Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015 www.reinforcedplastics.

com

An introduction to spread tow

reinforcements: Part 1 [1_TD$IF]– Manufacture and
FEATURE

properties
Fredrik Ohlsson
Product Development Director

Spread tow reinforcements are being increasingly used within all kinds of industries working with
composites and especially those using carbon fiber. In Part 1 of this two-part article Fredrik Ohlsson of
Oxeon AB outlines the construction and manufacture of spread tow reinforcements and discusses their
benefits over other reinforcements.

[14_TD$IF]Introduction In comparison to UD tapes and NCF materials, traditional

The usage of spread tow reinforcements has rapidly increased since woven fabrics present fiber orientations in two mutually perpen-
they were first introduced in 2004. They are now well received in dicular directions and improved draping ability. However, a wo-
and recognized by many different industries. Benefits like relatively ven material’s mechanical properties are lowered because of the
straighter fibers, less crimp and better mechanical performance have inherent crimp or waviness that is introduced in the fibers. To
been easily understood. With increased usage of spread tow rein- lessen the loss of mechanical properties arising from crimp, two
forcements other advantages such as improved cutting and han- things are considered. First, tows of low count, usually [17_TD$IF]1–6k, are
dling are also being seen. used to keep the crimp angle as low as possible. Second, to reduce
the frequency of the crimp, and also to enable gentler weaving of
[15_TD$IF]Composite reinforcements overview carbon fibers, the spacing between the constituent tows/yarns is
Continuous composite reinforcements are available in many increased. Different weave patterns such as twills and satins are
forms, including unidirectional (UD) tapes, non-crimp fabrics also employed to achieve lower crimp frequency.
(NCF) and woven fabrics. With 1F]I$DT8_[1 –6k tow counts, the typical areal weights of woven rein-
UD tapes are available in a wide range of areal weights and forcements achievable are in the range of about 9 ]FI$DT9_[1 0–300 g/m2.
consist of highly orientated fibers in only one direction. The However, the low areal weight woven fabrics have correspond-
unidirectional orientation of fibers makes draping into complex ingly reduced cover factor and uneven fiber distribution. The
geometries difficult because the UD sheet tends to split, wrinkle fabric construction tends to be loose and exhibits gaps/openings,
and fold, creating uneven fiber distribution. which is undesirable because filling gaps with matrix increases the
NCFs provide either two-, three- or four-directional fiber orien- dead weight of the composite material. A typical such carbon
tations in one construction. The low areal weights achievable are fabric is the commonly available 95 g/m2 plain weave fabric
dependent on the count of the tows (usually [16_TD$IF]3–24k) that are used produced using 1k tow. Its low areal weight is due to its low cover
to build up the layers of the NCF. However, NCF materials present factor and it [20_TD$IF ]is not relatively thin either. As a consequence, the
complications in draping, mainly at sharp and tight bends, composite product incorporating it would tend to be correspond-
depending on stitch density and stitching pattern/style. This is ingly heavier.
because the stitches tend to lock the multi-directionally orientated As the carbon fibers get abraded and damaged easily during the
fibers in their positions and thereby restrict the fibers from sliding weaving process compared with commonly used fibers like cotton,
past each other easily to conform to the required draping polyester, glass, aramid etc., there is a limit to how closely they can
geometry. be packed in the fabric by the weaving process. Because low areal

0034-3617/ß 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2014.12.071

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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015 FEATURE
[(Figure_1)TD$IG]
weight woven fabrics are somewhat open in construction, a num-
ber of fabrics have to be plied to close the gaps/openings. However,
such plying causes the composite material to become relatively
thicker and heavier than actually necessary in many cases.
Spread tow reinforcements, not to be mixed up with flat tow
products, are defined by the fact that the width of the original tow
is substantially widened, often three times or more, during a
spreading process.

[21_TD$IF]The history of spread tow reinforcements

The technology for weaving warp and weft tapes that are
[2_TD$IF]20–50 mm wide is quite new even if the technology of weaving
has been in practice for over 5000 years. Dr. Nandan Khokar has

