Wing of Tomorrow ribs: One-shot, thermoplastic, OOA consolidation
GKN Aerospace’s carbon fiber thermoplastic aircraft rib design accomplishes 45-minute cycle times, reduced weight and competitive costs via a customized press system.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
Hexcel launches electrically conductive PEKK-based carbon fiber material
HexPEKK EM is a high-performance material for additive manufacturing that meets electromagnetic shielding, radiation absorption requirements.
Hexcel applies additive manufacturing to unmanned aerial vehicle systems
Hexcel’s HexAM process produces stiff, lightweight and complex components that are often too expensive or impossible to produce.
Revolutionizing the composites cost paradigm, Part 2: Forming
Boeing-led parts trials explore infusion, compression molding and thermoplastics, offering lessons and supply chain options to better compete with aluminum.
RAPM development with PtFS
Boeing-led program explores rapid part cycles using automated, 180-channel thermal control molding cell for infusion, thermoset prepreg and thermoplastic composites.
9T Labs, Arkema present new manufacturing approach for small aerospace parts
The companies demonstrate cost-competitive series production of structural composite parts using carbon fiber/PEKK materials and additive manufacturing.
Manufacturing the complex geometry parts of RAPM
Boeing-led program explores simulation, tooling, preforming and molding approaches to lower composites part cost.
Swinburne University and CSIRO's Industry 4.0 Testlab for Composite Additive Manufacturing
Australia and Germany collaborate to build Composites 4.0 production line for competitive advantage in next-gen manufacturing and workforce.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
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.
New Arkema resins focus on 3D printing, solid-surface applications
The Arkema Group is showcasing its advanced materials solutions developed to meet changing 3D production technologies in the construction, transportation, wind and sporting goods sectors.
Proving out LM PAEK welding for Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator
Clean Sky 2 STUNNING project will manufacture lower thermoplastic fuselage while MECATESTERS will test Toray LM PAEK in conduction and induction welding for parameters, cyclic loading, aging and environmental effects .
Using mobile susceptors to innovate thermoplastic induction welding
IS Groupe and Arkema patent ISW for high-strength UD welds, temperature control and 50% less energy.
Advancing thermoplastic composites and RTM for Clean Sky 2 in Spain
EURECAT leads projects for TPC keel beam, window frames and thermoset RTM fuselage frames with TPC shear ties for next-gen aircraft.
Surface treatment for adhesive bonding: Thermoset vs. thermoplastic composites
According to BTG Labs, common surface treatment methods like abrasion and plasma treatment work best for different materials.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
The markets: Aerospace (2020)
Despite the 737 MAX groundings, several new programs on the horizon portend increasing use of composites in commercial aerostructures for several decades.
3D printed composites with 60% fiber, less than 1% voids
9T Labs advances continuous carbon fiber 3D printing for industrial series structural components.
Arkema expands high-performance solutions to the 3D printing of composites
Arkema announces partnerships for innovative new solutions for manufacturing continuous fiber composite parts using 3D printing.
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.
3D printing continuous fiber on the desktop
Additive manufacturing technology company expands offerings to include high-performance composites.
Solvay introduces high-temperature PEEK polymer
KetaSpire PEEK XT promises the chemical resistance of standard PEEK plus significantly higher strength and stiffness at elevated temperatures.
The untapped potential in Formula 1 composite manufacture
Formula 1’s midfield teams are struggling to bridge the gap to their better resourced frontrunning counterparts. Could Industry 4.0 composites manufacturing automation level the playing field?
Download today's news from CAMX: Thursday, Sept. 26
CW is reporting live from CAMX 2019 this week in Anaheim, California. Read today’s show headlines, including show highlights, the first CAMX additive manufacturing workshop and CAMX news from Solvay and PolyOne.
Automated joining of hybrid metal-thermoplastic composite structures
The FlexHyJoin production cell combines surface structuring, induction and laser joining and NDT for automotive mass production.
Solvay expands thermoplastic composites manufacturing capacity
Solvay is building a new thermoplastic tape production line at its Anaheim, Calif., facility, underscoring its focus on thermoplastic composites for aerospace.
Accelerating thermoplastic composites in aerospace
ATC Manufacturing produces millions of thermoplastic composite parts per year, and is investing for future growth.
Hexcel materials, AM process approved for Boeing aerospace structures
Boeing has approved Hexcel’s HexAM laser sintering process and end-use structures made using the company’s HexPEKK-100 carbon fiber/PEKK material.
Injection-forming for high-performance, unitized thermoplastic structures
Combining braided tape, overmolding and form-locking, herone produces one-piece, high-torque gear-driveshaft as demonstrator for broad range of applications.
