May 2026 Issue

May 2026

Digital Edition

Advancing the Thermoplastic Composite Battery Enclosure into Production

Having achieved its first few commercial series successes, Kautex Textron explains the design process for its Pentatonic battery enclosure platform, which comprise glass fiber/PP or PA6 and injection overmolding a compression molded laminate.

Features

Featured articles from the May 2026 issue of CompositesWorld

Molds/Tools 1 Apr 2026

Advancing mold release technology for aerospace composites manufacturing

Chem-Trend’s water-based, silicone-free mold release agent eliminates release curing time and provides easy tool cleanup.

Hydrogen Storage 20 Apr 2026

Braided CF/LMPAEK tube system reduces liquid hydrogen fuel line weight by 50-60%

Herone GmbH’s automated technology, combining tape braiding and press molding, produces lightweight, unitized TPC cryogenic fuel lines for applications like liquid hydrogen aircraft propulsion systems and space launchers.

Recycling 8 Apr 2026

Circularity and biomaterials trends at JEC World 2026

Recycling technologies of all types continue to show momentum with new partnerships, startups and scale-up plans to meet demand, while bio-materials see adoption in increasingly high-volume applications and higher bio-content amounts.

Market Outlook 13 Apr 2026

Composites End Markets: Aviation and Advanced Air Mobility (2026)

Market outlook highlights commercial, defense and bizjet upturn, shift to Asia/rise of India while supply chain struggles to meet rate, AAM begins pivot toward commercial routes plus trends in civil UAS, electric aircraft and the latest in composites developments.

Carbon Fibers 27 Apr 2026

Demonstrating CFRP for high-precision, high-motion watch components

Japan-based watchmaker explains R&D results of using carbon fiber composites to replace metal in structural movement parts to increase stiffness while not sacrificing mobility or stability.

Fabrics/Preforms 17 Apr 2026

Europe’s composites market trajectory

The AVK’s latest report shows a decline in European composites production, hampered by overall economic weakness plus a specific crisis in automotive and a shift toward Asia, yet global demand for composites continues to increase and opportunities for growth exist, requiring new strategies.

Editorial 29 Apr 2026

How AI is reshaping the ways we work

Supercharging manufacturing jobs, closing skill gaps and turning chaos into innovation.

Welding 21 Apr 2026

JEC 2026 highlights: AFP-RTM integration, new vitrimer prepreg, mapping AFP data, metal coated fiber in battery cases and more

CW executive editor Ginger Gardiner discusses some of this year’s notable exhibits and new developments in composites.

Aerospace 9 Apr 2026

JEC World 2026 highlights innovations in high-rate composite manufacturing

CW editor-in-chief Scott Francis discusses trends in high-rate composites manufacturing on display at JEC World. As the aerospace sector gears up for a new single-aisle aircraft program and defense demand grows, the industry is shoring up processes to meet demand.