Press-molding method emulates autoclave
Rubber tool insert avoids consolidation pressure “dead zones” and slashes cost.

Carbon is the choice for amphibious LSA floats
Superlight, landing-gear-equipped design gives light sport aircraft builders an option for land and water.

Composites as costume: Manga masterpieces
Sophisticated design meets composite materials and manufacturing in cosplay application.

Heavy-duty infusion: Scaling up for scrubbers
Infused 3-D woven fabric preforms best steel in beams and unitized deck structures built for the caustic confines of massive flue gas desulfurization systems.

Portable wind turbine powers the warrior
DARPA-financed program puts wind energy to use for battery and system recharging.

Designing bicycling’s lightest pro racing frame
Cervélo’s Vroomen White Design group combines analysis and manufacturing acumen to create a 675g/1.5 lb composite frame.

Deepsea submersible incorporates composite pressure capsule
Spencer Composites Corp. (Sacramento, Calif.) fabricates the inner carbon/epoxy composite pressure capsule for a submersible deepsea vessel the late Steve Fossett was to take to the depths of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.

Terrafugia picks CATIA for composites work on roadable plane
CATIA will be used to conduct 3-D composite and finite-element modeling for the second iteration of the Transition Roadable Aircraft.

Challenge of engineering retrofit blades
 Myriad interrelated design factors are considered in new blades for turbines originally built for high-wind regimes.

Composite rigid inflatable boats adapt for hard work, safe play
Glass, aramid and carbon fiber composites reduce weight and enable modular design and construction of these versatile RIBs.

Engineering Insights: Conveyor Manufacturer Springs for Composites
Vibratory conveyor a natural fit for flexible, contoured composite spring arms.

Blended Wing UAV
Unique unmanned craft's robust composite design a plus for rough duty.

FEA Roundup: Design, Simulation And Analysis Converge
New modeling and analysis software products increase the accessibility and reliability of finite element analysis data.

Plane Enthusiasts Plan LSA-compliant Composite Aircraft
Aspiring owners build and - plan to market - their own tandem seat, twin-boom pusher.

Rapid Fiber Preforming On A Large Scale
A proven alternative to open molding of big parts.

Resin infused boat sails into first
When a team of nine engineering students from Cedarville University (Cedarville, Ohio) returned to Buffalo, N.Y. this year for Solar Splash 2005, an international collegiate solar-powered boat competition, it was eager to defend its title as world champion. In 2004, the team's winning entry featured a hull hand layed

Composite Wheels A First For ATV Racers
Tough, impact-resistant glass-/carbon-reinforced thermoplastic lasts longer and reduces unsprung weight for better handling.

At the top and still climbing
Trek Bicycles' OCLV manufacturing method shortens cycle times and optimizes compaction in molded carbon fiber-bike frame components.

Small-scale blade manufactured via bladder molding
High-compression bladder molding and modular tooling prove cost-effective for manufacture of small wind turbine rotor blades.

SITE Manufacturing
SITE Manufacturing (Redding, Calif.) has taken knowledge acquired during more than 23 years of producing hi-tech carbon composite components, such as telescope housings (for Celestron, see story on p. 20), and applied it to the sport of paintball. "One year around Christmas, we decided we wanted to do something else,"

Designing The Chanute Aerobatic Aircraft
Finite element modeling speeds development time and reduces uncertainty.