About Us
We are a dynamic team of professionals working in the composite industry. The majority of our people, who are, among others, exceptional composite and mechanical design engineers, renowned laminating specialists, technicians, welders and polishing specialists, have been working together for more than a decade. We strive to bring the most versatile solutions to our clients, therefore we work in close co-operation with CNC machine shops and electronic component design companies. There are several international clients among our partners. Over the years, we have carried out several successful technology transfers. At our production plant, which is at present 2000 m2, we are ready to realize any composite project.
Services
CREATING MASTER Forms
Anything from the idea to the creation or modification of the model! In most cases, the production of composite parts starts with the creation of a master mold. The master mold is the 1:1 model of the required component, which is identical to the component in terms of shape but not in terms of material. If a 3D CAD model is available, this step may be omitted in some cases. However, most often, it is more practical to prepare a master mold to check the connections and the surface design. Moreover, the master mold has the required plane lines. We have experience in transforming an existing product to create a master mold as well as preparing master molds from scratch from MDF, PUR or other synthetic foam materials prepared at a CNC machine shop. The size we can produce for you is only limited by your imagination. The biggest master mold we have produced so far was 9 meters long, and it would be our pleasure to prepare an even bigger one.
PREPARING COMPOSITE MOLDS
Molds are essential to producing composite components as they define the shape or the positions of the product, if needed. We have produced molds from a variety of materials. Typically aluminum, polyester, vinylester and epoxy molds are used, but we have also worked with direct milled PUR foam and MDF. Precision, large volume or just one prototype - whatever you need, it is our top priority. We will find the best solution for you. Manufacturing time can take only a few days. Future technology uses are key aspects in the process of designing and developing molds. For example, it is important to know whether the mold should be compatible with wet layup or vacuum infusion. While taking these aspects into consideration can heavily complicate the mold preparation process, they can significantly speed up the manufacturing process of the final product itself.
MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE COMPONENTS
The most important advantage of manufacturing composite components lies in the variety of available materials and technologies. There are an endless number of fiber reinforced materials. Typically, we use glass fiber or carbon fiber reinforced materials with various specific fabric and mat weights and different weave patterns. There is also a large selection of matrix resin types available in different price ranges and with various product characteristics. When deciding on the materials and the layer order to be used, the required product characteristics are always taken into consideration, and when the client specifies the required layer order and the materials, we follow the required production procedures. You name the technology, we can do anything, from wet layup to prepreg autoclave. For more information, please check the Technology section.
PRODUCING PROTOTYPES
Over the years, we have realized complex projects besides designing and manufacturing composite molds and components. We work with composite engineers, metal workers, certified welders, mechanics and technicians in our team. We have designed and manufactured the composite airframe, the steering systems and the suspension elements for a number of experimental and ultralight aircraft. Moreover, we have designed and constructed drones and other electric vehicles. We have also developed complex electronic systems for BLDC motor control systems and Battery Management Systems. From ships to aircraft, we have completed dozens of successful projects. We are proud to have several renowned universities in Europe as well as suppliers from virtually all industry segments among our partners.
Products
E-COBRA
In 2016, we started to work on one of our most complex projects: to develop an electric sports car in which virtually all components - the suspension, the body and the control module - are designed exclusively by us. The project is in its final test phase. The main characteristics of the car are as follows: welded steel chassis; adjustable height suspension; shock absorber control; adjustable suspension parameters; composite body, which can be glass fiber or carbon fiber; various transmission options: continuous front-wheel drive without transmission and/or rear-wheel drive with 5 gear automatic or sequential transmission. Total output: 100 kW - 300 kW Empty weight (including the battery): 680 kg 0-100 km/h acceleration time: 3.6 sec. Range: 250 km, which can be extended with the help of an extra battery or a fuel range-extender. The car can be legally used on the roads with a British Individual Vehicle Approval Certificate. We hope the car will be launched soon.
WESTFALIA HORSE TRAILER
We have been developing and supplying composite elements for Westfalia trailers since 2016. We were contracted to upgrade the existing model, JUPITER XL, to develop a new design, to make it lighter and to apply vacuum assisted resin infusion in its production. The stability of the components we produce is much better than before when chop spraying was used. With this clean and stable technology, which corresponds to high quality standards, we managed to reduce the weight of the trailer with almost 100 kg. We designed a number of new elements to build a more elegant, user-friendly trailer. It is available in painted and gel coated designs. With our new manufacturing process, we can manufacture a trailer in 3-4 days instead of the previous 2-week manufacturing time. Westfalia trailers are currently the most innovative products on the market.
BOGÁNYI PIANO
The molds and the first piece of this magnificent piano were prepared in just 70 days, and then we could supply new orders with a 10-day delivery deadline. The tight deadline was a great challenge for us, especially because the entire composite manufacturing process had to be developed as well. This piano is a perfect example of how a classical musical instrument made of composite materials can fulfill the expectations in terms of shape, stability and acoustics. Both the size and the design of the piano are unmatched in the world. We are proud to be involved in this project.
