News briefs -- Nov. 17, 2009

Chem-Trend (Howell, Mich., USA) is expanding to Asia and Europe the availability of its Chemlease CPR semi-permanent release agent designed to prevent or reduce prerelease of composite parts from a mold. Chemlease CPR has been available in North America for more than a year and reportedly has performed well in field trials in Europe.

Euroresins Europe Holding GmbH & Co. KG (Böblingen, Germany) and SAERTEX GmbH & Co. KG (Saerbeck, Germany) have announced a strategic collaboration where Euroresins will the exclusive distributor of SAERTEX non-crimp fabrics and SAERcore materials across Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey and France. The cooperation will take effect on Jan. 1, 2010.

Jet Edge Inc. (St. Michael, Minn., USA), a manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet and abrasivejet systems for precision cutting, coating removal and surface preparation, has picked Allegheny Machine Tool Systems Inc. (AMTSI, McMurray, Pa., USA) to distribute Jet Edge waterjets in Western Pennsylvania.

The National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP, Wichita, Kan., USA) has announced that it has chosen Cytec's 5320 medium toughness out-of-autoclave prepreg system and Cytec's 5276-1 high toughness prepreg system for its newest material qualification program. Funding for this material qualification program was provided by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The material property data acquisition and qualification test plans will generate basic material allowables typically needed for aerospace applications and material properties typically needed to establish material control. Material and process specifications which follow SAE AMS format will be created for the materials.  The production of the qualified products will be controlled by NCAMP-approved process control document. The material property data generated from this program are intended for inclusion in CMH-17 Vol. 2 Complete Documentation sections. Aerospace companies that wish to participate in this program are requested to contact Yeow Ng at yeow.ng@wichita.edu.

A new specialist marketing and publicity business for the composites market has been launched by Nigel O'Dea, the former head of marketing for Scott Bader’s Composites Division. The firm, Outsourcing B2B Marketing, based in Northamptonshire, U.K., offers marketing services to companies looking for external marketing assistance to generate new sales leads and boost their order book. O’Dea has worked in the composites industry for more than nine years.  Prior to joining Scott Bader, he worked in engineering plastics for DSM EPP UK and GE Plastics BV. For information, visit www.outsourcingb2bmarketing.com.

Stephen W. Tsai and the Aeronautics & Astronautics Department at Stanford University has announded a 40­-hour 
intensive
 Composite Design Workshop II for Engineers, Jan. 7-20, 2010, 8 am to 12 pm PST. Online 
fee is 
$500. 
Students may 
earn 
four 
official 
Stanford
 credits 
and 
certificate for 
$600. Selected
 “jump
seat” 
participants can earn 
eight credits 
and 
one‐on‐one 
tutoring for $4,500.

 Visit compositesdesign.stanford.edu for more information and to register.

Zoltek Corp. (St. Louis, Mo., USA), a manufacturer of commercial carbon fiber, has announced the launch of its new Web site, www.zoltek.com. The enhanced Products section of the site now contains detailed information regarding Zoltek's PANEX 35 carbon fiber, PANEX 30 carbon fiber, and PYRON oxidized PAN fiber products.  This portion of the site includes product descriptions, pictures, and downloadable technical data sheets with updated content. The website also has updated contact information for Zoltek’s sales offices in the U.S., Europe, Korea, China and India.