A renowned jury of experts will select one winner per category. The 10 winners will be unveiled in a ceremony to be held at the Paris show on March 7.
"Like every year, we received hundreds of applications for the JEC Innovation Awards, this success truly shows that this programme is a recognized tool to spot and promote Innovations in the Composites Industry,", said Frédérique Mutel, JEC Group president and CEO (pictured). "I am particularly delighted to introduce another brand-new feature to this programme: The Public Vote.
“Our jury will choose the winners according to specific criteria, such as involvement of partners in the value chain, technicity or again market application, but the general audience will be able to vote for their favourite Innovation, online or through JEC World Mobile Application. The Public Vote winner will be announced at the end of JEC World and people can vote before and after the ceremony."
A jury of experts 10 experts from around the world will reward 10 composites champions who presented their innovations in the end-using markets for composites. The panel of judges consists of:
AEROSPACE APPLICATION
INFUSION TECHNOLOGY FOR AN AIRCRAFT WING
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: AeroComposit, JSC (Russia) and partner Solvay (UK) Using infusion technology to manufacture primary structural elements for an aircraft wing, making it possible to build integral composite structures with high elongation and a complex aerodynamic form.
MODULAR THERMOPLASTIC STIFFENING PANELS
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Fraunhofer ICT (Germany) and partners Airbus Operations GmbH (Germany), Laser Zentrum Hannover (Germany), TenCate Advanced Composites BV (The Netherlands), ElringKlinger AG (Germany), KMS Automation GmbH (Germany) Modular thermoplastic stiffening panels for aerospace applications. The panels lead to weight and cost savings, in addition to easy adaptation. They are recyclable and exhibit outstanding flame resistance.
POLYURETHANE-RTM NOSE CONE FOR JET ENGINES
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (Switzerland) and partners FACC (Austria), Rühl Puromer (Germany), Isotherm (Switzerland), WPT, TU Dortmund (Germany) Using the high-pressure polyurethane-RTM process, jet engine nose cones with optimized properties can be manufactured in a fraction of the time commonly needed today.
AEROSPACE PROCESS
COMPLEX STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS OF MAI SANDWICH TECHNOLOGY
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Airbus (Germany) and partners BMW Group (Germany), Technical University of Munich (TUM) (Germany), Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH (Germany), Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann (Germany), BASF SE (Germany), Foldcore (Germany), Neenah Filtration (Germany), SGL Carbon (Germany) Production of a cost-effective, complex 2.5D thermoplastic composite sandwich structure with a very short cycle time of less than 5 minutes for aerospace materials and 2.5 minutes for automotive materials.
MOULD-LESS MONOCOQUE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: MTorres Diseños Industriales SAU (Spain) New manufacturing process for large monocoque composite structures with fully-integrated reinforcements and without the need for complete moulds.
FULL-OoA TP WELDED PRIMARY AIRFRAME
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Stelia Aerospace (France) and partners Porcher Industries (France), Sintex NP (France), Compose Tool (France), CETIM (France), Aviacomp SA (France), Institut de Soudure/Composite Integrity (France) Full-OoA thermoplastic airframe with industrial dynamic induction welding demonstration using carbon tape for future fuselage applications and multi-functional parts produced by an overmoulding process.
AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION
COMPOSITE LIGHTWEIGHT AUTOMOTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Ford-Werke (Germany) and partners Gestamp (UK), GRM Consulting (UK), University of Warwick (UK) A structural composite suspension component producing significant weight savings using an industry-first patented prepreg/SMC/steel overmoulded manufacturing process, designed applying newly developed computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology.
LIGHTWEIGHT SEAT BACK FRAME FOR SUV SECOND ROW
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Hanwha Advanced Materials (South Korea) Development of the world’s first SUV second-row seat back frame using composite materials.
DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURING OF A FULL-CFRP CAR BODY
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Kangde Composites Co (China) and partners KDX Roding Europe Automobile (Germany), Faststar New Energy Automobile (China) Lightweight CFRP hypercar body.
AUTOMOTIVE PROCESS
MASS PRODUCTION OF CFRP STABILIZERS AND DROP LINKS
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Action Composites (China) and partner Dr. Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG (Germany) For the first time in a series production car, the stabilisers on the front and rear axles are made of carbon, as are their coupling rods, for outstanding performance.
HIGH-VOLUME CFRP PRODUCTION: CARBON REAR WALL MODULE
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Audi AG (Germany) and partners Voith Composites & Co. KG (Germany), Dow Automotive (Switzerland), Zoltek Corp. (USA) For the first time, the full potential of CFRP can be used in high-volume production thanks to a newly developed rear wall module and cost-efficient production technologies.
COMBINING CFRP AND INJECTION MOULDING FOR SERIES PRODUCTION
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Dr. Ing. H.c.F. Porsche AG (Germany) and partner Plan B (Germany) Innovative manufacturing method for a vehicle substructure combining CFRP and injection moulding to create a flexible clip as an overmoulded fastener onto a rigid component.
CONSTRUCTION & INFRASTRUCTURE
BELOW THE LINE: CONCRETE PIPE REPAIR WITH CARBON FIBRE
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Grupo Navec (Spain) and partners Saertex (Germany), Henkel (Germany) In-situ manufacturing of a carbon fibre pipeline by means of an epoxy resin infusion process and subsequent vacuum consolidation, using the existing reinforced concrete pipe as a lost mould.
