Steelhead Composites Goes International Thanks To Small Business Grant From Colorado

/in /by

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)– The State of Colorado is looking to help more small businesses reach international customers. The State Trade and Expansion Program hands out hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: CBS)

“It’s been instrumental in adding to our customer base internationally,” said Andrew Coors, the CEO of Steelhead Composites. “If we didn’t go to these shows people would know we exist and they wouldn’t know our capabilities.”

Andrew Coors steelhead composites small business grants

Andrew Coors (credit: CBS)

Steelhead was set up in Colorado seven years ago. The company specializes in making metal containers that are filled with liquid or gas at high pressures.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: CBS)

“By being able to shave off a tremendous amount of weight and still have the same safety and hold the same pressure as a steel alternative, we allow our customers to do stuff in a lighter, safer way,” Coors said.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: Steelhead Composites)

Earlier this week Steelhead Composites was in Singapore at a trade show getting products in front of potential buyers.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: CBS)

“The STEP program has been fantastic because it’s allowed us to exhibit at trade shows and go to trade shows that otherwise our small budget would not allow,” Coors said.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: Steelhead Composites)

The company also attended a show in Germany earlier this year. It now has over 100 customers in 26 countries. There are only 23 full-time employees.

steelhead composites small business grants

(credit: CBS)

“For the economy to grow we need to export products. and not just export to surrounding states. We have to export to other countries,” Coors said. “We’re not known as a manufacturing state; we’re not known as a high-tech state internationally as much as we should. So, it’s good to show we’re doing things other than just being a destination for skiing to the international community.”

The state is looking to help more companies. Last year 50 companies used grant money to go to shows in Germany and Mexico. The Office of Economic Development and International Trade helps administer the STEP grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration. There are application guidelines.

JEFF TODD

KCNC | CBS Denver interview CO STEP Program

/in /by

Steelhead’s CEO Andrew Coors on the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and SBA’s ‘STEP” program and how they assist small companies like us to compete internationally .

 

Awarded Gold Leader by the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program

/in /by

Manufacturing is not enough; sustainable manufacturing is the way to go. On this National Manufacturing Day, we’d like to recognize the hard work of Curt Honcharik, who runs quality department. Earlier this week he accepted the Gold Leader award from the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program on behalf of Steelhead.

Machining at Steelhead Composites

/in /by

“I enjoy the challenge of rapidly prototyping tight tolerance components like our fluid power fittings, that require multi-axis machining in a variety of materials.  Watching the in-house machined components come together in the final product is exciting as I know my work enables our products in everything from sports carsuspensions to propelling rockets in space.” – Colin Smith, Machinist

“Gold Leader” in the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program

/in /by

Golden, CO, August 2, 2019 – Steelhead Composites, LLC was notified that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has selected Steelhead as a “Gold Leader” in the Colorado Environmental Leadership Program (ELP).

 

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a voluntary program that encourages and rewards superior environmental performance that goes beyond the requirements of environmental regulations and focuses on the larger goal of sustainability. The program is open to all Colorado businesses, industries, offices, educational institutions, municipalities, government agencies, community, not-for-profit and other organizations.

 

“Steelhead Composites manufacturers products integral to clean mobility and decarbonization, but it’d be hypocritical if we didn’t manufacture these products in the cleanest way possible.” said Curt Honcharik, head of Steelhead’s Quality department, “That we are recognized as one of Colorado’s environmental leaders shows our commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement.”

 

Currently, the program consists of three tiers, Bronze, Silver and Gold; Steelhead has achieved the Gold Leader standard, which includes a rigorous assessment of Steelhead’s environmental management system.

 

The award ceremony for the 2019 winners will be held on October 1, 2019.

 

About Steelhead Composites, LLC: Steelhead is a global leader in the manufacturing of pressure vessels used in weight sensitive applications, with full service, in-house design, testing, prototyping and production capabilities. Steelhead has ISO 9001 and AS 9100 quality management systems and a ISO 14001 environmental management system.  Steelhead Composites’ patented designs allow Steelhead to compete across all industries with pressure vessels and hydrogen storage options for certified zero-emission fuel cell applications.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

/in /by

Kaushik Mallick brilliant head of Steelhead’s engineering and R&D, presented “Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Thermoplastic Composite Blades” at the summer IACMI – The Composites Institute meeting on July 24, 2019.

