Advanced Composite Engineering (ACE) is the Engineering division of Advanced Composites Group Ltd.
ACE offers a complete design and manufacturing service for the production of high quality composite components from concept through to product, plus an applied technologies team offering an in-depth understanding of advanced composites technology that has been built up over 20 years of manufacturing and materials experience across a wide range of markets. This experience ensures the precise needs of the individual customer are fully understood and realised.
ACE supplies build-to-print manufacturing or the complete package of component design, tooling design and component manufacture.
Services
- component manufacture
- component prototyping
- pattern/master model manufacture
- mould manufacture
- trimming and assembly
- prepreg kit nesting and cutting
- inspection of tooling and parts
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- project management
- consultancy
- conceptual design
- 3D component modelling and detail design
- design of ballistic protection composites
- 3D tooling modelling and detail design
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Facilities
- autoclave no. 1
- autoclave no. 2
- curing ovens up to 275°C(527°F)
- 2D CNC prepreg kit cutting
- CMS 5 axis machining centre
- overhead crane 10 tonnes
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- 3D CAD/CAM modelling and programming
- 2D CAD/CAM nesting
- STEP and IGES translation
- co-ordinate measuring machine
- press moulding
- fork lift 7 tonnes
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Component Manufacture:
Our component manufacturing techniques are based on vacuum bag, autoclave and press moulding processes.
ACE can accommodate part quantities ranging from one-off prototypes to many thousands per year.
Parts can vary from simple plates and tubes to very specialised structures and assemblies.
Manufacturing can be based on a full design and build package or build-to-print.
Typical component dimensions can vary from 20mm to 7000mm in length, although larger structures can also be accommodated.
Conversion from metallic components or wet-lay-up components to advanced composite materials is available. Composite plates up to a thickness of 60mm are produced in in-house from a wide range of fibre types to suit specific applications.
ACE has recently designed and developed a manufacturing technique for production of a ceramic-faced composite. This has proved highly successful in reducing the weight or armour and increasing performance against armour-piercing projectiles. |
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Tooling Manufacture:
Advanced Composite Engineering offers a complete tooling package. From a customer supplied 3D model or 2D drawings, ACC can design, manufacture and measure master models and moulding tools. Master models are blocked-up, vacuum bonded and machined in-house from 'soft' materials, e.g. epoxy or polyurethane tooling block.
Multi-piece car mould produced from ACG's ZPREG® prepreg system. Manufactured out of autoclave without gel-coat.
Aerospace quality autoclaved tooling can incorporate complex loose pieces and composite support structures.
Mouldings are designed to suit the customer's preferred processing requirements and retain vacuum integrity at 180°C(356°F) and 6 Bar pressure. Tooling guarantees can also be offered.
Design and manufacture of large and complex composite tooling is also provided by ACE.
These photographs show tooling designed and manufactured by ACE that are in excess of 5m length.
Hardware manufacturing sales contact:
For tooling / component design or manufacturing please contact Liam Moloney, ACE Engineering Manager
Email: lmoloney@acg.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1773 766202
Fax: +44 (0)1773 531371 |
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CNC Machine Centre:
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Advanced Composite Engineering's five axis CNC machining centre is used for machining master models (as shown here) and for routing/trimming composite components.
Maximum machine envelope is 3500mm x 3500mm x 1200mm.
The maximum part size is dependent on the part geometry and head position.
Typical tolerance per axis is ±0.05mm.
Polyurethane block, epoxy block, wood and composite materials can be machined to complex profiles.
Programming is carried out off-line on Catia v5 CAM software or at the machine by direct NC input or by using the 'teach' functionality. |
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Autoclaves:
No. 1 - 6.1m x 3.1m Rated at 250°C(527°F) at 6 Bar.
  
No. 2 - 3.3m x 1.25m Rated at 135°C(275°F) at 6 Bar
 
Ovens:
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Five curing ovens available with vacuum lines. Maximum temperature 275°C(527°F). Maximum demensions 12m x 2.3m x 1.8m. |
CNC Kit Cutting:
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A number of services are offered to customers. These can reduce the material and labour costs commonly associated with composite part production. The services can be divided into three elements;
1. Digitising of templates
2. Nesting of digitised templates
3. Automated prepreg cutting
A range of materials can be cut using the automated XY cutter including woven fabrics up to 800gsm, Kevlar UD, thin (<5mm) foams, reinforced PTFE etc. If in doubt please contact us for further information
ACE's automated cutter also includes a pen plotter which can be used to mark individual plies with their template designation. Additional information, such as fibre direction, can also be plotted. |
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Press Moulding Facilities:
Seven heated platen press tools are available for press moulding production components.
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CAD CAM Modelling:
Catia v5 is used to generate or modify 3D models for components and tooling.
Projects vary in detail from creating run-off or flange extensions for tooling applications to taking many thousand models direct from a customer and conversion to complex composite components and assemblies.
Cutter path programming is also carried out using Catia v5 to avoid any translation issues when transferring between software applications. |
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Coordinate Measuring Machine:
Measuring envelope is 6m x 1.2m x 1.5m.
PCDMIS software is used to carry out both basic measurements and comparison to either 3D IGES or STEP models.
Detailed reports with graphics and measured point positions are available showing deviation against predetermined tolerances.
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