Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. X X V I I I D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 2 3 16 M A N U FAC T U R I N G Layered sandwich Lindyberg is a civil structural engineer who arrived at UMaine as one of the first graduate students at the Advanced Structures and Composites Center, in 1994. By 2011, he was the center's assistant director. He even- tually left to join the private sector in North Carolina. "en I had the opportunity to come back here in 2019 to take this on," he says. "I jumped at it." On a recent autumn day, he took Mainebiz on a tour of operations. e facility includes precision molding capabili- ties, computer numerical control laminate cutting machines and modern process controls. Composite layup equipment includes resin injection pump and vacuum bagging system. Long rails in one area allow containers to be moved in and out of the building. Floor racks are loaded with rolls of fiber- glass fabric and wall-mounted racks are draped with completed fiberglass-and-sensor assemblies, sorted by various sensor configurations. Lindyberg points out a section of steel. Offering an example of one of the countless prob- lems to be solved in the container's development, he explains that the type of steel, often used for outdoor construction, comes with a skiff of oil and is designed to develop a rust patina to protect it from the elements. For composite panels that needed to be bonded adhesively to steel frames, the oil was an impediment. e team tried sanding, grinding and solvents to remove the oil. Nothing worked. e answer? An online home remedy. "We found out that soaking them in vinegar was the best way to go," says Lindyberg. e use of layered fiberglass fabric allows an elec- tronic sensor system the thickness of aluminum foil to be sandwiched in the middle throughout the length and width of each panel. In a process called "light resin transfer molding," panel construction starts with laying fiberglass fabric on a rigid male mold, layering on the sensor system, then more fiberglass. e assembly is loaded onto a female mold and sealed using vacuum pressure, which draws resin in for thorough saturation. e panels are bonded to steel frames, paint is applied and additional electronics go in to allow the security system to communicate to the cloud, allowing the container's location and status to be tracked on an app. Drilling or cutting through a panel breaks the sen- sor's strands and sets off an alarm. Scarborough, ME // Pittsseld, ME // Auburn, NH AAAENERGY.COM Contact us to learn about customized HVAC-R service plans for your facility. SERVING CLIENTS SINCE 1948 DESIGN/BUILD SERVICES COMMERCIAL REFRIGERATION BUILDING CONTROLS HVAC, PLUMBING & ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE PLANS Building efficiency. It's what we do. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E F O C U S P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D At Global Secure Shipping, a map details where field trials are being conducted — in American Samoa, Sydney, Australia, Hawaii and throughout Europe. Additional tests will be done in Antarctica and Greenland.

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