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New carbon fibre skinning kit for large parts
Due to the popularity of AMT Composite’s genuine carbon fibre skinning kit we’ve created a new kit for much larger parts. The twill weave carbon in this kit is 1.5 meters wide by 1.5 meters in length, which is perfect for covering larger structures such as a car bonnet. As with the smaller skinning kit, everything you need to create a high gloss carbon surface is included. . The materials supplied in the kit are capable of producing professional quality parts but as with any manual task there is some degree of 'black art' to achieving the perfect result, although nothing that perseverance and a dedication to detail will not overcome. The new skinning kit comprises 2.25 square meters of 3K twill weave carbon fibre fabric, with sufficient black epoxy base coat and water clear epoxy top coat to create a stunning carbon fibre surface. The polishing cream, polishing pad and various grades of water paper will help you to achieve a high gloss surface with that sought after depth to the carbon weave. Comprehensive instructions are included in the kit to guide you in detail through the process of skinning a part.
G134 - CARBON FIBRE SKINNING KIT 2.25SQM – R1140.50 ex VAT
G133 - CARBON FIBRE SKINNING KIT 1SQM – R614.00 ex VAT
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Carbon fibre skinning kits now available
Skinning a part with genuine carbon fibre twill weave fabric is a viable alternative to the more complex and expensive process of moulding a carbon part, especially when cosmetics are the primary objective. Skinning a part with carbon fibre will enhance its appearance and increase its strength. Due to the popularity of skinning, AMT Composites has packaged all of the required items into a convenient kit form that can be used to cover an original part (made from plastic or metal), with genuine aerospace grade 3K carbon fibre and finish it to a high gloss. The materials supplied in the kit are capable of producing professional quality parts but as with any manual task there is some degree of 'black art' to achieving the perfect result, although nothing that perseverance and a dedication to detail will not overcome. The skinning kits comprises either 1 or 1.5 square meters of 3K twill weave carbon fibre fabric, with sufficient black epoxy base coat and water clear epoxy top coat to create a glossy carbon surface. The polishing cream, polishing pad and various grades of waterpaper will help you to achieve a high gloss surface with that sought after depth to the carbon weave. Comprehensive instructions are included in the kit and will guide you in detail through the process of skinning a part.
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AMT at AfriMold Trade Fair - 2011
 AMT are pleased to announce that we will be exhibiting at AfriMold, the leading exhibition for Mouldmaking, Tooling, Design and Application development from September 27th – 29th 2011 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg South Africa.
We look forward to welcoming our current customers, and anyone who may require assistance in taking their concept from design through to manufacture to our Stand, D28
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AMT and Aerovac Infusion Seminars
AMT Composites in conjunction with Aerovac recently hosted infusion training seminars in Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape. The seminars were very well supported by local industry, with both experienced infusion processors and those looking to improve their technology enjoying the events. A big thank you to Jonathan Oldroyd (Aerovac export sales manager) and Mark Scott (Aerovac technical sales manager) for offering their expertise to the South African composites industry. AMT would also like to thank Aerosud and Southern Wind Shipyard for hosting the events in Gauteng and the Western Cape respectively. The seminars also introduced the new 75MM wide VMS2 vacuum media. VMS2 is possibly the most revolutionary product to be introduced into the resin infusion industry in the past decade. Jonathan's presentations from the seminar, covering infusion case studies and VMS2 technical information can be found here. An infusion case study investigates the use of VMS2 at Southern Wind shipyards, undoubtedly the leaders in large component infusion in South Africa.
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Lantor and Aerovac Seminar - September 2010
 
AMT Composites, Lantor and Aerovac will be holding a seminar and practical demonstrations showcasing the latest international composites technology on the infusion of composite laminates with epoxy and polyester resins with various reinforcements. Whether you are manufacturing composite moulds or components this seminar and demonstration will benefit your overall manufacturing processing, offering you improved productivity ensuring good quality, cost effective components. Get to meet the worldwide experts on core materials and vacuum infusion and keep abreast of the latest developments in composite technology.
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AMT Composites launches T-Paste 70 in South Africa
AMT Composites are proud to launch SP High Modulus T-Paste 70 in South Africa. The epoxy tooling paste has been designed for Marine, Wind Energy and Automotive customers looking for a fast and reliable way to manufacture patterns and direct moulds. T-Paste 70 combined with CNC technology allows more design freedom and improves pattern/direct mould accuracy whilst reducing production processes and costs. AMT Composites has imported a mixing machine to mix and dispense T-Paste 70. Mixing of tooling paste by hand results in air entrapment in the paste, an increased amount of repairs on the pattern/mould surface and a reduction of life of the pattern/mould.
