Nick Agostinelli – Triumph Composite Systems

Triumph Composite Systems (TCS) identified the need to increase our thermoplastic composite production rates while decreasing our cycle time. This required our engineering team to embrace new technologies. One of the processes that was in need of a new approach was our heating technology. The engineering team identified the heating cycle as a possibility to improve our cycle time. We approached several suppliers both domestic and foreign. After reviewing each suppliers approach, one supplier stood out from the rest with their technical ability, lead time and price, Infrared Heating Technologies. IHT was awarded the contract. The next several weeks required detailed technical conversations between IHT, TCS and the robotic integrator. The oven design was quickly finalized and manufacturing soon followed.  Like most companies TCS required an onsite equipment buy off.  The engineering team traveled to Oak Ridge Tennessee to perform the equipment acceptance testing. The IHT team was extremely helpful and knowledgeable; this was a key to the success of the equipment run off.  Over the next three days TCS and IHT were able to complete all testing and signed off the equipment.  Over the next several months there were questions that arose during further development.  The engineering team at IHT was able to address each request in a timely fashion. With the addition of the new ovens and other significant process improvements TCS was able to reduce cycle times by 75%!