Automated Dispensing Technology in Duplicate

ViscoTec presented the vipro-DUOMIX at the JEC with Huntsman and automated Honeycomb-Potting with Von Roll

ViscoTec presented its outstanding dispensing technology at two stands at the JEC in Paris, one of the world's largest trade fairs for composites. The vipro-DUOMIX has been on the market since April 2018 and further advances automation in aircraft construction. Its compact design allows easy integration into automated applications for dot dispensing, bead dispensing and potting applications of various 2-component materials. The 2-component dispenser could be seen next to complex 2-component materials for the aerospace industry at the Huntsman booth. An automated honeycomb potting application was demonstrated at Von Roll's booth. Integrated in a robotic dispensing cell from Airborne, a ViscoTec dispenser dosed a new 1-component material from Von Roll. A low-density core filler that can be stored uncooled.

The vipro-DUOMIX and Huntsman: Automated Synergy

ViscoTec has a long-standing partnership with Huntsman. The two companies now offer their customers an automated complete solution for complex materials such as those required in aviation. ViscoTec first developed the vipro-DUOMIX from 2016 for the Huntsman material Araldite 1641. This is a 2-component dispenser which is particularly suitable for 2-component materials with very different viscosities, extreme mixing ratios and high-pressure sensitivity. It precisely dispenses a wide variety of shear-sensitive or compressible materials based on polyether, epoxy resin, silicone or polyurethane. And guarantees particularly gentle, shear-sensitive processing. In addition, it is perfectly suited for materials with sensitive fillers such as glass hollow spheres or compressible polymer hollow spheres. The vipro-DUOMIX contains the reliable endless piston technology. It adds the option of rotating the mixing helix in both directions – without valves in the mixing head. This reduces the back pressure on the material. The individual components are mixed in the mixing tube before they are dispensed volumetrically. The application is precise as well as reliable and, thanks to programmable retraction, without thread pulling or dripping.

The compact design of the vipro-DUOMIX, in which the two individual dispensers are arranged in parallel, makes it easy to integrate the dispenser into automated applications. Nozzle adaptation is also flexible thanks to Bayonett. Typical application examples – especially in the aerospace industry – are the application of fillet sealings, interface sealings and seal caps. At the Huntsman booth, customers were presented not only with Huntsman's portfolio of extremely lightweight composites and polyethurane resins, adhesives and syntactic technologies for the automotive, aerospace and industrial markets, but also with its automated applications. The static-dynamic mixer vipro-DUOMIX from ViscoTec enables fully automated 2-component sealing processes previously carried out manually.

ViscoTec and Von Roll: Gentle handling

At the JEC, Von Roll presented a new filler for honeycomb structures developed by the Swiss company, for the first time. It can be stored at room temperature, has a low density and includes microfine hollow glass spheres to reduce weight. The task for ViscoTec: Automated processing in the desired volume flow and at the same time gentle handling of the sensitive material. The Dutch company Airborne offers solutions for the automation of production processes and enables the automated filling of honeycombs with ViscoTec technology at various locations and with various geometries. The latter is achieved on the one hand by the individual programming of the robotics and on the other hand by the individual nozzle design of ViscoTec.

To explain the automated applications in more detail, Franz Kamhuber, Head of Business Development Aerospace at ViscoTec, gave a presentation at the JEC on the manifold application possibilities of the vipro-DUOMIX in aircraft construction. Johannes Leier, Business Development Manager Aerospace at ViscoTec and Dimitri Meier, Global Product Manager Composites at Von Roll presented the new material in the automated application with ViscoTec dispensers in a special forum. The presentations were well frequented and brought interesting discussions and contacts for ViscoTec, Von Roll and Huntsman.

As a specialist for dispensing and filling systems as well as dosing components, ViscoTec and its partners offer process-safe solutions for a wide range of customer requirements: For honeycomb potting, edge sealing and other aerospace applications. More about the company and its products at www.viscotec.de/en