FEATURE
developed a spread tow technology which is not based on tradi-
tional yarn handling looms. Products using this technology are
sold under the brand name TeXtreme[23_TD$IF]1, and were introduced to
[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 1
the market in 2004 by Oxeon AB.
TeXtreme spread tow carbon fiber tapes in various widths [2_TD$IF](Picture courtesy
The theory behind TeXtreme woven spread tow fabric is rela- of Oxeon.).
tively simple. By arranging the fibers in the woven structure in the
straightest orientation possible, both in the plane and also out of
the plane, the fiber properties can be exploited in the most efficient also align tightly next to each other. With proper techniques
way for carrying tensile and compressive loads. TeXtreme per- combinations of several tows can create a wide tape material in
forms are mechanically similar to a UD cross-ply construction in the requested width and weight with almost no spacing between
many ways; the difference is that TeXtreme, being a fabric, exhi- the tows as can be seen in Fig. 3.
bits exceedingly high draping ability and because of its integrated Spread tow tapes are preferably stabilized with a binder material
nature it is not subject to delamination. to keep the spread tows from falling back into their narrow yarn
Through a controlled operation fiber tows of usually 12k and shape upon handling. The binder material can be thermoplastic,
heavier count are gently spread to form a tape of certain width and thermoset or fibrous based materials.
stabilized to prevent the tape folding back into the original tow/ The main constructional differences between spread tow fabrics
yarn form. Because of the spreading action the tapes obtained are and the traditional tow/yarn woven carbon fabrics are shown in
extremely thin. These tapes are used as warps and wefts for Fig. 4.
producing spread tow fabrics.
Spread tow reinforcements are constructed of spread tow tapes
[(Figure_2)TD$IG]
that are interlaced in a plain, twill or satin weave pattern. In a
similar way to traditional fabric reinforcements a set of warp tapes
are combined with a set of weft tapes. The tapes in a spread tow
fabric can be of widths from about 20 mm upwards.
There are various production methods available to produce the
spread tow fabrics. Some are based on modified looms, while other
are specially developed to handle spread tow tapes.

[24_TD$IF]Manufacturing of spread tow reinforcements

Spread tow tapes are produced in various widths and areal weights
just like traditional dry and prepregged UD. The main difference is
the tow size used to produce a certain areal weight or product
thickness. Conventional prepregged UD products with an areal
weight below 50 g/m2 will be constructed using tows with a count
below 6k that are placed next to each other to close the gaps
between each tow, and the prepreg resin will hold the product
together. A dry UD product will likely be constructed like a woven
UD, comprising a thin weft yarn from either glass or a polymer
material. In both materials the filaments will not be highly aligned
or tightly packed. There will be spacing between tows which will
generate resin pockets and the thickness of each ply will present
a high risk of generating transverse matrix cracks upon loading
[25_TD$IF](Figs 1 and 2). [1_TD$IF]FIGURE 2
When spreading a carbon fiber tow the filaments will not only TeXtreme spread tow carbon fiber fabrics in [3_TD$IF]08/908 direction (Picture
widen so that the tow transforms into a tape but the filaments will courtesy of Oxeon.).

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 FEATURE Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015
[(Figure_3)TD$IG]
FEATURE

[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 3
Compared to conventional carbon [4_TD$IF]fiber tapes using tows placed next one another the spread tow tapes are spread into a thinner, more evenly distributed
unit [5_TD$IF](Diagram courtesy of Oxeon.).

A significant characteristic of spread tow fabrics is the low crimp Spread tow fabrics with fiber orientations other that [26_TD$IF]08 and
angle that results from the interlacing of very thin tapes. 908 are available. Fabrics are available with fiber angles oriented
The thinner the tapes, the lower the crimp angle and the straighter in +[27_TD$IF]a/b degrees, for example [28_TD$IF]+458/458.
the fibers will be presented, making the best use of the fiber
properties. Mechanical property improvements
Because the spread tow fabrics are constructed from thin and The relatively lower mechanical performance of traditional woven
wide tapes the crimp frequency is also kept low, even when reinforcement fabrics is known and can be attributed to crimp
considering a plain weave structure. With the crimp frequency angle and crimp frequency. These factors, which adversely affect
low the interlacing points are few, therefore reducing risks such as the performance of a woven material for composites applications,
possible pin holes and areas of resin shrinkage. The cover factor are virtually eliminated by weaving spread tow tapes.
compared to traditional yarn woven reinforcements is significantly TeXtreme has been tested by the independent research institute
higher in a spread tow fabric. Swerea SICOMP. They carried out tests comparing the mechanical
Fig. 5 compares fabric cover factor (fabric density) of traditional properties of different composite reinforcements: spread tow,
1k with flat tow and TeXtreme produced using 12k tows. As can be NCF, plain weave 1k and 3k, and woven UD. TeXtreme proved
observed, the traditional fabric and flat tow fabric have air gaps/ to provide better or equal mechanical performance to other com-
openings at every interlacing point whereas TeXtreme is solid. posite reinforcements in six out of seven tests.
[(Figure_4)TD$IG]

[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 4
Compared to woven fabrics produced using tows, the spread tow fabrics combines flatness, thinness, improved performance and smoothness as well as
good draping ability [6_TD$IF](Diagram courtesy of Oxeon.).