 

The VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine) collaboration included 4 world class entities:

 

Steelhead Composites VAWT design and analysis;

Colorado State University materials testing and blade fabrication;

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, program management and techno-economic analysis;

Arkema thermoplastic resins.

 

The project ended in a phenomenal presentation and an elegant prototype on display (thanks Joshua Varn for the photo and assembly). Contact us for more information on the program or presentation.

Kevlar COPV

/in /by

Industrial product or kid toy? Steelhead Composites was requested to finish a set of 5L (1.3 gal), 350 bar (5,000 psi) kevlar and carbon fiber vessels in a specific color — I call the color “minion yellow.” Googly eyes optional.

NASA selects Steelhead for SBIR Phase 1 for “Ultra-lightweight, All Composite Conformal Pressure Vessel

/in /by

NASA selects Steelhead for SBIR Phase 1 for “Ultra-lightweight, All Composite Conformal Pressure Vessel”

PROPOSAL NUMBER:
 19-1- Z4.03-4154
SUBTOPIC TITLE:
 Lightweight Conformal Structures
PROPOSAL TITLE:
 Ultralightweight, All Composite Conformal Pressure Vessel

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Steelhead Composites
500 Corporate Circle, Suite O
Golden, CO 80401- 5632
(720) 524-3285

Principal Investigator (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Dr. Kaushik Mallick
E-mail:
kmallick@steelheadcomposites.com
Address:
500 Corporate Circle, Suite O Golden, CO 80401 – 5632
Phone:
(720) 524-3360

Business Official (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Dr. Steven Arzberger
E-mail:
sarzberger@steelheadcomposites.com
Address:
500 Corporate Circle, Suite O Golden, CO 80401 – 5632
Phone:
(720) 933-9136
Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) : 
Begin: 1
End: 3
Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and Lightweight Structures and Materials PT are leading advancements to affordable space exploration. This includes beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space exploration requiring innovative lightweight and multifunctional structure concepts. Conformal designs offer enabling mass and volume efficiencies and, multifunctional potential. Steelhead Composites (SHC; Golden CO) – a domestic leader in composite pressure vessel manufacture – will leverage capabilities in design, test, build and manufacture to realize conformal pressure vessels for cryogenic liquid storage and/or as habitable cavities. SHC ultralightweight, all composite (Type V) pressure vessel (> 30% mass reduction) are planned as manufacture-friendly products to efficiently fill non-traditional geometric volume and, serve to influence future spacecraft designs (e.g., lunar landers, Mars landers, habitat modules and ascent vehicles). This program will develop structural design concept studies (Phase I), including a manufacturing assessment and a systems benefits examination, to realize mass, volume and cost savings for deep space exploration. In Phase II, pressure vessels will be fabricated and evaluated, on a scale that is representative of full-scale manufacturing. All efforts will be performed to realize commercial products, for fabrication according to SHC’ AS9100 and ISO14001 (environmental) standards.
Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Conformal designs offer enabling mass and volume efficiencies and, multifunctional potential that are applicable to NASA applications. Conformal ultra lightweight, all composite (Type V) pressure vessel designs will serve to influence future spacecraft designs including, for example, lunar landers, Mars landers, habitat modules and ascent vehicles.
Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Conformal designs offer enabling mass and volume efficiencies and, multifunctional potential that are also applicable to non-NASA applications. Nearly all transportation applications would benefit from fuel storage containers that offer increased energy efficiencies. For example, pressure vessels that can store more hydrogen at minimum mass are highly desirable to the automotive industry.
Duration: 6

Form Generated on 06/16/2019 23:25:28

Steelhead and Suspension Systems

/in /by

Today Steelhead Composites produces pressure vessels for a wide variety of applications and industries. Steelhead was initially founded with a mission to revolutionize the hydraulics industry with lightweight hydraulic accumulators. Increasingly we are seeing interest in our accumulators for automotive suspension application and hence we decided to investigate how our products are used in this market.

