Composites as auto-body reinforcements
Hybrid structural-reinforcement technology expands options, gains applications, markets.
Peggy Malnati
Contributing Writer
Composites-intensive masterwork: 2020 Corvette, Part 2
Innovative composite materials trim mass, costs and noise on the high-volume mid-engine sports car.
Sustainable date palm fibers developed from agricultural waste
Developed by an Egyptian research consortium, PalmFil fibers and nonwovens have been developed for use in automotive composite applications and more.
Teijin increases short carbon fiber capacity
Increased product capacity will enable the company to better react to European market demands and strengthen its carbon fiber portfolio.
Composites-intensive masterwork: 2020 Corvette, Part 1
Eighth-generation vehicle sports more composites, and features parts produced using unique materials and processes.
Composites speed concrete facade fabrication
The 45-story One South First building, on the 11-acre Domino Park campus in Brooklyn, N.Y., features a geometrically complex concrete facade made, in part, with composite molds fabricated using large-format additive manufacturing.
The markets: Fuel cells and batteries (2021)
Although fuel-cell powered vehicles could still be in the automotive future, growth will be measured and so will the market for composite components. Composites for electric vehicle battery packs and hydrogen tanks for fuel cell vehicles will be the more immediate opportunity.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
Composites fare well at 2020 PACE Awards
This year’s automotive supplier award winners included composite bumper beam, liftgate and pickup box applications.
Commercial-scale carbon fiber recycling comes to Tennessee
Accepting carbon fiber waste materials now, Carbon Fiber Recycling will recycle 2,000 tons of carbon fiber waste per year at its Tennessee facility.
CETMA: composites R&D and innovation in Italy
From design and simulation to inline inspection, induction welding, continuous compression molding and recycled carbon fiber, this lab to support industry is advancing composites in aerospace, automotive, construction and more.
Revolutionizing the composites cost paradigm, Part 1: Feedstock
Highly-aligned, short-fiber Tailorable Universal Feedstock for Forming achieves aerospace properties, metal-like formability in zero-waste, fiber-to-parts pilot plant.
Teijin's Sereebo CFRTP adopted for 4K video cameras
Carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics add strength, reduce weight for Panasonic camera components.
IDI International launches material solution for EV battery covers
IDI Composites International is introducing FLAMEVEX, a new family of fiber reinforcements and resins designed specifically for the manufacture of battery enclosure systems.
The markets: Construction (2021)
The construction industry is an economy unto itself, and will be worth more than $15 trillion annually by 2030. More than 36 million new housing units will be required in the world’s 20 largest cities by 2025. Legacy materials dominate in this market, but the opportunities for composites are substantial, and growing.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
Enabling a circular economy approach to advanced composites innovation, manufacturing and use, Part 2
IACMI chief technology officer Uday Vaidya reflects on IACMI’s role in improving composites’ recyclability and reusability.
The coming decade: Clarity with a strong dose of uncertainty
Columnist Dale Brosius considers the potential and uncertain role of composites in aerospace, automotive and other markets in the coming decade.
CFRP preform technology is fast, flexible, efficient
Porsche racecar is first to sport part-via-preform technology.
The markets: Boatbuilding and marine (2020)
In the boatbuilding and marine markets, the increasing size and number of outboards per boat is driving the need for reduced weight in composite hulls and decks.
IACMI: Driving innovation in the advanced composites industry
Since its start in 2015, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) has come a long way in its mission of advancing composites innovation. CTO Uday Vaidya reflects on the past five years.
Overmolded hybrid parts open new composites markets
A process that combines continuous carbon fiber-reinforced PAEK with chopped fiber/PEEK overmolding is making inroads in the aerospace market. Parts that previously could not be produced cost-effectively from composites can now be made at less cost than their metal counterparts.
Composites fill the gaps in museum dinosaur skeletons
Ontario-based Research Casting International uses composites to build lightweight, durable dinosaur castings for museums around the world.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
University of Kentucky receives grant to turn coal pitch into carbon fiber
University researchers will work with industry partners to convert coal tar into carbon fiber for use in high-performance composite applications.
Markforged, MSC Software partner on 3D printer simulation tools
Customers will have increased access to MSC’s process simulation, performance modeling and material analysis tools for Markforged 3D printers.
The challenge of identifying test procedures for recycled carbon fiber composites
With growing use of recycled carbon fiber composites, the identification of mechanical testing procedures for rCF becomes increasingly important … and challenging.
2019 SPE Automotive Innovation Awards winners announced
Among the winners and finalists, a wide range of technologies demonstrate composites’ benefits for ground transportation.
Additive Molding promises mass-produced high-performance composites
Arris Composites introduces a patent-pending technology that manufactures high-performance thermoplastic composite components with a combination of additive manufacturing technology and high-speed compression molding. Has mass production of advanced composite components finally arrived?
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.