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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015 FEATURE
[(Figure_5)TD$IG]

FEATURE
[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 5
[(Figure_6)TD$IG] traditional 1k fabric (left) and the flat tow fabric (center) present lower cover factor in comparison with TeXtreme spread tow fabric (right).
The

approaches a certain thickness where the in [7_TD$IF]situ strength of thin

plies will be greater than that of thick plies. The apparent strength
will at this ply thickness vary with the thickness.
The ply thickness of each separate layer is hence clearly con-
nected to the strength of the composite part.

[29_TD$IF]Surface smoothness
The smoothness of a composite surface depends on several differ-
ent factors, such as the type of reinforcement used, the choice of
resin, the manufacturing method and the curing parameters,
including temperature, pressure and curing-cycle variations. Sur-
[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 6
face distortions often appear after a certain time as the composite is
Illustration of increased in [7_TD$IF]situ strength by using thin plies [8_TD$IF](Source: Oxeon.).
exposed to unintended post-cure.
Swerea SICOMP also performed simulation modeling and found When constructing composite materials it has often been noted
that the extremely low crimp of TeXtreme only gives a stiffness that the surface displays a sort of ‘orange peel’ pattern which often
knock-down of 0.08% compared to a cross ply UD. The low crimp intensifies as the surface is painted. Numerous fillers, gel-coat
in TeXtreme thus basically eliminates the difference in perfor- systems and different curing cycles have been developed and inves-
mance from an UD and has all the benefits of a woven fabric. tigated to reduce these defects. One way to minimize the easily seen
Fig. 6 demonstrates that the traverse strength of a UD material large pattern print-through which is created from bulky reinforce-
(dashed line) with fibers in only one direction is constant and not ments is to use surface plies with low areal weight and hence very
dependent of ply thickness. This strength is lower than that of a fine weave pattern for reduced fiber crimp and associated waviness.
ply with supporting layers in other fiber angles. The diagram The magnitude of the print-through with the use of low areal weight
[(Figure_7)TD$IG]
however explains that when the ply thickness gets thinner it fabrics reduces but is still visibly large.

[1_TD$IF]FIGURE 7
Surface smoothness comparison between glass fiber, 3k carbon fiber and TeXtreme spread tow carbon fiber fabrics [9_TD$IF](Source: Oxeon.).

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 FEATURE Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 4  July/August 2015

In an experimental investigation made on a boat hull construc- The measurement was conducted via an Opti-Topo surface
tion with three different surface reinforcement materials, glass topography unit on a 30 mm [30_TD$IF]1 30 mm surface area. Fig. 7 shows
fiber fabric, carbon fiber 3k fabric and spread tow fabric, the latter the height differences between the various materials.
provided a relatively smoother surface compared to the traditional Due the spreading process and its thin flat layers, TeXtreme
yarn woven alternatives. All materials were temperature and hu- spread tow fabric has been shown to improve the surface smooth-
midity cycled equally before being measured. ness of composites, resulting in reduced print-through.
FEATURE

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 Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 5  September/October 2015 www.reinforcedplastics.com

An introduction to spread tow

reinforcements. Part 2: Design and
FEATURE

applications
Fredrik Ohlsson

In Part 1 of this two-part article Fredrik Ohlsson of Oxeon AB outlined the construction and manufacture
of spread tow reinforcements and discussed their benefits over other reinforcements. In Part 2 he looks at
their design possibilities, and provides some case studies.

Increased design possibilities To explain Table 2 in relation to the flexibility in producing

