Roth Composite Machinery, a manufacturer of filament winding machines, has started a four-year partnership with the cross-industry AZL network of more than 80 companies.

The company will actively participate in the AZL workgroup ‘Composite Pipes and Vessels’ and contribute its systems expertise to a joint study relating to winding technologies for composite pressure tanks.

Andreas Reimann, managing director of Roth Composite Machinery, said: “For us, membership of the AZL network is important in order to get in touch with users, interested parties and partners, to identify new technology needs at an early stage and to receive input regarding the development of new solutions.”

In the AZL workgroup ‘Composite Pipes and Vessels”, companies are working ‘pre-competitively’ along the entire value chain.

They include fibre and tape manufacturers, as well as liner, product and machine manufacturers that are working on a production cost analysis model for thermoset and thermoplastic composite pressure vessels.

Michael Emonts, AZL managing partner, said: “Roth Composite Machinery will support the process chain analysis with its many years of experience and key data relating to system costs, downtimes and placement times. This information will enable us to map and evaluate realistic production scenario models.”

The next meeting of the AZL workgroup ‘Composite Pipes and Vessels’ will take place on 1 December. One of the topics to be presented and discussed at the meeting will be the results of the joint study.