Magna and Zoltek jointly introduce low-cost carbon fiber SMC
Zoltek (St. Louis, Mo.) and Paris, France-based Magna International's Magna Exteriors and Interiors operating unit developed the new SMC in part for a recently won semistructural composite component contract.

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

SPE ACCE 2012 Review
Bursting at the seams, the 12th annual Society of Plastic Engineers Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition tops its previous bests.

ACCE looks at automotive industry with new optimism
With the automotive industry apparently feeling more positive about composites than it has in a long time, composites professionals met up at the Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition for the annual review of materials and processing technologies.

Carbon-fiber sheet molding compound
Zoltek Companies Inc., in partnership with Magna Exteriors and Interiors, an operating unit of Magna International Inc., announced that they have collaborated on a low-cost carbon fiber sheet molding compound (SMC).

Wind turbine blades: Glass vs. carbon fiber
The problem: Produce wind power at a more competitive price. The answer? For some, it’s a more expensive reinforcement.

JEC Europe 2012 report
A big, busy show and a big variety of new developments boded well for the industry’s future.

2012 JEC Europe Highlights
JEC’s annual Paris exhibition reports impressive attendance figures as exhibitors tout big news.

Zoltek carbon fiber bound for around-the-world racing vessel
Carbon fiber manufacturer Zoltek will supply material for a 60-ft racing boat that will be used by Hungarian racing team Team Fahajó as it competes in the IMOCA Ocean Racing World Championship Series beginning in 2013.

Magna, Zoltek to develop new carbon fiber SMC material
Zoltek's Panex 35 carbon fiber will be combined with Magna's EpicBlendSMC material to produce EpicBlendSMC EB CFS-Z, and will be targeted toward vehicle battery enclosures and other automotive applications.

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.).

The markets: Automotive (2012)
High fuel costs, the recent recession, government bailouts and ever-higher fuel efficiency standards combined to rock the automotive world in the 2008-2010 time frame. The situation left OEMs highly motivated to lightweight their vehicles to improve fuel economy.

Carbon fiber manufacturers in the news
Hexcel commissions two new carbon fiber production lines in Utah; Zoltek expands its St. Louis operations.

Automotive evolution or real revolution?
HPC's editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan asks, Are efforts by BMW and GM to put carbon composites in cars a harbinger of things to come, as we hope, or flashes in the pan?

Zoltek launches carbon fiber prepreg operations
Zoltek's new 135,000-sq-ft facility near St. Louis, Mo., USA, will serve as carbon fiber technical center and manufacture carbon fiber prepreg for wind and automotive applications.

2011 High-Performance Resins Highlights
Attendees reviewed the current state of advanced resin technology and the tests that lay ahead for expanding composites into new applications and markets.

Faster auto parts production to get government boost
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $175 million to accelerate the development and deployment of advanced vehicle technologies.

WINDPOWER 2011 Report
Wind energy advocates, turbine builders and their suppliers, policy makers, and a growing number of wind-involved composites professionals gather where it all began.

Highlights: WINDPOWER 2011, Anaheim, Calif.
The American Wind Energy Association's annual WINDPOWER exhibition and conference was held in Anaheim, Calif., May 22-26. Composites were a big part of the show's focus.

Commercial-grade carbon fiber supplier restructures for growth
Zoltek has restructured its carbon fiber business into three business units: Wind Energy, Composite Intermediates, and Technical Fibers.

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

Quality Engineer, Zoltek
Zoltek Corp., the leading supplier of commercial grade carbon fiber, is seeking key management personnel to join its management team. Target markets include wind, auto, offshore drilling, marine, infrastructure and many other diverse industrial markets.

Operations Manager, Zoltek
Zoltek Corp., the leading supplier of commercial grade carbon fiber, is seeking key management personnel to join its management team. Target markets include wind, auto, offshore drilling, marine, infrastructure and many other diverse industrial markets.

Product Manager, Zoltek Corp.
Zoltek Corp., the leading supplier of commercial grade carbon fiber, is seeking key management personnel to join its management team. Target markets include wind, auto, offshore drilling, marine, infrastructure and many other diverse industrial markets.

Besting Big Ben: A Marvel in Makkah
Composite design makes possible the world’s largest clock and tallest clock tower.

People briefs, June 2010
David Stewart, Martin O'Connor named to Zoltek Automotive positions; Jonah Jimenez named president of SIGMATEX.

Carbon fiber suppliers set foundations for production-auto supply chains
Three carbon fiber suppliers have embarked on programs designed to promote efficient processing of carbon-composite components — two using resin transfer molding (RTM) — for future production automobiles.

Zoltek launches automotive research business
Zoltek Automotive Inc. will be based in St. Louis, led by David Steward and Martin O'Connor, and will work to speed development of high-volume applications for carbon fiber in automotive.

Vestas names Zoltek supplier of the year
Carbon fiber manufacturer Zoltek has helped make Vestas Blades one of the largest carbon fiber consumers in the world.