CNC technology and tooling paste is being adopted by a large number of composite manufacturers for the production of highly accurate patterns. This technology reduces the time to produce patterns, allows more complexity of design, increases the accuracy of the patterns and reduces the production processes. T-Paste 70 has been designed for low cure shrinkage and the cured surface has excellent machining properties. A high gloss class-A finish can be achieved on the paste surface, allowing parts to be taken directly from the paste provided appropriate sealers and release systems are used.
A demonstration of the capability was recently held at Southern Spars in Cape Town.
For more information on T-Paste 70, including case studies, videos of application and machining, please see the Gurit web page: T-Paste 70.
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Gurit has acquired its composite engineering and materials competitor High Modulus, headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. Combining Gurit’s SP-branded marine engineering and materials business with High Modulus’ experience, its B3 SmartPac solution and geographic presence makes the combined entity – SP/HighModulus – a truly market-leading marine composite engineering and materials expert as the global boat building market starts to gradually recover. For more information, click here.
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SP has introduced Corecell™ M-Foam,
a structural foam core material for the marine industry.
Corecell M-Foam is designed for all marine
applications, whether slamming area or
superstructure, hull or deck, using hand
lamination, infusion or prepreg processes.
Corecell M-Foam offers a complete cost-effective
package comprising high shear strength,
low weight and high elongation, low resin
uptake for infusion processes, and high
temperature stability for prepreg processes.
Corecell M-Foam is available in a wide
range of thicknesses, several resin infusion
formats and in four grades. M-Foam is tough
and easy to machine, and is compatible
with polyester, vinyl ester and epoxy resin
systems.
For
more information contact John or Andrew at AMT
Cape Town.
Click
here for the Technical Data Sheet.
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Launch of new look AMT Composites Warehouse for KwaZulu-Natal
Advanced Material Technology, trading as AMT Composites, is a wholly owned South African company with branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban opened its new-look Durban branch on Thursday 03 December 2009.
The company was formed in 1990 offering the South African aerospace, marine and manufacturing sectors a specialized composite material supplier. The three branches boast of their competent technical sales and support teams around the country assisting customers with their proven high quality products at competitive pricing!
Jo Jacinto, Director of AMT Composites, is very upbeat with the new image of the Durban outlet under the competent leadership of Nigel Fotheringham, who has a wealth of expertise in the composites industry, and is looking forward to a bumper 2010!
Customers, suppliers and players from the composite industry were treated to an enjoyable evening at Unit 16, Power Centre, New Germany and were privy to AMT Composites new training facilities and the easy-accessible layout of the new branch where customers are encouraged to browse for composite products.
The diverse product range includes traditional ‘advanced materials’, such as epoxy resins and adhesives, carbon and aramid reinforcements, prepregs and sandwich core materials, polyesters and chopped strand mat. Technical assistance and consumables are also provided for composite tooling and mould making, and processing techniques including wet layup, vacuum bagging, vacuum infusion, and fairing and finishing.
AMT Composites is a leading supplier of RTV silicone and polyurethane moulding and casting compounds, and their ancillary products, such as pigments and fillers. These products are used in diverse industries such as special effects, orthotics and prosthetics, flexible mouldings, life casting and reproductions.
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Nigel Fotheringham new Branch
Manager for AMT Natal
We are pleased to announce that Nigel Fotheringham will be joining AMT Composites on 1st August 2009 as Branch Manager for AMT Natal. Nigel is well known in the composites industry and has been one of the pioneers in establishing the production of stitched reinforcement technology in South Africa. Zimbabwean born, Nigel has worked in the South African composite industry for 10 years and will bring new expertise to the Natal region.
AMT Natal will also be moving into new
premises in Pinetown, which will have a retail composites
store allowing customers to purchase all of their composite
requirements under one roof. The store will provide a centre
of excellence, where customers can acquire valuable composites
technology support and experience a new range of products
to meet your most demanding needs.
Watch this space, more good news to follow!
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Whisper motorglider built
with Ampreg 22 epoxy
The Whisper motorglider is equally at home soaring in rising
air as a glider, or motoring long distances as a roomy, yet
fast touring aircraft. This locally designed and manufactured
kit built aircraft is manufactured using the Gurit SP Ampreg
22 epoxy system. The Whisper was designed as an inexpensive
kit assembled motorglider. For this reason the composite
material choices were carefully made to provide the best
possible strength to cost ratio. Very little vacuum bagging
is utilized and no carbon or Kevlar is utilized in the structure.
