Forged molding compound: Extending SMC capabilities
New material, design, process combination approaches prepreg performance with chopped carbon fiber SMC.
Peggy Malnati
Contributing Writer
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.
Glass fiber and phenolic prove their mettle in camshaft module
Replacing aluminum, a fiberglass/phenolic module reduces mass and NVH in a prototype structure and speeds assembly line installation.
Automated weaving system targets high-performance, high-volume applications
Startup WEAV3D Inc.’s technology produces highly tunable, woven lattice reinforcements for cost-effective, high-volume automotive composites and precast concrete applications.
Tow steering, Part 3: The birth of tow shearing
In-plane shearing of tows, versus in-plane bending of tows, hopes to take automated fiber placement directionality to new levels.
Thermoplastic tapes reinforced with textile-based PAN carbon fiber
IACMI project trials inline production of thermoplastic tapes reinforced with textile-based PAN carbon fiber.
Invar, wire additive manufacturing expand aerocomposite tooling options
Invar facesheets and backing structures are candidates for large-format 3D printing to more quickly and efficiently produce aerostructures tooling.
Reprocessable, repairable and recyclable epoxy resins for composites
CIDETEC matures 3R resins for aerospace applications via AIRPOXY program.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
Composites design helps nano-sized lunar rover hit big milestones
Developed by Carnegie Mellon University, the ultralight, composites-intensive Iris nano-rover will make its lunar debut later this year.
Flexible carbon fiber plates enable high-performance footwear
Carbitex’s flexible carbon fiber/thermoplastic composite plates use creative engineering to eliminate design compromises in athletic footwear.
Bespoke process produces composite brake pedal every minute
Three composite materials are used to create structural composite member that meets demanding mechanical requirements.
Hybrid, large-format additive tooling: Lighter, faster, less costly molds for big parts
Additively manufactured cores, CFRP face skins produce large tools for prototype, low-volume aerostructure parts.
Leveraging towpreg to reduce the cost of CMC
High-denier, spread-tow Nextel 610 fiber and novel alumina matrix enable AFP production of Ox-Ox ceramic matrix composites.
Graphene 101: Forms, properties and applications
Graphene-enhanced composites find new applications across end markets as the supply chain continues to mature.
Increasing demand for composite driveshafts leads to automated production
California-based fabricator ACPT Inc. worked with machine suppliers to build an innovative semi-automated production line featuring an automated filament winder.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
Vitrimers: The reprocessable thermoset
Vitrimers are not classic thermosets and they are not classic thermoplastics, but they behave like both and as such offer the best of both worlds. CW catches up with Mallinda for an explanation.
Data security in composites manufacturing
The U.S. Department of Defense is imposing new, strict rules on companies that supply composite parts and structures in a defense contract supply chain. Understanding and following those rules will not be trivial.
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.
The industrialization of thermoplastic epoxy
Fast-processing composites that are strong yet tough, thermoformable, reformable, recyclable and even FST-compliant save cost in aircraft and rail equipment.
Narrow UD tapes to bridge the ATL-AFP gap
Automated tape laying and automated fiber placement are similar, but not the same. Can narrow tapes provide a middle ground with advantages of both processes for next-gen aircraft?
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.
Composites as auto-body reinforcements
Hybrid structural-reinforcement technology expands options, gains applications, markets.
Peggy Malnati
Contributing Writer
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.
Curved pultrusions enter production
Corvette CFRP rear bumper beam is the auto industry’s first use of new technology.
The evolution of composites in NASCAR
The growing role of carbon fiber in stock car racing.
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.
Greener camping: Sonic X breaks barriers
Prototype travel trailer generates excitement, leads to new commercial models.
Automation options arise for labor-intensive composites
Typically labor-intensive fabrication processes have more automation options as new technology works in concert with operators to improve efficiency.
