Strengthening Research and Innovation at Ruckus Composites

Aviation, automotive and outdoor equipment inspection and repair services provider Ruckus Composites (Portland, Ore, USA) has announced significant additions to its machinery and equipment capabilities. These developments will further support the company's composite research and analysis capabilities while providing access to the latest solutions for innovation partners. Ruckus recently invested in a state-of-the-art three-axis precision CNC router with a 1.2 × 1.2 × 0.2 meter working envelope. This addition enables the company to create molds and tool prototypes for its Innovation Department and provide support to innovation partners. The company is advancing bicycle industry research with the addition of a Shimadzu (Kyoto, Japan) universal test machine to address an industry segment that has long remained unclear. The equipment, with 50 kilonewton capacity, 1.8 meter test height, and Class-10 alignment, will enable Ruckus to comprehensively evaluate all bicycles within its test volume. By examining material properties and failure modes, the company says it can deepen its understanding of the sector and utilize quantitative data analysis from internal and external test campaigns, thereby increasing repair capability and effectively addressing process variations. The recently acquired Omniscan X3 phased array ultrasonic system from Olympus - Evident (Center Valley, Pa., USA) offers advanced inspection capabilities that enable Ruckus to refine its approach and perform FMC/TFM on composite structures. With enhanced capabilities, Ruckus can ensure that inspection processes are highly accurate, efficient and reliable. As a result, Ruckus says these equipment additions to its composite analysis and capabilities will enable it to examine, improve and develop innovative repair and inspection processes through non-destructive and destructive methods. Source