 Composite materials bring structural strength and weight reduction- two qualities that will be much in demand to meet energy conservation and low carbon targets. The UK’s reputation for engineering and design gives us the potential to become a global leader in composites. Composites are mixtures of two or more discrete materials which are combined to form a material with superior physical properties. Advanced composites including polymer matrix composites, metal- matrix composites and fibre reinforced polymers offer numerous applications.
An extensive range of fibres, resins and metals can be developed to bespoke design and mechanical demand, for example carbon fibre with low density and high strength can be combined with a polymer/ resin that can be moulded.
Key features of composite materials are:
- Low density
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High mechanical strength
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Moulding versatility
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Low maintenance
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Reduce production times and costs- (moulding rather than forging and machining).
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Increased lifetimes, (reduced susceptibility to corrosion)
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Increased performance, (lower inertia due to lower density).
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Significant energy savings in production and operation.
Composites find applications in several sectors
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Automotive
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Aerospace
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Marine
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Construction
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Domestic Appliances
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Medical devices
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Turbines
The UK polymer industry is major part of the supply chain for the industries above, and employers are often clustered in regions with manufacturing capacity such as the East and West Midlands. According to BIS estimates, the future value of the UK composites market in construction and automotive sectors is at least £20bn, while the UK market for turbine blades alone could be in excess of £5bn. Composites is also a fast growing export sector. It is anticipated that growth will come from big user industries such as aerospace and renewable energies where the material’s lightness and high mechanical strength can be deployed in aircraft wings and fuselage and wind turbines.
Over 7500 companies operate in the polymer and plastics industry, employing 2860,000 people. The industry has an annual turnover of 16.76bn with a GVA of £7.31bn, and within this, composites is the highest value adding part.
Current Skills
The occupational distribution of the polymer and plastics workforce shows a mature sector relying on process technology rather than new science.
The current dominant occupations are managers (20%) and process operators (35%) and only 1000 people are employed in R&D capacity. Developing composites industries will require researchers, innovators technologists, designers and highly skilled processing technicians with skills in structural design and modelling, manufacture, assembly, stress engineering, disposal and maintenance, repair and overhaul.
This demands upskilling of the existing workforces both within the polymer industry and manufacturing industries that fabricate and make use of composites and in the supply chain.
There are real concerns that industries will struggle to meet their existing business requirements let alone growth as a result of skills gaps and shortages that could exist in composites.
SMEs will need to commit to training in new vocational skills and benefit from getting involved with Cogent and the National Skills Academy Process Industries.
The Government published a cross-sector UK composites strategy, that set out ways to raise awareness of composite capabilities and the necessary steps to bring composites innovation to commercial speed and volume.
Future skills requirements have been identified by the National Composites Network as being:
Short term: Processing techniques of hand laminating, infusion (vacuum forming) and pre-impregnation lay up.
Medium term: more advanced industries will need training in automation
Long term: all industries will have to adopt automation processes and the skills associated with them.
Supply side issues
Composites sits naturally with Materials in Higher Education, and undergraduate provision in this area has eroded-as is the case with polymer technology. Part time provision through HNC has also declined rapidly limiting access for workforce development, however the UK does have a strong postgraduate focus on composite materials. These departments draw in graduate chemists, physicists and biologists with appropriate skills to work closely with and alongside engineers and mathematicians to provide the range of interdisciplinary skills required for innovation and technological progress required. As demand for composites rises the supply of postgraduate specialist skills and highly qualified technicians will be at a premium. Cogent is working with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to set up a Foundation Degree Framework called Working Higher. This is developing a flexible work- based Technical Foundation Degree Framework of which Polymers and Composites is a key strand.
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