When using homogeneous materials like steel or aluminum the spread tow fabrics with a wide range of areal weights, the follow-
construction of a product is often designed to fit the material’s ing may be considered. By spreading and stabilizing one or several
structural properties. When using composites, however, the ma- Torayca T700SC 12k fiber tows to 20 mm width, four different
terial is designed according to the engineering needs of the prod- tape areal weights could be achieved: 40, 80, 120 and 160. These
uct. In this way the structure will be more optimized and hence different areal weight tape constructions can be used as warp and
unnecessary weight can be eliminated. weft in 16 different fabric areal weight combinations, wherein
To enable production of different areal weights of carbon fiber four constructions will be balanced as shown in Fig. 1 as the
reinforcements fiber producers must produce different tow sizes. shaded ones.
Table 1 shows available tow counts for some commonly used If the numbers of fiber types are increased to seven, as shown in
carbon fiber products, reflecting this flexibility in supply. Such Fig. 2, the possibilities of engineering different areal weights and
flexibility, however, comes with increased production cost. fiber combinations increase enormously. The fabric areal weight–
To make so many different tow counts of a fiber type available fiber type matrix can grow almost infinitely large if more fibers are
presents a challenge to the fiber producers. On one hand they have considered and also if the tape width is not limited to 20 mm but
to meet the varying demands of the market, and on the other they varied.
have to consider uninterrupted production. Changing settings to
produce different counts of tows involves considerable time and
effort and causes production loss, which at times could be up to Flexibility
30% of installed capacity. As a consequence, it becomes difficult to Oxeon’s TeXtreme spread tow reinforcements are available in a
run the production process steadily and there is fluctuation in fiber wide variety of configurations. Below are some of the possibilities.
quality (between lots) and a drop in output. This loss in production Product categories within spread tow reinforcements:
has to be made up with higher prices for low tow counts (1k–6k).  0/90
Conventional fabric constructions and the areal weights obtain-  +45/ 45
able have until now been strictly connected and limited to the tow  Unidirectional (UD) tapes
sizes being used. Therefore complete optimization has not been  Hybrids
possible. Spread tow fabrics do not follow these set rules. Instead, a 0/90 and +45/ 45 are both fabrics but differ in fiber orientation,
few tow sizes are enough to create a large areal weight span; even and UD tapes includes all kinds of tape variants.
lighter areal weight spread tow fabrics are possible than conven- Hybrids involve mixing different kind of materials, such as
tional fabrics produced using 1k fiber. carbon fiber and aramids, PBO and Innegra for example. Incorpo-
A simple overview of the strong link between carbon fiber tow rating other materials with longer elongation can help avoid the
counts and fabric areal weight produced in the conventional instant breakage associated with pure carbon composite parts and
manner is shown in Table 2. improve safety.

0034-3617/ß 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2015.02.026

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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 5  September/October 2015 FEATURE

TABLE 1 Due to the flexible production process hybrids can be produced

Tow count availability of different carbon fiber products. with different materials in tapes used in, for example, the
Fiber producer Fiber product Tow counts available 0/90 direction in a fabric, or by mixing the two materials already
in the same UD tapes. In some cases one fiber type will be present
Tenax HTA40/HTS40 1k, 3k, 6k, 12k, 24k
Toray T300 1k, 3k, 6k, 12k in 08 direction and one in the 908 direction. Such hybrid fabric
Hexcel AS4 3k, 6k, 12k styles are not unique for spread tow fabrics; they are also readily
Formosa TC33 1.5k, 3k, 6k, 12k, 24k available in traditional yarn woven fabrics.
Mitsubishi Rayon TR50 6k, 12k, 15k, 18k A co-mingled hybrid is a product in which two or more fiber types
are mixed so that there is no clearly identified interface between the
different fibers. Such fabric constructions are especially suitable for
TABLE 2 spread tow constructions as the tows from the different materials
can achieve a high degree of mixing as the filaments are spread out
Comparison of approximate areal weights.
over the width. Hybrid materials of the co-mingled type are a

FEATURE
Fiber type and Traditional woven Spread tow relatively new development but have already displayed increased
tow count fabrics (g/m2) fabrics (g/m2)
impact toughness and residual strength.
HS-1k 90–120 – There are also many different parameters to consider when
-3k 200–400 –
producing the reinforcement.
-6k 300–500 –
-12k 500–600 64–400 Optimization variables:
-48k, 60k Not available 320–600  Areal weights
IM-6k 200–400 –  Fiber type
-12k 300–400 –  Fiber angle
-18k Not available 76–400  Fiber distribution
-24k Not available 82–400
 Tape width
HM-6k 200–500 –
-12k 300–500 60–480  Fabric width
Considering all the variations available there are several hun-
dreds of products possible, which puts larger demands on the
producer to optimize based on the actual needs for the composite
product.
To fully exploit the design opportunities and flexibility of
spread tow reinforcements Oxeon is taking a larger role in the
process than is normally done by a converter. The company
provides a range of services, including calculation and simulation,
lay-up optimization, know-how in reinforcements, manufacturing
support and marketing support.

