Fibre handling and composites technology specialist Cygnet Texkimp has developed a VHD (very heavy duty) creel solution capable of handling 500kg packages of fibre as part of an industry collaboration to increase efficiency in carbon fibre manufacturing.
The large-scale creel will be used to unwind bobbins of PAN precursor fibre into carbon fibre production lines. Its development signals a major leap in capability for the carbon fibre manufacturing industry which has, for over a decade, relied on fibre packages weighing up to 350kg. The impact of the new technology will be to reduce operational downtime and increase efficiency by cutting the frequency of package changeovers and allowing longer continuous run cycles between package changes.
Cygnet Texkimp is a market leader in the manufacture and supply of VHD creels to the carbon fibre industry with over 70 VHD creels in operation globally, processing in excess of 24,000 bobbins of fibre.
Peter Stevenson, Director of Projects at Cygnet Texkimp, explains:
“A 500kg bobbin offers an immediate win over a 350kg bobbin in terms of line efficiency by extending the length of continuous operation that can be achieved. The creel also supports the work of manufacturers to process higher tow count fibres, such as 24k or 48k tows, and achieve faster line speeds by increasing the size and weight of the PAN precursor bobbin.
“We’ve developed this new capability as part of our ongoing consultation with the industry and driven by sustained growth in carbon fibre production capacity globally. In particular, the technology addresses the needs of a growing number of high-volume industrial applications around the world, many of which are designed to establish new sovereign capability.”
The solution uses an operator-managed lifter loader system to unload the packages of PAN fibre from the winding system and load them onto the creel, with the option of a bespoke handling solution incorporating a higher degree of automation. Like all Cygnet Texkimp’s VHD Creels, it is equipped with an electronic tension control system that uses a closed-loop dancer arm mechanism to maintain near-constant fibre tension while unwinding packages of fibre into the process.