CABKOMA CFRTP STRAND ROD
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Komatsu Seiren Co. (Japan) and partners Kanazawa Institute of Technology (Japan), Nagase ChemteX Corporation (Japan) Komatsu Seiren developed a CFRTP strand rod capable of high-speed moulding at low cost by in-situ polymerizing of a thermoplastic epoxy resin.
INNOVATIVE PULTRUDED DECK FOR STATION PLATFORMS
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Solutions Composites (France) and partner Top Glass (Italy) Innovative pultruded deck for station platforms to improve and provide safer accessibility to trains.
MARINE
NEW PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING HYDROFOILS
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Multiplast Groupe Carboman (France) and partner Groupe Bénéteau (France) Multiplast transferred wind blade building knowledge from one of its branches to create a mass production process for the manufacture of foils (one set a week).
FROM STEEL TO COMPOSITES IN A 110M-LONG RIVER CRUISE SHIP
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Saertex (Germany) and partner Meyer Werft (Neptun) (Germany) From steel to composites: Neptun and Saertex created a composite deck for a 110m-long river ship certified by the CCNR European authorities.
COMPOSITE CARGO DECKS FOR A 7000-CAR CAR CARRIER VESSEL
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Uljanik JSC (Croatia) SIEM Cicero car carrier vessel using a large number of GRP composite structures for cargo decks, saving considerable weight, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
RAILWAY
OPTIMISED LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON FIBRE BOGIE FRAME
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: ELG Carbon Fibre (UK) and partners Alstom Transport (UK), Magma Structures (UK), University of Birmingham (UK), University of Huddersfield (UK) This is the first project to develop a carbon fibre bogie frame including recycled material that addresses the barriers that have prevented commercial adoption.
COMPOSITE RAIL DOOR
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Penso (UK). Penso designed and manufactured a composite rail door leaf assembly suitable for London Underground, improving the reliability and maintenance of the original aluminium component.
BREAKTHROUGH IN RAILWAYS: RENOVATING THE ICE TRAIN
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Saertex & Co (Germany) and partners Forster System-Montage-Technik (Germany), Alan Harper Composites (UK) Replacing plywood floor panels with Saertex Leo GFRP panels in 66 of the prestigious ICE3 fast trains of Deutsche Bahn.
SPORTS & LEISURE
PROJECT CEDRUS: ADVANCED CARBON HYDROFOIL FOR KITES
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Adherend Innovations, LLC (USA) and partner Composites Universal Group (USA) Using a patent-pending design and manufacturing technique based on optimized composite materials, Project Cedrus is the lightest, safest, most compatible, and environmentally friendly hydrofoil ever introduced.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM FOR A MOTORCYCLE REAR SWINGARM
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: BMW Group (Germany) and partners EDAG Engineering (Germany), KraussMaffei Technologies (Germany), Chr. Karl Siebenwurst & Co. KG (Germany), TUM-LCC (Germany), Automation W + R (Germany), FHG-IGCV (Germany) Modular system for a complex-shaped carbon fibre-reinforced swingarm to individually adjust the mechanical properties at competitive cost and weight compared to metallic solutions.
FIRST-EVER CARBON/PEI HOCKEY STICK
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Schappe Techniques (France) and partners Visceral Performance Inc. (Canada), Groupe CTT (Canada), Compsult (Canada), Mat-Comp (Canada) An advanced hockey stick (made of continuous carbon-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic materials) that delivers superior toughness/durability and on-ice performance, while being fully recyclable.
SMART CITIES 5G SMART LED LIGHTING POLE
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Exel Composites Oyj (Finland) and partners Nokia Bell Labs (Finland), Vaisala Oyj (Finland), Teleste Oy (Finland), Indagon Oy (Finland) Smart LED lighting pole with integrated functions. A real-world use-case product that enables the development of a smart city.
WET CORE POD COMPOSITE HOUSING MODULE
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: G12 Innovation (Brazil) & MC Materiales Compuestos (Argentina) and partners Plaquimet (Argentina), Purcom (Brazil), IS Groupe - Composite Integrity (France) The Wet Core Pod is a composite housing module that, through industrialization, facilitates the most complex, expensive and time-consuming stage of a construction project.
INFUGREEN 810 BIO-RESIN FOR THE SEABUBBLE WATER TAXI
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Sicomin (France) and partner Decision SA (Switzerland) The InfuGreen 810 bio-based infusion resin offers the highest level of sustainable content on the market, the same performance as conventional epoxies and high-volume manufacturing capability.
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: Arkema Inc. (USA) and partners IACMI – The Composites Institute (USA), Johns Manville (USA), Huntsman Polyurethanes (USA), Sika Axson (USA), TPI Composites (USA) The nine-metre demonstrator blade highlights new technologies to drive down the LCOE. Technologies are available for use in current wind blade manufacturing plants.
3-IN-1 LINE FOR RECYCLED COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: CETIM-CERMAT (France) and partner CETIM (France) Modular line using an innovative thermomechanical process to manufacture large-scale panels from composite or plastic waste and for hot-stamping parts from these panels.
LOOP 650: A SUSTAINABLE CRADLE-TO-CRADLE COMPOSITE SAILING BOAT
Nominated for a JEC Innovation Award: GS4C (Italy) and partners Entropy Resins (Spain), Isomatex (Belgium), Diab (Sweden), GIVIDI Fabrics (Italy), Cormatex (Italy) Sustainable, zero-landfill cradle-to-cradle industrial composite manufacturing technology demonstrator.
