Composite companies join on product development
3M Advanced Composites and TenCate Advanced Composites USA announced a strengthening of their relationship in the composite tooling industry.
Building on their prior relationship, 3M and TenCate will jointly develop, market and sell a comprehensive portfolio of tooling resins and prepregs, according to the companies.
“As we further develop our relationship with TenCate, we’re essentially joining forces to deliver a superior-performing portfolio of tooling materials to our customers,” 3M general manager and director Vic Genco said in a statement.
An initial product, 3M Fortified Tooling Prepreg 140, will be launched next week at Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering event. Subsequent products will include a high-temperature bismaleimide tooling prepreg developed by 3M and a high-temperature BMI Resin Transfer Molding resin developed by TenCate. The products will feature 3M Matrix Resin, a proprietary resin technology, which enables the production of stronger and more durable tooling composites.
“There are a limited range of composite tooling material options in the market right now, but with 3M’s innovative resin technology, combined with TenCate’s market reach and world-class manufacturing capabilities, we have an opportunity to accelerate the product pipeline and deliver more value and benefit to customers,” TenCate Advanced Composites president Joe Morris said in a statement.
“3M’s new tooling prepreg is a very versatile product. The weave is easy to manipulate into place, it’s nice and tacky and it drapes really well,” research and development manager Quan Pham said.