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

News briefs -- Nov. 17, 2009
Chem-Trend expands products to Asia, Europe; Euroresins to distribute SAERTEX materials; Allegheny to distribute Jet Edge products; NCAMP to qualify Cytec OOA material; Nigel O'Dea launches composites marketing firm; Stanford announces composites design workshop; Zoltek launches new Web site.

New composite materials enter the wind energy market
Zoltek and Global Blade Technology are joining forces to accelerate the design and manufacture of advanced wind turbine blades using Zoltek carbon fiber.

Corvette's carbon hood creates shock and awe
North America’s first mass-produced, all-CFRP hood raises the bar for production sports cars.

Iran in the market for carbon fiber?
An Associated Press report says Iran might be seeking carbon fiber for use in cars powered by natural gas; officials fear that it is being sought for uranium enrichment.

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

Wind Blade Manufacturing, Part I: M and P innovations optimize production
 As demand for wind turbines reaches unprecedented levels, rotor blade manufacturers explore new production strategies, including automation and blade segmentation.

Zoltek announces successful startup of its Mexican carbon fiber plant
Zoltek's new Mexican carbon fiber facility is up and running. The company also has announced new efforts in wind, aerospace and automotive applications.

Building Bridges to Bridge and Building Rehab Markets
Despite a lack of standardization and education in the civil construction sector, these innovators use carbon and steel fibers to reinforce the business case for composites.

Friction products: Carbon fiber stopping power
Low weight, thermal shock resistance, and extreme strength drive growth of carbon-reinforced friction products and materials in brake applications.

Carbon fiber buys its way onboard
First used in one-off yacht and powerboat designs, where cost is no obstacle in the search for a performance edge in local regattas or around-the-world races, carbon fiber has since carved a niche in categories that were once the exclusive reserve of glass-reinforced composites, metals or wood. In applications as

Carbon Fiber in the Wind
Is there a market for carbon composites in wind turbine blade construction? Yes, but the real question is, how big will it be?

High Wind in China
China's renewable energy mandates motivate huge growth in its wind energy market, spurring production of composite components on the Chinese mainland.

Deepwater Oil Exploration Fuels Composite Production
As the price of oil on the world market continues to climb, and as untapped land and shallow offshore oil reserves become a rarity, oil exploration companies are striking out into deepwater, developing reserves beneath the ocean floor a mile or more below the water’s surface. As a result, demand for strong yet

JEC Composites 2007 Product Showcase
This year’s Parisian exhibition provides key evidence of the composites industry’s unprecedented breadth and technical sophistication.

JEC COMPOSITES 2007 Highlights
Advanced composites make notable marks not only in traditional aerospace apps, but in automotive, sport and infrastructure arenas as well.

Composites Alive And Well In Offshore Oil Applications
The petroleum industry is moving forward with many interesting projects that will increase composite demand.

Composites connect with the world of cabling
Composite cables prove they can handle high tension - on land, over water and under the sea.

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

COMPOSITES AND CONCRETE
The benefits of composite materials are well established in concrete reinforcement and construction.

A 2004 SAMPE Europe/JEC Composites Show post-show review
Paris Technical Conference marks SAMPE Europe's 25th Anniversary with myriad new developments.

Carbon fiber/epoxy wheels developed to replace metal wheels on large freight trailers
Semi-trailers roll lighter with Prins Dokkum's carbon fiber Dynawheels.

Are Hybrid Designs the Future for Composite Bridge Decks?
Teaming composites with traditional materials may be the future direction for cost-effective infrastructure replacement.

Carbon Composites for Sports Cars and Mass Market Cars
A confluence of market demand, new product development and competition among automakers fuels growth in use of carbon fiber composites.

Isotruss offers amazing strength and material savings
The three-dimensional composite truss structure is the lightest and most efficient structural tube available.

SAMPE Wrap Up And Product Showcase
Exhibitions on both sides of the Atlantic spur optimism and spotlight innovative technology.

Towpreg Proves Cost-competitive For Wound Pressure Vessels
Design group's new winding option streamlines new pressure vessel development.

JEC Composites 2003 SAMPE Europe Conference Review
Paris is the debut stage for a galaxy of composites industry innovations.

Composite Drill Pipe An Available Option
    Lincoln has been producing flexible composite drill pipe for short-radius, horizontal drilling since 1991. Its nominal 2.375 inch /60.3 mm (OD), 30 ft/9m long pipe shaft is filament wound with 12K carbon fiber combined with glass fibers in epoxy resin over an elastomeric liner. Standard API rotary shoulder too

Design Issues With Tendons
    A composite tendon is essentially a rope made from small-diameter rods, which are pultruded with carbon fiber. Multiple rods are gathered together and twisted slightly to form a strand, using typical wire rope stranding methods. Depending on the performance requirements, 10 to 40 strands, about 2 to 3 inches/5