EC3D is a company specializing in the development of high performance soul material for the composite materials industry. The expertise that we have allows us to intervene in all stages of a project: from the definition of the project in the R&D phase, including the design and realization of prototypes, to the mechanical characterization of these.
The materials of souls commonly used in the industry have not seen major developments from a geometric point of view in recent decades. This is why, we focused on this point by offering topologies of innovative cells. This allowed us to obtain very significant gains in terms of mechanical performance and reduction, which we highlighted in our publications.
The High Performance Composite Materials Industry is a more expensive sector than so -called “classic” materials such as polymers, metals and wood. The development phase generally requires more time, due to the anisotropic properties of the material created tailor-made. Combined with less large production volumes, this makes these materials less accessible to daily newspapers. However, the expertise acquired over the years tends to decrease these costs. This is why we meet them more frequently, especially in the field of sports equipment, where they are now preponderant.
We hope that the work and products provided to date have given complete satisfaction to our partners. Since we intervene for high-tech industries with low production volumes, we want to keep the same current dynamic, that is to say the production of tailor-made prototype. Nevertheless we explore the larger production lines given the latest advancements with our partners.
The development of thermo-structural composites capable of resisting extreme environments has been underway for decades. These composites allow the structures which are made up of maintaining their integrity at very high temperature, where metal materials would have disintegrated. More recently, the appearance of fibers and ceramic matrices has made it possible to further push the scope of applications. We have started work in collaboration with laboratories and wish to continue this very enriching path in terms of innovations.
Of course, we invite you to consult the various presentations and publications available on our website. A recent example concerns the improvement of the resistance to preforming preform based on fiber and ceramic matrix, thanks to a three -dimensional weaving that we have achieved. These results can be viewed in the thesis of Mr. Arnaud Saintonge "Development of an oxide/oxide composite with a baryum aluminosilicate matrix and alumina fibers".
As a bearer of innovation, we are open to integration into our working method, all new technologies that could increase our efficiency. Nevertheless we strive to keep a critical mind, which is possible to us thanks to the expertise acquired over the years.
In the event that the specifications are not fully defined by the customer, we enhance it jointly in order to correctly define the needs. In particular, we rely on standards in force (ISO type, ASTM, etc.) in particular for mechanical characterization. When it comes to projects in new fields for us, we carry out a state of in -depth art to understand precisely the need and meet them correctly.
Innovation in soul materials is not just about the optimization of geometry, today we also seek to functionalize them, that is to say that they are no longer simply structural “fillings”. It is possible to make them multi-functional, for example: thermal/electric drivers or insulation, ability to integrate equipment/sensors, or even self-careful in the event of micro-rounds.
In a "sandwiche" type assembly, the soul material is at the center of the structure, it is for this reason that it is also called "the heart". This is generally glued to skins that will bring rigidity to the structure. Thus, the main objective of the soul material is the reduction of the structure since it can be composed of very airy alveolar structure such as honeycomb or mosses.
Our structures are fully customizable since it is the very essence of our work, we develop each structure in response to a particular need using the many tools we have.
The use of high -performance soul materials is mainly intended for tip industries. We can cite the aerospace and the military sector which use these structures for a significant decrease in mass, compared to monolithic structures. However, we also intervene in more general fields of industry such as urban planning, as is the case with our partner Nidaplast.