Manufacturing and process benefits

Utilizing spread tow reinforcements it is possible to make savings
in the total production cost of the composite. Reduced machine,
FIGURE 1 labor and material cost result from the better surface smoothness,
Areal weight variations on a 20 mm wide tape made from Torayca T700SC faster lay-up sequence and less plies required with spread tow
12k fiber tow. reinforcements.
By looking at the total cost of producing the composite parts
rather than the price of a carbon fiber fabric per m2, the cost
can sometimes be reduced even if the fabric itself is more expen-
sive per m2.
Since spread tow fabrics (STF) are balanced in one ply one it is
possible to achieve savings in both the use of material and the lay-
up time (through using fewer plies) and still be able to achieve a
symmetrically balanced laminate as shown in Figs 3, 4.

Case studies
Formula 1
TeXtreme spread tow fabrics have long been used in Formula 1
motor sport and in the 2014 season the majority of teams drove in
cars reinforced by TeXtreme.
FIGURE 2
TeXtreme entered this market in 2008, offering a bi-directional
The number of spread tow fabrics possible could be almost infinitely large reinforcement with a mechanical performance close to that
as the tape width can vary and many more fibers are available. of cross-plied UD tapes. This combined the drapeability of a

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 FEATURE Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 5  September/October 2015
FEATURE

FIGURE 3
Images showing the number of layers needed in bi-directional construction.

FIGURE 4
The number of layers needed in quasi-isotropic construction.

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Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 5  September/October 2015 FEATURE

traditional fabric with intermediate modulus and high modulus Normally, placing unidirectional fibers on the bias is very time
fibers in areal weights that were lighter than those available from consuming as the unidirectionals need to be cut and placed
1k high strength fibers. manually at the exact angles desired. The spread tow tapes in
The lightweight 1k fabrics that were used previously displayed a TeXtreme fabrics are always perfectly aligned, so putting down
relatively poor cover factor leading to excessive usage of padding +45/ 45 became very efficient.
and fillers to handle defects in the thin single or sandwich skins. Another time-saving aspect is the handling properties of TeX-
Spread tow fabrics have reduced this extra work a lot and have also treme, especially of the dry cloth. Conventional dry materials have
removed the weight associated with the filler. nothing but a selvedge to hold them together, which means that as
soon as you start cutting them they need to be handled very gently
America’s Cup if they are not to fall apart. With TeXtreme cloths this is not a
The America’s Cup has always been a quest for better and lighter problem thanks to the binder that keeps the fabric together. An
structures and the 34th edition of the competition was no excep- additional advantage is the increased toughness resulting from the
tion. What was different from previous campaigns was that the interleaved spread tows of unidirectional fibers.

FEATURE
financial climate at the time dictated that cost-effective solutions The results were good, as ORACLE TEAM USA won the 34th
had to play a larger role. To meet these demands Oracle Team USA Americas Cup in the summer of 2013.
turned to TeXtreme spread tow carbon reinforcements, with
which substantial weight savings were ultimately realized (Fig. 5). Ice hockey
The New Zealand-based boat builder Core Builders Composites Bauer Hockey has been using TeXtreme spread tow fabrics since
constructed and built the AC72 for ORACLE TEAM USA. 2007. Starting with a goalie stick and moving it into player sticks
One of the paradoxes with carbon fiber reinforcements and and new models, TeXtreme is now a vital part of all premium sticks
prepreg is that the less they weigh the more expensive they become. produced (Fig. 6).
This is especially true for traditional woven cloths and unidirection- TeXtreme has provided Bauer Hockey with a number of
al prepregs with fiber areal weights lower than 200 g/m2 – and once improvements.
below 100 g/m2 the price per kilo of fiber increases rapidly. ‘By using TeXtreme, BAUER has benefitted from the standard
TeXtreme is less expensive than traditional 1k carbon woven weight savings and mechanical improvements,’ says Adam Gans,
reinforcements and brings unique benefits in terms of weight Director of Product Development for sticks at BAUER Hockey Inc.
savings and surface finish, which is critical to the untreated and ‘At the same time, we have found the surface finish to be notice-
unpainted surfaces that a weight-driven program demands. Car- ably better with TeXtreme than with conventional 3k weaves. In
bon unidirectionals can go lower in areal weight – commonly the APX stick TeXtreme has contributed to the lighter blade and to
available down to 50 g/m2 and in some cases even lower. However, the torsional stiffness that prevents blade deflection when shoot-
all the laminates used in Oracle Team’s AC72 require reinforce- ing, which increases accuracy and improves balance.’
ments in at least two directions, and consequently a 80 g/m2 ‘TeXtreme has not only helped us make the sticks lighter it has
TeXtreme fabric offers a 20% weight saving compared with two also aided in improving the mechanical properties to provide
layers of 50 g/m2 UD tape. better dynamic response, balance and consistency that no other
There were other advantages with using TeXtreme fabrics over carbon fabric could do. TeXtreme has been a valuable ingredient in
two layers of UD tape. First there was reduced labor costs. It was giving players a higher performance stick, and giving us the extra
possible to put down half the number of plies as opposed to the technical and marketing value that is expected from a Bauer stick.’
two layers of UD tape. Depending on the application TeXtreme
was used both at +45/ 45 and 0/90. Surf boards
When developing a high-performance kiteboard, the technical
demands are quite challenging. The board has to be extremely