COMPOSITE TRAILER UPPER BODY
This is our own product development project. We aimed to create a modern composite upper body, which is competitive with tarpaulin covers both in terms of weight and price. It consists of flat pack elements that are available in different sizes so that a variety of closed trailers can be configured with regard to size and function. As a result of the sandwich structure, the weight of the upper body itself is only 7 kg/m2. It is lockable, completely watertight and moderately insulated. The persons can easily assemble it in only a few hours. The elements, which are replaceable, if needed, are coated with a colored UV resistant gel. The upper body can be fitted with any number of doors. The weight of the doors, which are opening upwards, is supported by gas springs. All doors are equipped with a three-point door lock system and can be locked with one key. Serial production of the product has been launched.
AIRCRAFT
We have been involved in several aircraft design and development projects in recent years. One of our complex projects was to re-design and manufacture the composite components of the YUNEEC E-430 electric powered, ultralight aircraft as well as to obtain the type certification. Our model was one of the firsts to be granted a German type design approval as a two seat ultralight aircraft. Moreover, we have experience in manufacturing “retrofit” wings for “Laser Acro” aerobatic aircraft. The composite wing we manufacture is 30 kg lighter with a roll rate double its wood predecessor’s. The aerobatics aircraft we upgraded succeeded extremely well in air race competitions, they managed to get back to the group of elites. We are proud to have the Hungarian aerobatics pilot and former world champion air racer, Péter Besenyei, among our clients. We are continuously improving his aircraft to prepare it for the new challenges. We have also built and obtained the type certificate for his new, Breitling aircraft. Over the years, we have been involved in several drone projects from the design phase up until the assembling of composite parts. As a result of the composite airframe we developed, the flight characteristics of these aircraft are significantly better than their competitors’.
GLASS FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE (GRC)
We spent 2 years to develop a new, glass fiber reinforced concrete technology. With this new invention, we are able to produce up to 7 mm thick concrete elements. Its advantages include: light structure weight, high specific strength, UV-resistant color, weather-resistant elements. We are the first to develop a modular, outdoor kitchen furniture system. (To find out more, please visit www.fornax-kitchen.com.) The material of our kitchen furniture is suitable for plenty of other uses as well, especially in the construction industry. For example, it is a perfect material for stylish exterior claddings and ornaments, which offer a long lifespan and do not require maintenance. As a result of the thin structure of the material, it follows even the tiniest contour lines making the wood patterned panels look strikingly realistic. Besides strength, glass fiber also guarantees crack resistance making the product made of it cold resistant.
Technologies
PREPREG
“Prepreg” is a pre-impregnated composite material where the reinforcement material and the matrix resin are already “mixed together”, that is, the reinforcement material is impregnated with the matrix resin. Since the matrix resin contains all the required components, the “Prepreg” is stored in a cold place, while its curing requires high temperatures. One of the advantages of this technology is its reliability since mixing and impregnating of the resin is not done by an individual. Thus, it guarantees linear weight distribution and finish. “Prepreg” as a fabric is easy to cut and shape allowing for exact fit. Due to its characteristics, “Prepreg” is most suitable for high performance parts as well as parts with mechanical properties or for final products where the fabric structure itself is required to be stylish. By making use of an “autoclave”, the weight of the final product can be further reduced, as during an autoclave process the pressure to which the various layers are exposed to is greater than the atmospheric pressure, therefore a smaller amount of resin is required. We primarily use this technology in the manufacturing of aircraft and drone parts where elegance is one of the most important requirements of carbon components.
VACUUM ASSISTED RESIN INFUSION
It takes longer to manufacture large, complex components, hence “Prepreg”, which requires a long time for incorporation and lamination, is the ideal technology. However, price sensitive products require an alternative solution, and it is called vacuum assisted resin infusion. The advantage of using this technology is that all reinforcement and core materials, metal inserts and cables can be placed in their exact position in the mold. The next step is to add the resin to the product while vacuum is applied to it. The air needs to be removed from the material to allow the resin to take its place. It then impregnates the fabric and solidifies. This is a safe solution for manufacturing virtually any component regardless of size and complexity. For example, we utilize this technology in the manufacturing of Westfalia trailers, the E-Cobra as well as the Bogányi piano. We can manufacture up to 9 pieces of small, simple components in one shift. This is a cost-effective solution which is ideal for serial production. It is also compatible with a wide selection of resin types.
WET LAYUP
One of the oldest and most straightforward technologies. Since the process highly relies on professional expertise, it is the riskiest technology to use with serial production. However, in some cases, such as for assembling elements or for manufacturing simple or small components, it is inevitable to use. Wet layup is a quick and cost-effective solution. It can be used with any type of reinforcement material and resin. It can be combined with vacuum evacuation and autoclave as well, which further improves the quality of the final product and reduces its weight. Most of the molds, either epoxy or polyester base ones, are created with this technology.