The Ampreg 22 epoxy system, distributed in South Africa by
AMT Composites, was used throughout due to its ease of use
and the various hardener options available. The tooling for
the aircraft was also made using Ampreg 22.
The Whisper wing consists of a hot wired polystyrene foam
core into which unidirectional spar fibres are laid. The
skin is wet laminated onto the foam core and hand finished.
The process is time consuming but allows the amateur builder
to construct a high performance glider wing at a fraction
of the price of a factory built moulded wing. The wing structure
has been demonstrated to withstand 10.6g loading! The stabilizer
is built in the same fashion as the wing and all other composite
parts are moulded with a 2 or 3mm core. Parts are now supplied
with a primed outer finish requiring little or no further
finishing.
As at March 2009, 51 kits have been sold of which 18 are
already flying. The prototype aircraft first flew in January
2004. Whisper aircraft is located at the picturesque Paradise
Beach Airfield near Jeffreys Bay. Visit www.whisperaircraft.com to learn more about the Whisper.
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Moulding and pewter casting
using silicone rubber
This photographic essay demonstrates how
to create a 2 piece MoldMax 30 silicone block mould from
an original bamboo handle, and then use the silicone mould
to create a pewter casting. Some of the advantages of using
a silicone mould rubber are:
- Picks up exact detail of original model
to fingerprint detail.
- It has the best release properties
of all mould rubbers.
- Can handle fairly high temperatures
(enough to cast low temperature melt metal alloys such
as pewter, tin and lead).
- Exhibits very good chemical resistance.
Click
here to read more...
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AMT Composites now sole
distributor for Frekote products in South Africa
From February 2009, the Loctite Frekote product range is
exclusively distributed in South Africa by AMT Composites.
Loctite Frekote mold release agents are favored worldwide
by manufacturers in a variety of plastic and rubber molding
processes. When applied to a mold, these advanced release
coatings form micro-thin, thermally stable surfaces that
are chemically bonded to the mold surface, resulting in multiple,
contaminant-free releases and reduced manufacturing costs.
Frekote products provide dependable mold releases, ease
of application, superior surface finish, minimal mold build-up
and maximum releases per application. The result is higher
productivity and profitability for manufacturers through
reduced application time and lower rejects rates.
Backed by over 40 years of research and
development, Frekote mold release agents are the global industry
standard for performance, quality and value. Contact your
nearest AMT branch for pricing details.
Frekote
products normally stocked by AMT Composites
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African Crowned Eagle receives
a silicone "Body Double" shoe
Early in January 2009, AMT Johannesburg
received a call for assistance from the Hilton Veterinary
Clinic in KwaZulu-Natal. They were helping the African
Bird of Prey Sanctuary, who
had an African Crowned Eagle that had been shot in the leg.
The bird’s injury was severe, meaning that it would
not be possible to release it into the wild again and the
eagle will have to live in a cage. Although the cage is fairly
large, the bird cannot spend its time on the wing, as nature
intended, leading to the development of a disease called "bumblefoot".
This disease leads to an abscess forming under the claw of
the healthy leg, which the eagle uses to carry most of its
weight. Although the Veterinary Surgeons operated on the
bird to remove the abscess the wound gets infected repeatedly,
starting the infection cycle over again.
While researching the problem the
Hilton Veterinary Clinic found a procedure that had proven
to be quite effective. The treatment included not only
operating on the eagles talon and applying antibiotic medication,
but included a further step in which a silicone shoe is fitted to the eagle's
foot. The shoe assists in two ways: Firstly, it helps
spread the load on the damaged foot, thereby reducing pressure
on the wound. Secondly it assists in keeping the wound
clean. It was important to have a flexible shoe as the bird
would still have to be able to perch.
At this point the clinic contacted
AMT looking for a suitable silicone which could be used
for such a procedure. AMT’s
technical staff quickly identified a Smooth-On product called "Body
Double". This platinum cure silicone was designed for taking
moulds directly off the human body. As the veterinarians
were keen to get the job done as soon as possible, they also
requested AMT’s assistance to manufacture the silicone
shoe. And so on Friday, 16 Jan 2009, Wynand De Winnaar, one
of the highly trained AMT product specialists, left Johannesburg
for Hilton KZN.
