Quickstep Holdings Limited has developed a brand new manufacturing plant in Germany developing ‘turn-key’ components based on its successful Quickstep Process destined for sale to industrial customers.
The Quickstep Process for composites manufacturing is an out-of-autoclave technology that can reportedly deliver a number of benefits for manufacturers, including lower cost for initial set-up, faster and more energy efficient manufacturing, and improved material properties of products.
The new plant, called a QS-E250, represents Quickstep’s first commercial production-ready machine, and has been designed with a number of key enhancements to provide customers with a standardised product that offers a streamlined automated manufacturing solution, Quickstep says.
The new production model has been designed to enable high-level craftsmanship, high reliability, ease-of-use and maintenance, lower costs, and faster cycle times.
Managing Director of Quickstep, Philippe Odouard, said the machine is expected to bring significant cost efficiencies and enhanced performance characteristics for aerospace, defence, automotive and ballistics manufacturing.
“Quickstep’s patented out-of-autoclave technology has been demonstrated to deliver a number of significant benefits in composites manufacturing, including low capital cost for set-up, significantly faster and more energy-efficient manufacturing, improved material properties of the end product, and the ability to produce complex parts as one integrated unit – which could offer major cost savings by eliminating bolts and rivets,” he said.
“This new QS-E250 machine provides customers with the ability to purchase a ready-made industrialised Quickstep plant that can then be coupled to a Quickstep tooling solution to suit individual customer needs.
“The new machine is cheaper, has a significantly simpler operating system and offers increased flexibility for different processing applications and cure cycles than earlier plants. Customers can order multiple machines that have a standardised interface and operating profile to deliver a consistent and reliable manufacturing solution across their operations.
“This machine represents the coming of age of Quickstep’s manufacturing technology, enabling it to be introduced into manufacturing facilities around the world in a ‘turn-key’ form ready to connect to the many Quickstep tool solutions. In essence, we aim to provide a machine that offers a range of proven manufacturing ‘recipes’ or formulas our customers can follow to meet their specific manufacturing requirements.”
The patented Quickstep Process is an ‘out-of-autoclave’ composites manufacturing technique that uses a unique fluid-based technology for the curing or even partial curing and joining of composite materials.
It works by trapping the laminate between a free floating rigid or semi-rigid mould that floats in a Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). The mould and laminate are separated from the circulating HTF by a flexible membrane or bladder. The HTF can then be rapidly heated and then cooled to cure the laminate.
The new machine operates on the same technical principles and has the same basic features as past models, however key enhancements include more precise control over the ramp rates and a faster response to exothermic reaction, Quickstep says.
Odouard said Quickstep would provide customised tools to meet each customer’s specific manufacturing requirements, as well as advice on curing cycles and optimising manufacturing techniques.
Quickstep is also currently working on a new manufacturing facility at the old Boeing premises in Sydney’s west.
The facility will be used to develop composites for the Joint Strike Fighter defence program, and also to further develop Quickstep’s Quickstep Process.
Quickstep has signed a contract to manufacture $700 million worth of parts for the project, over the next 20 years.
Quickstep also won the recent Manufacturers’ Monthly Endeavour Awards – Manufacturer of the Year Award in Melbourne for its success.