SCALE Advancedocomposites is a leading innovator in the global field of bio-based composite reinforcement materials. On March 5th, the company announced two new products, BIO|Power Reinforcements™ and COR|PowerFilaments™, at the JEC World exhibition in Paris. These new materials aim to replace carbon fiber in lightweight composites by harnessing the inherent advantages of natural fibers and bio-based materials, including low density and excellent damping properties. SCALE enables composite manufacturers to use sustainable materials to achieve new performance levels while reducing material costs.
The BIO|Power™ fiber model blends various natural fibers, creating a range of performance and cost features for sustainable composite materials. This fiber model can be used independently in fabrics or combined with carbon fiber, glass fiber, and basalt fiber to significantly enhance bending stiffness and strength while reducing environmental impact. Compared to carbon fiber, the first BIO|Power EX blend fiber is expected to reduce fiber costs by 40% and greenhouse gas emissions by 95%.
The COR|Power™ fiber is a long filament with damping properties that provides bio-based vibration reduction technology comparable to the best petroleum-based materials. It can be integrated into fabrics with BIO|Power™ or flax yarns to meet the needs of customers who require entirely natural fabrics; or combined with carbon fiber, glass fiber, and basalt yarns to significantly enhance its vibration reduction performance. COR|Power™ also increases the bending stiffness of natural and synthetic fiber composites, improving the stiffness-weight characteristics of the fabric and customer composites. When its weight ratio is 10%, it can help reduce the impact of vibration and roughness in carbon fiber composites by up to 30%.
SCALE is collaborating with bicycle manufacturers to address challenges posed by the industry, including the intensified focus on aerodynamics in modern bicycle design that exacerbates the trade-off between stiffness and comfort, as well as the need to increase product profit margins, which is particularly compelling for European and North American manufacturers. SCALE's materials can offer significant benefits for both manufacturers and cyclists, enhancing the performance of stiffness to weight, impact resistance, and vibration damping, resulting in a smoother ride.
"The bicycle market is a perfect testing ground for us," said Lance Johnson, CEO of SCALE. "Cyclists are mature customers with an unwavering demand for performance. The damping characteristics of our materials, combined with the ability to enhance stiffness without adding weight through the use of BIO|Power in narrower tube profiles, have improved product performance while reducing environmental impact."
Martin Meir, Managing Director of UK-based REAP Design Company, stated: "As part of a long-term project to enhance the sustainability of bicycles, we are working with SCALE. In early tests, we combined BIO|Power and COR|Power, reducing the carbon fiber content by 20% and increasing frame stiffness by over 5% without reducing weight. Additionally, we aim for the frame to have better compliance and reduce the transmission of road vibrations, thereby lessening rider fatigue."
3T Cycling's Management Engineer Enrique Romero Pineda stated: "Collaborating with SCALE has given us the opportunity to use more sustainable materials in 3T's proprietary production process. We have tested BIO|Power on our 3T RaceMax Italia layup, which has improved the stiffness-to-weight ratio of the bottom bracket by 5%. We are exploring how BIO|Power can reduce material usage while maintaining the current stiffness-to-weight ratio, thereby having a greater impact on greenhouse gas emissions."