in the field of composites, hydraulic presses continue to be the standard today but the customer has intentionally chosen a system that is equipped with an electric drive. One of the main advantages is the high level of efficiency of the electric drive concept, which reduces energy consumption by around 35Wh per production cycle. Further benefits include particularly quiet operation and high dynamics, which contribute to shorter cycle times. Moreover, an electric drive is much easier to maintain than the hydraulic variant.

All systems are manufactured at Mindelheim/Germany and shipped worldwide from there. The current composite press is specifically configured for use in aircraft construction. The mold is manufactured by BBG North America and then shipped at the same time as the press.

The mold mounting plates are 2,200 x 1,500 mm, and molds can be moved and positioned without any effort thanks to integrated pneumatic roller bars. The angle of traverse of the lower carrier plate is 0 to 27 degrees, and that of the upper plate is 0 to 75 degrees. This opens the press wide enough for operators to access the mold comfortably. Maximum capacity is 3,500 kilograms for the lower plate, and 3,000 kilograms for the upper plate.

Intelligent pressure control allows for a press force of 60 US tons – which corresponds to about 535 kN – and an infinitely variable adjustment option from 50 kN onwards.

Easy Control 2.0 ensures ease of handling

The composite press is operated via the Easy Control 2.0 user interface developed by BBG itself. The man-machine interface simplifies the programming and operation of the press while increasing productivity and improving process reliability at the same time. For most of BBG’s customers, this is a core concern: Just as in aircraft manufacturing, production must deliver reliable results while being simple and manageable. The user interface shows functions and workflows of the press and the mold, users can operate the machine quickly and easily without PLC knowledge.

BBG is very successful in North America

BBG is currently very successful in the US market. In addition to aerospace company, various longstanding customers have also ordered machines and molds.

BBG’s customers are active the world over

BBG GmbH & Co. KG is an international system partner for the plastics processing industry with its own mold, machine and plant construction. In addition to end-to-end production lines, BBG designs, develops and manufactures molds for processing polyurethane (PUR), PVC, TPE and other elastomers, as well as a wide range of composite materials. This includes production processes such as PUR-CSM (PUR Composite Spray Molding), LFI (Long Fiber Injection), RTM (Resin Transfer Molding), SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) or GMT (Glass Mat reinforced Thermoplastics), which are selected depending on the desired qualities of the finished products. The company also focuses on solutions for lightweight construction, the processing of composites and the production of fiber composite components in a large number of industries. Since 2020, the company has also developed and built packaging machines for pharmaceutical products and food supplements.

BBG, the family-owned business, which is run by Hans Brandner and is located in Mindelheim/Allgäu, supply their products to their customers all over the world, with the Asian market playing an important role in addition to the markets in Europe and North America. With a headcount of around 170, BBG generated worldwide sales to the tune of 13 million euros in 2021.

Contact:
BBG GmbH & Co. KG,
Heimenegger Weg 12, D-87719 Mindelheim
Martina Barton, Phone +49.(0)8261 7633-23, e-mail: martina.barton@bbg-mbh.com.

Please visit www.bbg-mbh.com for further information.

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