Paris, 22nd February 2024
Avel Robotics’ IMOCA Hydrofoil will be exhibited on Toray Carbon Fibers Europe’s booth N°H01 in Hall 5 at JEC World, the leading international composites show in Paris to be held from 5th to 7th March 2024. The IMOCA hydrofoil from Team ‘Initiatives Coeur’ has just returned from the transatlantic race Jacques Vabre. Initiatives Coeur, skippered by Samantha Davies, finished 5th out of 40 competitors.
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe has recently developed an Advanced Towpreg solution that is perfectly adapted to the Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) process.
Avel Robotics is a high-performance composite parts manufacturer and an AFP specialist. Avel Robotics has been manufacturing hydrofoils for world-class offshore racing boats using Toray Carbon Fibers Europe’s Advanced Towpreg since 2020.
The Advanced Towpreg is delivered to Avel Robotics as spools, without release films, ready to be laid up. ‘The absence of release film is a game-changer’, says Adrien Marchandise, Avel Robotics’ Chief Technology Officer.
‘Toray Carbon Fibers Europe’s Advanced Towpreg also features very high width stability and fiber areal weight ideally suited for Avel Robotics’ process, allowing the production of consistent and highly reliable parts’, added Natalie Jordan, Director of Customer Service and Technical Support at Toray Carbon Fiber Europe.
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe’s Advanced Towpreg has already been used by Avel Robotics on famous racing boats with proven performance results. Adrien Marchandise explains:
‘Toray Carbon Fibers Europe understood that we needed to have a product that was designed for AFP manufacturing. Their Advanced Towpreg product is cost-effective and has a lower impact in terms of its environmental footprint. The fact that we avoid the use of release film and the additional costs of cutting tapes before layup, added to the “net-shape” principle of additive manufacturing, makes our process much more advanced and efficient than manual layup’.
Furthermore, Toray Carbon Fiber Europe’s Advanced Towpreg is 100% manufactured in France from the carbon fiber to the Advanced Towpreg material. ‘This contributes to lowering the environmental impact of the whole composite material solution, while providing an integrated and secure supply chain with local manufacturing and technical support’, added Natalie Jordan.
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is currently working on expanding its Advanced Towpreg portfolio, to respond to growing demand in high performance markets.
Image Credits: Thomas Deregnieaux / Qaptur / Initiatives Cœur
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe Profile
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is the French subsidiary of the world’s leading carbon fiber manufacturer, Toray, with 30+ years of experience in the aviation, automotive, green energy and a broad range of industrial markets.
Avel Robotics Profile
Avel Robotics is a composites part designer and manufacturer, specialized in the AFP process and in manufacturing complex parts for the racing boat and aerospace industries.
