iCOMAT and CGTech push new frontiers in composite part manufacturing

CGTech, the developer of VERICUT verification, simulation, and optimization software, announced a reseller agreement with Bristol-based iCOMAT, pioneer of the first-ever defect-free tape-steering process for composite component production. The special worldwide arrangement will see iCOMAT sell and support a dedicated version of VERICUT VCP/VCS software in support of its patented manufacturing process for composites.

iCOMAT has registered notable growth since it began trading in 2019: today the company has almost 30 employees and a branch in Athens. Moreover, iCOMAT has plans to double its headcount in the coming 12 months, a move that will help spur ambitions for further international expansion.

Providing the basis for this success is iCOMAT’s unique composites production process, known as Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS). Due to manufacturing limitations, conventional composite part design relies on straight fiber layers, leading to structures which use more material than necessary and are heavier and more expensive as a result. In contrast, iCOMAT’s innovative process enables the defect-free steering of composite tapes for the first time. The placement of these tapes along complex load paths delivers highly optimized structures with dramatic weight savings and lower use of raw material in support of cost-effective and more sustainable composite parts.

iCOMAT’s industrial cells comprise a proprietary tape-laying head mounted as an end effector to a state-of-the-art six-axis industrial robot arm, all located inside a safety cell. As part of this solution, programming and virtual simulation will come via a special version of VERICUT VCP (VERICUT Composites Programming)/VCS (VERICUT Composites Simulation) software complete with a new interface specifically for iCOMAT’s technology. iCOMAT will be the exclusive reseller of this software worldwide.

“Software is an integral part of our turnkey offer; customers must program and simulate their composite components to unlock optimized designs,” says Dr Dominic Bloom, Business Development Manager at iCOMAT. “CGTech are leaders in this field, so we definitely picked the right partner and know we can make our worldwide reseller agreement a success.”

“Our powerful software will drive the world’s only industrial machines that can steer wide composite tapes without defects at fast rates,” says Olivier Munaux, Composites Product Manager, CGTech. “iCOMAT is pioneering this technology, disrupting the way engineers design composites, so it makes absolute sense for them to be the official global reseller of our RTS-specific VERICUT VCP/VCS software. Together, we can push new frontiers in automated composite part manufacturing.”

Among the sectors able to benefit is aerospace. iCOMAT’s ground-breaking solutions deliver the strongest and lightest spars, fuselage panels and control surfaces, for instance. Examples include a 65% lighter lower wing skin compared with existing composite designs. The space industry, notably in launch vehicles and satellites, can also take advantage of central tubes and panels, for example, as weight has a major effect on launch costs.