As the bird was anaesthetized during the procedure, the
team had to work quite fast. First Smooth-On Release
Creme was applied to the claw. This is important
as it assists in the release of the silicone afterwards.
The Smooth-On Body Double was prepared
and applied to the claw, and the cure was accelerated using
a hair dryer to heat the material. After demoulding the silicone
from the claw a casting was made with the fast curing Fastcast
F16 polyurethane. This provided the positive imprint of the
Eagle's claw from which Wynand could make the actual "shoe".
The shoe was trimmed and after some antiseptic cream
was applied to the claw, it was fitted and kept in place
with an adhesive plaster. The latest news we’ve had
is that the Eagle is doing well and the shoe is still in
place – a good sign as it means that it is not irritating
the bird. Perhaps in our next article we’ll give details
on how to encapsulate, in polyester resin, the fools
who shoot raptors!
You can get more information on the AMT and Smooth-on products
used to make the shoe on the AMT website. Find out more about
the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary at www.africanraptor.co.za.
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* Picture 1 & 5 are © Copyright - Peter DiCampo / Harvard
News Office
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Sodeb'O repaired using AMT
materials and expertise
The 105 foot carbon fibre maxi-trimaran,
Sodeb'O was recently repaired in Cape Town Harbour. Sailed
by French single-handed yachtsman Thomas Coville, Sodeb'O
had just beaten the 24 hour distance sailing single-handed
record, covering 619.3 miles (1115 kilometers) at an average
of 25.8 knots, when disaster struck.
Midway between the Kerguelen
Islands and South Africa, the bow crash box on the starboard
pontoon was destroyed, possibly when the maxi-trimaran hit
a growler. The trimaran was running through big swells at
high speed, when there was a loud bang followed by the trimaran
starting to slow and bear up into the wind. Coville found
the starboard pontoon bow broken and the port bow pontoon
showed signs of severe flexing. The forward section of the
pontoon bow, known as the crash box, is designed to break-off
in the event of impact in order to protect the pontoon and
maintain "water
tight"
integrity. The 105 foot long Sodeb'O was moored in the
Cape Grace yacht basin for repairs.
A team of French and South
African yacht builders, including two AMT staff members,
built new crash boxes on both pontoons and repaired the wear
and tear caused as a result of twenty days in the oceans
at speeds of up to 38 knots. The new crash boxes were shaped
from CNC machined damage tolerant Airex R63.130 foam, strategically
reinforced with Baltek SB100 balsa and unidirectional carbon
fiber. Vacuum infusion was used to skin the cores with biaxial
carbon fibre skins. SP Gurit's Spabond 340LV structural adhesive
and Ampreg 22 and Prime 20 LV epoxy resin systems were used
in the repair.
Sodeb'O was built with Airex R63.80 and R63.130 foam cores
to provide a damage tolerant laminate. Traditional honeycomb
cored laminate was not used due to it's susceptibility to
damage and delamination when subjected to
localized laminate destruction.
The 14 ton maxi-trimaran
has since left Cape Town for New York, from where Thomas
will attempt the transatlantic single-handed record in around
June this year.
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AMT Composites to exhibit
at Hobby-X 2008
AMT Composites will be exhibiting
at the Hobby-X show from 6-9 March, at the Coca-Cola dome,
Northgate, Johannesburg. This is the premier hobby and
craft show in South Africa. All craftsmen and hobbyists
are welcome to visit AMT at stand D68, which will focus
on the Smooth-On range of silicone mould making and casting
products. The M1 acrylic casting material, with versatile
applications such as wall cladding, will also be demonstrated. Hobby-X
is a good opportunity to get new ideas and up to date product
information, particularly if you are interested in:
- Candle
making
- Soap
Bars
- Moulds
for food stuffs
- Decorative
ornaments
- Life
casting
- Decorative
concrete mould making and casting
- M1
castings (wall cladding and many other versatile applications)
Contact us for
more information.
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Airex PX
Fibre-reinforced Structural Foam Panel.
Follwing Alcan Composites acquisition
of Penske Composites, USA in December
2006 we are pleased to introduce Airex PX.
Airex PX is a closed cell glass
fibre reinforced structural foam based on PU.
Why PX?
- Very low water absorbtion
- Smooth Surface – no print through.
- Dimensionally stable and heat resistant.
- High chemical stability
- High Flexural strength and stiffness.
Contact us for more information.
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Advanced
Materials Technology (PTY) Ltd |