Digital thread vs. digital twin
This is an online sidebar for the July 2020 article, “Composites 4.0: Digital transformation, adaptive production, new paradigms”. When I first discussed these concepts in 2016, they were still somewhat nascent in composites.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
ACT Blade, AMRC cooperate on 13m blade demonstrator
ACT Blade’s wind turbine blade design uses a textile shell overwrapping a structural spar to help reduce blade weight and manufacturing cost.
FLOTANT project to develop composite mooring cable system for deep water wind farms
Project partners are testing pultruded carbon fiber/thermoplastic profiles for use in a more cost-efficient, robust offshore wind farm mooring system.
Fiberline to supply carbon fiber profiles for Nordex Group wind blades
Denmark-based Fiberline says this transaction is its largest carbon fiber profile contract in the wind industry to date.
U.K. develops Sustainable Composites to address composite recycling challenge
The partnership will accelerate new recycling technologies, such as delivering a series of R&D projects, investing in new material feedstocks and more.
PlasmaBound completes €1.1 million investment round
Ireland-based PlasmaBound has developed controlled polymer ablation (CPA) technology, which joins structural adhesives to composites materials.
Bio-based hybrid tapes assessed for lightweight applications
A project of AZL’s partner institute, ITA, integrates flax fiber reinforcement with a PA11 resin matrix. Targeted end markets include automotive and wind energy.
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
Nabrawind announces OEM order for jointed blade
Nabrawind expects commercial manufacturing of its modular blade to begin by 2021 for a top five wind turbine OEM.
AnalySwift launches VABS software on Altair Partner Alliance platform
VABS software enables cost-effective simulation for composite rotor blades, tubes and other slender composite structures.
Europe's Vattenfall invests in world’s largest offshore wind farm
The 1,500-MW Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm will power 2 million-3 million Dutch homes and is part of a larger industry trend toward renewables and away from fossil fuels.
Wind energy leaders present recommendations for recycling wind turbine blades
The EuCIA, Cefic and WindEurope recently released a joint report aimed to accelerate wind turbine blade recycling efforts.
Germany's aerodyn launches rotor blade for 11-15 MW turbines
The rotor blade boasts CFRP-GFRP spar caps, a 128-meter rotor diameter, an adjustable design and more.
Siemens Gamesa to expand wind turbine nacelle capacity in Taiwan
The expansion is designed to support the 300-MW Hai Long 2 offshore wind farm and is expected to strengthen the localized nacelle supply chain.
Curve in the road: First curved pultruded auto parts
Thomas Technik + Innovation KG’s radius pultrusion process unlocks new possibilities for the automotive market and beyond.
Peggy Malnati
Contributing Writer
ACMA report addresses composite wind turbine blade recycling
The report points to viable technologies and strategies for sustainability and energy efficiency in composite manufacturing and EOL recycling.
Siemens Gamesa's 14-MW offshore wind turbines to power 2.6-GW Dominion Energy project
All wind turbines for the 2,640-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project are expected to be installed by 2026.
Diab Group to expand PET core capacity in China
Expanded operations are expected to begin in 2021 and include a PET structural foam production line in the existing Diab Zhangjiagang facilities.
Siemens Gamesa launches 14-MW offshore direct drive turbine
The SG 14-222 DD wind turbine 108-meter blades, a lightweight nacelle and more.
Armacell extends PET foam core operations to China.
Armacell’s fourth PET foam extrusion line globally is designed to meet growing demand for PET foams across the Chinese composite market.
Simulation software leveraged for rotor blade project
Seoul National University uses Analyswift’s composite simulation software, VABS, for more accurate design and analyses in the university’s experimental evaluation of a SNUF rotor blade.
What will the composites industry's post-pandemic future look like?
We already have the tools needed to help us craft our future, even if we do not know yet how and where those tools might be deployed.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
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.
Brazilian composites sector shows third consecutive year of growth
Maxiquim’s recent study notes that the transportation and electric sectors are responsible for $560 million in revenue.
MHI Vestas wind blade materials to be sourced in Taiwan
Taiwan-based Swancor will supply resins and composite materials for MHI Vestas’ offshore wind projects in Taiwan.
Siemens Gamesa completes acquisition of Portuguese wind blade plant
Senvion’s Ria Blades factory in Vagos, Portugal, widens Siemens Gamesa’s global footprint and strengthens the wind manufacturer’s position in a competitive onshore business environment.
AWEA: U.S. sets first quarter wind record for 2020
The first quarter of 2020 saw U.S. wind project installations rise 117% compared to Q1 2019.
4M demonstrates large-diameter carbon fiber production
4M Carbon Fiber, working with textile-grade polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor producer Dralon GbmH, has used its plasma oxidation technology to manufacture large-diameter carbon fiber.