FIGURE 5 FIGURE 6
The ORACLE TEAM USA AC72 boat winning the 34th America’s Cup (picture Bauer Hockey Vapor APX2 Limited Edition reinforced by TeXtreme (picture
courtesy of ORACLE TEAM USA/Guilain GRENIER). courtesy of Bauer Hockey).

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 FEATURE Reinforced Plastics  Volume 59, Number 5  September/October 2015

‘The biggest difference between the Select/Team Series and

other boards on the market is the weight,’ reports Jürgen May,
Product Engineering BOARDS & MORE GmbH. ‘They are probably
some of the lightest and strongest boards out there. The unique
structure of TeXtreme and the performance benefits that it delivers
are more or less impossible to find in other carbon fabrics. By
having a fabric that is tailor-made for the Select and Team Series
boards we obtained the best possible material that meets our
requirements for taking this board to the next level.’

Future developments
A lot has happened in the first ten years that spread tow reinforce-
ments have been available on the market. This new category of
FEATURE

composite reinforcement, like all new technologies, has fought its

way into limelight and is being more extensively used. Further
FIGURE 7
development will certainly happen with the technology of placing
North Kiteboarding rider using the Select board built with TeXtreme
the spread tow tapes in any angle, +a/ b, as demand for fabric
(picture courtesy of North Kiteboarding).
variants other than 0/90 and +45/ 45 increases.
The majority of development will be customer driven, since the
stiff, but it also needs to be highly flexible in other ways. The full optimization of the reinforcement is performed for specific
objective is to ensure the ultimate ride for the user (Fig. 7). applications and their specific needs.
From a manufacturing perspective, achieving the ideal balance The aerospace sector is one interesting area for future develop-
between stiffness and flexibility lies in constructing a board that ment. TeXtreme could substantially reduce the weight of existing
while being very responsive still retains control in all kinds of aircraft and thereby enable significant savings in fuel costs for the
waters. This requirement places strong demands on the carbon airlines while contributing to a greener world. For example, a
fiber reinforcement used in the board manufacture as it must conservative replacement of current traditional materials with
ensure that different levels of stiffness are provided in different TeXtreme carbon fiber fabrics, for example in composite panels
directions. in aircraft, could lower the weight of aircraft to the extent that
North Kiteboarding focused the development of its new Select potential fuel cost savings could be in excess of s43,000,000 per
and Team Series premium boards on further optimizing the carbon annum for 20 major airlines. The reduction of CO2 emissions
fiber reinforcement used. The decision was made to use TeXtreme resulting from weight savings of this magnitude, is enormous –
spread tow carbon fabric to achieve weight savings and achieve the equaling about 1,000,000 laps around the world counted in flight
mechanical performance required in all of the board’s directions. miles.
Oxeon provided its input into materials selection and the best Looking forward, if all airlines worldwide could capture the
solution proved to be an unbalanced 140 g/m2 TeXtreme fabric, potential in weight savings offered by TeXtreme they could save
which ensures extreme stiffness in one direction. enormous sums of money that could lead to better profits and/or
Based on the strength and stiffness requirements provided by allow enhanced service levels, availability and prices for travelers
North Kiteboarding Oxeon were able to suggest several unbal- globally.
anced TeXtreme spread tow fabric variants with different fiber
types, areal weights and balance ratios. Following a selection Further information
process North Kiteboarding decided that a 140 g/m2 high strength Christian Borg, Communication & Brand Director, Oxeon AB,
fabric with 5/7 of the fibers in the 0-direction suited their needs Företagsgatan 24, SE-504 64 Borås, Sweden; e-mail: christian.
best. [email protected], www.textreme.com

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