Use of accumulators in hydraulic or hydropneumatics suspension systems traces its history to 1954. Invented by Citroën the system uses the compressibility of gas and the incompressibility of hydraulic fluid in a “Spheres” with a rubber membrane fixed at the equator of the hollow metal ball. The spheres are, in effect, identical to what we sell as diaphragm accumulators. The history of this invention is quite fascinating with quite a bit of success across multiple platforms and millions of vehicles. And it appears that innovation in these systems continues at a rapid pace.

A 10% reduction in vehicle weight can result in a 6%-8% fuel economy improvement. Steelhead Composites has a successful legacy of taking advantage of the strength and weight of carbon fiber in components that help automotive companies decrease the vehicle weight. It appears that one component with both lightweight benefits and significant research are suspension systems. We don’t know how our products are being used since auto makers and Tier 1 auto manufacturers don’t advertise how their systems work. We just manufacture a component. As showed in our quick side-by-side of our 2L diaphragm accumulators, our design weighs 1/7th of traditional steel (and has a greatly reduced part count). Our products are opening up design opportunities deemed too heavy by legacy accumulators for suspension systems. This is even more critical if the design needs significant scale-up in size.

The applications appear to be primarily in active suspensions, some which operate hydraulically. The hydraulics control the vertical movement of the chassis relative to the driving surface using an onboard system which can also allow independent movement of each wheel. In addition, this allows for better traction, improved stability on a greater variety of surfaces and lower probability of vehicle rollover. Additionally, active suspension with hydraulics would allow the vehicle to lean, dive and squat as desired, which is a critical feature being demanded by the defense industry for next generation vehicles.

It is worth commenting that the fluid power industry is not usually associated with anything light weight as main customers of fluid power products – mobile machinery and oil and gas – are usually agnostic to weight. Our first products were bladder accumulators, both high pressure and low pressure, ranging from 5 gallons to 40 gallons, where we were able to shave 100’s of kgs from the product. Our thesis is that the weight savings are so great that we’ll have an attractive opportunity on anything which requires shipping or overhead installation. A couple of years ago, however, we had a series of unexpected requests from the robotics industry and the automotive industry who asked: “how small of an accumulator can you make?“. To meet their needs we engineered, patented, designed, tested and started manufacturing of a line of diaphragm accumulators and have recently improved the design, lowered the weight and increased the performance.

Steelhead now leads the industry in the manufacturing and supply of composite high-pressure vessels for the fluid power across multiple sectors including marine, aerospace and automotive. Our company holds a successful track record in the development of end-to-end solutions with OEMs, becoming integral to the manufacture of the final product.

 

Citroen ‘Sphere’ accumulator as installed and well used circa 1974

Steelhead 500cc and 2L diaphragm accumulators

 

Traditional Steel VS SHC COPV

/in /by

Steelhead’s engineers harnessed the advanced material benefits of carbonfiber and introduced them to the traditionally heavy field of hydraulics. Lighter, stronger, simpler (and much more attractive), Steelhead has removed 86% of the mass from a traditional diaphragm accumulator with a patented thin-walled shell reinforced with composites. At , we have reinforced all types of products with composites to decrease weight and enhance performance, such as fluid power. We decided to do a side-by-side comparison of a legacy steel accumulator with identical volume (2L) and pressure rating (200 bar/3,000psi): not only is Steelhead’s novel offering a mere 14% of the weight but has a much simpler design with no welds, fewer components and therefore less points of potential failure. Overall Mass: 1.4kg vs 10.0 kg Wall thickness: 6.8mm vs 13.1mm Part count: 4 vs. 7 Welds: 0 vs. 3 Steelhead’s diaphragm accumulators are used in performance automotive, suspension, robotics, aerospace, maritime and industrial applications and are available from 0.5L to 2L of internal volume.