Biz Briefs: HPC May 2013
News briefs from Autodesk, Firehole Composites, French Oil Mill Machinery and Mitsubishi Rayon.

Mitsubishi Rayon to reorganize U.S. composites businesses
Grafil Inc. and Newport Adhesives and Composites Inc. are being combined to create Mitsubishi Rayon Carbon Fiber and Composites Inc.

Market Outlook: Surplus in carbon fiber's future?
Participants at CW’s Carbon Fiber 2012 Conference see one coming as early as 2016.

Advanced hockey stick design delivers optimal performance
Carbon fiber composites and an innovative new resin system play key roles in the design of an elite-level stick.

Carbon fiber market: Gathering momentum
All signs point to increasing demand from many market sectors. Will capacity keep pace?

What is carbon fiber's place in wind energy systems?
CW Conferences director Scott Stephenson shares insights fro the recent 2011 Carbon Fiber conference (Dec. 5-7, 2011, in Washington, D.C.) presented by Nirav Patel, senior lead engineer of GE Energy-Manufacturing Technology (Greenville, S.C.).

SPE ACCE 2011: Growing again
The Society of Plastics Engineers’ 11th conference on automotive composites fields a top slate of speakers and attracts its largest crowd.

On the road again
CT's editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan offers a quick review of doings at this year's SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition, recently presented in Troy, Mich.

CW Conferences: A what and who preview
CompositesWorld Conferences director Scott Stephenson offers a brief preview of speakers and topics at upcoming CW Conferences.

JEC Composites Paris: 2011 Product Showcase
The news from this annual Parisian in-gathering of composites professionals is heavily weighted toward automotive lightweighting.

Carbon Fiber 2011 conference set for Washington, D.C.
CompositesWorld's Carbon Fiber 2011 conference will be held Dec. 5-7 at the Washington Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The conference is soliciting speakers and presentations.

SGL-MRC joint venture begins precursor production for BMW i3
MRC SGL Precursor Co. Ltd., the joint venture of Mitsubishi Rayon and SGL Group, has successfully begun production of precursor for use in producing carbon fiber for the forthcoming BMW i3 all-electric car.

Report: SABIC in talks with Japanese firms for carbon fiber JV
SABIC is said to be negotiating with Mitsubishi Rayon and Toray Industries to jointly produce carbon fiber in Saudi Arabia.

JEC Composites 2011: Show highlights
Skies outside were gray but the atmosphere inside was all sunshine at the 2011 JEC Composites Show in Paris. Held March 29-31 at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles, the event’s upbeat buzz reflected the current upward trend in the composites industry.

Carbon fiber market: Cautious optimism
As the recession recedes, the demand for carbon fiber, and the supply to meet it, will exceed prerecession expectations.

Carbon fiber production plants: SGL breaks ground in Moses Lake, MRC resumes build, AKSA starts up
Three July announcements from carbon fiber producers testified to renewed activity and post-recession growth in the worldwide carbon fiber market.

Mitsubishi restarts carbon fiber plant construction
The facility, in Japan, was on hold due to the economic downturn, but now will open in second quarter 2011, producing large-tow, high-performance carbon fiber.

JEC Composites Show 2010 Highlights
Despite the volcanic ash that clouded air travel, an eruption of new technology and new business did much to dispel the clouds of economic recession.

Carbon Fiber: UP!
Despite 2008-2009 recession lows, prognosticators at CompositesWorld's recent Carbon Fiber Conference predict a decade of highs.

Cytec, Mitsubishi Rayon to collaborate on aerospace-grade carbon fiber
Cytec Engineered Materials and Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd. have entered into a strategic business collaboration to advance carbon fiber reinforced composite materials technology for aerospace applications.

Supply and demand: Advanced fibers
Manufacturers of carbon and other advanced fibers respond to sustained composites industry growth with new fiber production capacity.

The making of carbon fiber
A look at the process by which precursor becomes carbon fiber through a careful (and mostly proprietary) manipulation of temperature and tension.

787 delays, economic downturn impact carbon fiber supply/demand
Unofficial news of another 6-month delay in delivery of the first 787 Dreamliner throws carbon fiber supply and demand into question.

Honda, Nissan, Toray to develop CF for cars
Goal is high-volume production of a material that can begin to affordably replace steel by 2015.