After 4 years of intensive collaboration in developing an innovative cryogenic upper interstage composite ring demonstrator for new space launchers, SONACA (Belgium) and BRM (USA) win the JEC 2016 world innovation award in the space category.
The development optimized the cross section of a circular 4.3 meter diameter ring. This resulted in an important weight saving at an affordable price.
The innovation consisted of making the best choice of composite materials and manufacturing processes (Weaving, Injection), validated by suitable simulations and tests, while ensuring the challenging industrial requirements were met (Net shape part, logistics, final assembly). The most advanced 3D orthogonal weaving process was used to produce a demonstrator ring with 90° segments based of carbon fiber dry preforms. Each segment was injected using Resin Transfer Molding process (RTM). The four segments were then assembled together by splicing.
SONACA and BRM signed a partnership agreement to consolidate the progress already achieved in the field of advanced structural composite parts, in order to offer high quality and competitive advanced composite structures to their customers.
Press contacts
BRM – Leon Bryn – T +1 610 845 2211 – M +1 267 918 3333
BRM designs, develops and manufactures specialized woven webbing, narrow fabrics, specialty 2D and 3D woven engineered textiles and 3D complex woven structures. Since 1923 BRM has a long history of providing textiles to the world. Its group of 300 talented product designers, technicians, and engineers provide unrivaled experience to solve customer design challenges.
SONACA Group is a global Belgian company active in the development, manufacturing, and assembly of advanced structures for civil, military, and space markets. The group is especially known for its wing movables expertise where it is regarded the world leader serving most of the primes with a market share of over 50%. It has production facilities in China, Europe, North-America, and South-America and employs over 2500 people including 350 engineers. In response to strong demand from its customers, SONACA Group today also supplies engineering services, large sheet metal elements, wing plank, composite structures, and machined components.
“The need of such a cost effective and lightweight structural component is clearly expressed by the aerospace OEMs; it is definitely a value adding innovation, now ready for our customers.”
Hugues Langer, SONACA Development & Innovation director
“3D orthogonal woven preforms with carbon fiber combined with RTM process confirms its promises for the manufacturing of CFRP composite parts. This technology can also be used with other advanced fiber, opening innovative applications.”
Bernard Poulaert, SONACA Space projects Manufacturing manager
“Our Engineering, Prototype and Test teams contributed strongly to this ESA R&D project. They are everyday also offering their agile skills and expertise to companies that are targeting to consolidate their advance in their respective markets through SONACA Engineering & Test Services. Their combined expertise and agility can be used by worldwide organizations.”
Jean-Louis Magerman, SONACA Prototype and Test Services manager
Bally Ribbon Mills is proud to announce its certification to ISO 13485:2016. For over 50 years, Bally Ribbon Mills has been supplying the highest quality medical products to its customers. Now we can certify those products to this rigorous international standard that governs the design and manufacture of medical devices and ensures that Bally Ribbon Mills:
manufactures products in a controlled work environment to ensure product safety
focuses on risk management activities and design control activities during product development
follows specific requirements for inspection and traceability for implantable devices
follows specific requirements for verification of the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions
Our facility includes advanced weaving systems, yarn preparation, and inspection areas for the production of fabric to the most stringent requirements. Environmental sampling, data collection, storage, and alarms ensure complete environmental monitoring and redundancies.
Quality efforts also include an emphasis on continuous improvement and defect prevention. Tools include but are not limited to Management and Feasibility Reviews, AS9102 First Articles, FMEA’s, Control Plans, IQ-OQ-PQ’s, Process/Product Validation and Lean/Six Sigma best practices.
Visit our Medical page for more information and to download our ISO 13485:2016 certification for your records.
“From this day on, the path to Mars goes through Bally, Pennsylvania,” NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said during a tour and press conference at Bally Ribbon Mills. Mr. Bolden was at the company to see a new technology being developed for future space mission and also show his support for small businesses that are part of NASA’s programs for space exploration and research.
Bally Ribbon Mills has been picked to supply a critical component of the heat shield on the Orion Crew Capsule. The specially designed 3-D woven thermal protection system (TPS) will help protect the crew and capsule from the extreme temperatures during atmospheric re-entry. If future missions to the Moon, an asteroid, or Mars are to be successful, newer stronger materials must be used. Bally Ribbon Mills has developed a material that can survive the thermal protection needed while also providing key mechanical strength to the interface between the crew module and service module.
While at Bally Ribbon Mills, Mr. Bolden was given a tour of the factory and saw firsthand how the woven TPS is manufactured. The technology being developed would not have been possible but for the help and partnership of NASA.
Bally Ribbon Mills is proud to announce our attendance once again to the JEC Composites Conference. JEC is the largest composites industry organization in Europe and in the world with a network of 250,000 professionals from 100 different countries.
Engineers will be available to discuss your specific applications and design challenges. On display will be various composite parts including:
3D Woven Joints
3D Advanced Composite Structures
Polar / Spiral Woven Structures
Specialty Braids
High Performance Carbon Tapes and Webbing
Bally Ribbon Mills has earned a reputation for fulfilling the aerospace industry’s most demanding requirements across a wide range of applications. Bally’s products set the industry’s standards and exceed it expectations.
