#95 Cutting textiles and other substrates: Interview with Sergio Gori, CEO of FK Group during JEC Forum Italy (English)

Ever wondered how any composite reinforcement can be safely
cut?

During my recent visit to JEC Groups Italy forum, I met Sergio
Gori, CEO of FKgroup and took the opportunity to speak with him
about feeding materials and cutting same in a safely
manner.

What do I mean by that? Safe?

Anyone who is in the textile industry knows, textiles tend to
fray when cut. Fraying is annoying, because it destroys the
processability in later production steps. Take for instance
carbon fabrics that require solid edges for an RTM process.

Secondly, some reinforcement fibres are hell of difficult to cut.
Take para-aramid for instance. These fabrics are designed to be
overly strong and tightly woven, because they display ballistic
properties. Often used in bullet-proof vests, but also
firefighting and other personal protection equipment (the
meta-aramid variant). Aramids are difficult to cut, but Sergio
managed a work around.

Finally, health and safety. Cutting fibres releases fibre dust.
Fibrous dust can be as small as a few microns and being airborne
reach through the upper respiratory the deeper levels of the lung
of workers dealing with this dust.
Therefore it is essential to keep dust levels low. In fact there
are several national workplace regulations concerning fiber dust,
but even though no airborne harmful respiratory fibres are the
aim, Sergio believes in a few years from now (2023) cutting
textiles manually will be banned anyway.

Therefore watch our interview till the end. It is explained what
is necessary to be able to cut fibreglass, carbon, aramids,
hybrids, core, prepreg and multiple layers safely through
machines.

In order to keep your workplace clean and protect your factory
workers from airborne fibres, do this:

- Check regularly airborne fibre concentration

- Provide dust masks and PPE to workers

- Install and maintain air-suction to the floor (not the
ceiling!)

- Never use airpressure for cleaning equipment (releases fibre
dust)

- Educate workers to protect themselves and provide black/white
change rooms

- Invest in automatic cutting and handling in closed cabins with
slight vacuum

Thank you for the nice chat in Bologna, Sergio and Stefano
Ratti

PS: Composites Lounge, JEC FORUM DACH is around the corner.
Save-the-date: It will be in Salzburg from 25-26 October 2023.
Let me know, if you have something that contributes to
health&safety, sustainability and innovation.

#Composites360OnTour