Plant tour: Hexcel, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
The scale, precision, speed and quality of carbon fiber manufacture has evolved substantially since the material’s modern introduction in the late 1960s. Hexcel offers a glimpse of the state of the art today.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
NASA rocket motors arrive at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis program
The rocket motors are the next step toward NASA’s Artemis I space launch in 2021.
Epic delivers first all-carbon fiber E1000 aircraft
Epic Aircraft delivers a composite, single-engine turboprop aircraft to customers despite recent pandemic-related setbacks.
Airbus A220 production hangar opens in U.S.
Airbus opens a new A220 final assembly line at its Mobile, Ala., U.S., location and begins assembly of the first A220 for JetBlue.
Composites suppliers, fabricators respond to coronavirus
Companies across the composites industry supply chain share how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their businesses, and how they are available to help.
Episode 30: Gary Sharpless, Concordia Fibers, Boston Materials Inc.
Composites industry veteran and marketing advisor Gary Sharpless discusses his more than 35 years in the industry and his current advisory roles with Concordia Fibers and Boston Materials.
Boeing 777X achieves first successful flight
The 777X jetliner, which features the longest carbon fiber composite aircraft wings yet manufactured, took to the skies for its maiden flight on Jan. 25.
Second Boeing 777X completes first flight
The second of four 777X test aircraft made its first flight on April 30 to test handling characteristics and other aspects of airplane performance.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
The markets: Industrial applications (2020)
A number of manufacturers in the composites industry have relatively quietly carved out a lucrative and growing share in the market for brackets, fixtures, ductwork, pallets, and other often hidden and typically less newsworthy parts that nevertheless require complex shapes, must perform at high levels and are targeted for weight, cost and production-time reductions.
Hyundai Motor Co., Uber unveil air taxi model
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the companies announced an aerial ridesharing partnership and a new eVTOL design.
Rolls-Royce opens composite fan blade facility in Bristol, U.K.
The facility is developing carbon fiber composite fan blades and fan cases for the Rolls-Royce UltraFan jet engine demonstrator.
The markets: Aerospace (2020)
With the 737 MAX grounded, the global aerospace supply chain was thrown into disarray in 2019. Still, several new programs on the horizon portend increasing composites use in commercial aerostructures for coming decades.
Albany Engineered Composites to work on Wing of Tomorrow program
Albany has signed a two-year agreement with Airbus to apply its 3D reinforced composites technology to next-generation wing substructure applications.
Solvay supplies high-performance thermoplastic film to Safran
Solvay will supply Halar ECTFE high-performance thermoplastic films for Safran’s LEAP engine acoustic panels.
Composites in the race to space
Advanced materials use in current and upcoming NASA missions.
Scott Francis
Contributing Editor, CompositesWorld
Albany International acquires CirComp GmbH
German innovator in RTM will help Albany Engineered Composites accelerate technology development in thermoplastic composites
Composites 2020: A Multitude of Markets
The manufacturing world likes to think of composites fabrication as a single, global entity that operates to serve its customers’ needs with a variety of highly engineered parts and structures.
Fiberglass industrial fan manufacturer builds on tradition
Collaboration produces large diameter low noise application composite axial flow fan.
2-part epoxy for increased composite aerostructures production via RTM
Hexion meets demand for accurate mixing with in-line analytic control while improving processing window, fiber volume content and manufacturing efficiency.
CAMX Additive Manufacturing Workshop speaker: CEAD
The Additive Manufacturing Workshop for Composites at CAMX (Anaheim, Calif., U.S.) will take place on September 25 and will explore the evolution of 3D printing technology and fiber reinforcement.
Lightyear One prototype solar car uses carbon fiber to help meet 725-km range
2021 production to be followed by future models for autonomous, fleet and lower-cost/higher-volume markets.
Rolls-Royce starts manufacture of world's largest fan blades, made with composites, for UltraFan demonstrator
CFRP blades and fan case cut weight for twin-engine aircraft by 700 kilograms
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
HP-RTM for serial production of cost-effective CFRP aerostructures
Merging automotive process and tooling with aerospace quality to meet increasing production rates.
Tackling the aerospace supplier’s dilemma: Scalability
Automation and robotics can go a long way toward increasing capacity and growing a business dedicated to aerospace manufacturing. But Trinity Precision has learned that refining the indirect and unseen aspects of its operations can be just as valuable.
Mission critical: An additive manufacturing breakthrough in commercial aviation
The GE9X is the first commercial aircraft engine to reach production with significant additive content. The story of GE’s accomplishment and why it matters.
A flight plan for next-gen manufacturing
If the commercial aviation industry effectively doubles in the next 20 years, as projected by the two largest aerospace manufacturing companies in the world, how can aerospace manufacturers and suppliers possibly keep up?
Solvay, Safran sign agreement on high-temperature technologies
Safran will use Solvay’s high-temperature advanced materials on critical engine components.
Fusing waterjet, laser for efficiency in CFRP/CMC machining
Laser MicroJet technology offers high accuracy and speed without heat issues, burring or replacement of cutting tools.