For more information or to set up a meeting contact Leon Bryn, leonbryn@ballyribbon.com
Bally Ribbon Mills’ employee Louis Franconi recently gave a presentation about our medical device weaving capabilities at the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) Expo 2014. Mr. Franconi described the advantages of various weaving methods in the production of fabrics for medical devices. He also spoke about a new weaving technique Bally Ribbon Mills has been researching for the past decade. It is called Quad Axial Isotropic Weaving. We add another dimension to the normally 2 dimensional structure of woven goods.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more. Visit us at our medical page.
Receive a 50% DISCOUNT for the
IFAI Specialty Fabrics Expo &
Advanced Textiles Expo
Minneapolis Convention Center
Minneapolis, MN
October 14th – 16th, 2014
Come join Bally Ribbon Mills at the IFAI Specialty Fabrics Expo and the Advanced Textiles Expo. Our booth number is A2225 located within the Advanced Textiles section of the conference center. A discount pass is available for download, courtesy of Bally Ribbon Mills and the Industrial Fabrics Association International.
Medical Textile Education Opportunity
Bally’s Louis Franconi will be giving an educational presentation on Medical Devices, Fibers, 3D Structures, and Quad Axial Isotropic Woven Narrow Fabric Medical Devices on Tuesday, October 14th at 9:30. This is a great opportunity to learn about new developments and innovations of woven products that support the medical device industry. We hope to see you there!
About Bally Ribbon Mills
BRM is a leader in the design, development, and production of engineered narrow woven webbing, tape, and specialty fabric. For 90 years we have supplied the world with the highest quality webbing backed by unparalleled customer service and engineering support. Be confident that Bally Ribbon Mills will supply you with the best fabric for your products.
Services
Bally Ribbon Mills offers a full range of services to cover every aspect of your product requirements including; design, prototyping, and full-scale production. Some examples include:
Dyeing
Small custom lots • Large production lots • Spectrophotometer color matching
Finishing
Flame treat • Abrasion resistance • Stiffness • Water proof
Capabilities
Bally Ribbon Mills’ weaving and processing capabilities are second to none. With all the fibers available to us, your product can be engineered specifically for your application.
Bally Ribbon Mills is committed to producing products that meet all performance requirements and the highest in quality standards.
Bally Ribbon Mills’ Quality Management System is certified to ISO 9001:2008 and
AS 9100:2009. We also maintain compliance to additional industry specific standards such as TS 16949 and ISO 13485 in support of our customers.
Quality efforts include an emphasis on continuous improvement and defect prevention. Tools include but are not limited to Management and Feasibility Reviews, AS9102 First Articles, FMEA’s, Control Plans, IQ-OQ-PQ’s, Process/Product Validation, and Lean/Six Sigma.
Come to booth 1726 to see BRM’s technical weaving capabilties
Bally Ribbon Mills is going to be at the TechTextil North America Show at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA on May 13-15, 2014. Come to booth 1726 to see examples of products designed specifically to address a wide array of technical engineering challenges. Techtextil North America assembles all vertical aspects of the technical textile industry. From research and development, through raw materials and production processes and finally ending in conversion, further treatment and recycling.
Bally Ribbon Mills engineers will be available to discuss your specific applications and development issues. BRM’s services include Prototype Development to Full Scale Manufacture.
Bally Ribbon Mills is happy to announce our attendance at the JEC Composites Conference. Held in Atlanta for the first time in the spring of 2014, JEC Americas is the only event that offers a full spectrum of the global composites value chain, upstream and downstream.
Bally Ribbon Mills engineers will be available to discuss your specific applications and design challenges. On display will be various composite parts including:
3D Woven Joints
3D Advanced Composite Structures
Polar / Spiral Woven Structures
Specialty Braids
High Performance Carbon Tapes and Webbing
Bally Ribbon Mills has earned a reputation for fulfilling the aerospace industry’s most demanding requirements across a wide range of applications. Bally’s products set the industry’s standards and exceed it expectations.
Come to booth 854 to see BRM’s medical weaving capabilties!
Bally Ribbon Mills is going to be at the BIOMEDevice Show at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Ma on March 26-27, 2014. Come to booth 854 to see examples of products designed specifically to address a wide array of medical engineering challenges. Featured will be:
and many other textile based materials designed for the medical device industry
Engineers will be available to discuss your specific applications and development issues.
Bally Ribbon Mills features a 3,000 sq. ft. ISO 14644, Class 8 Medical Clean Room, access to Medical Grade Fibers such as Polyester, Nylon, UHMWPE, PEEK, PTFE & ePTFE, Absorbable Fibers, etc.
BRM’s services include Prototype Development to Full Scale Manufacture all offered on a confidential and NDA basis. We look forward to seeing you there!
Bally Ribbon Mills has been picked to supply a critical component of the heat shield on the Orion Crew Capsule. The specially designed 3-D woven thermal protection system (TPS) will help protect the crew and capsule from the extreme temperatures during atmospheric re-entry. If future missions to the Moon, an asteroid, or Mars are to be successful, newer stronger materials must be used. Bally Ribbon Mills has developed a material that can survive the thermal protection needed while also providing key mechanical strength to the interface between the crew module and service module.
