Looking back at 2023 to look forward

Welcome to 2024! As is tradition, I want to take this time to review the stories that CW has published the past year that garnered the most interest from our print and digital readers. We like to think it offers a small window into some of the trending topics in the composites industry and sets the table for the months ahead.

Digging through our site analytics, there are many ways you can slice and dice this data. Usually, this exercise involves looking primarily at stories published between January and December, but it’s impossible to look at our top article page without seeing one older, albeit still very relevant, story sitting at the top — a 2017 article titled “Composite submersibles: Under pressure in deep, deep waters.”

That article was propelled to our most highly viewed story in the wake of the OceanGate Titan submersible implosion in June 2023. The event rocked the composites community, as there was much speculation that the use of carbon fiber for the craft’s hull might have been a cause of failure, despite the successful use of the material for previous deepsea applications. Six months later, the factors that contributed to the Titan’s structural failure remain undetermined. No matter the cause, the event should serve as a reminder that exacting fabrication methods and thorough testing and evaluation of materials and structures are critical for success and safety in the high-performance applications that composites enable. As we look to the work ahead for the coming year, that lesson should not be forgotten. Lives depend on the many end uses composites provide, and failures of structures can have catastrophic results.

Based on topics of discussion at industry events that CW’s editors attended throughout the year, some of the other trending topics of 2023 probably won’t come as a surprise. It seems that what is at the forefront of the industry’s mind continues to include advanced air mobility (AAM), hydrogen and sustainability.

See for yourself — here’s a top 20 list of CW’s 2023 most read stories:

1. Plant tour: Joby Aviation, Marina, Calif., U.S.
2. Cryo-compressed hydrogen, the best solution for storage and refueling stations?
3. The lessons behind OceanGate
4. Plant tour: Albany Engineered Composites, Rochester, N.H., U.S.
5. Plant tour: Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.
6. Manufacturing the MFFD thermoplastic composite fuselage
7. TU Munich develops cuboidal conformable tanks using carbon fiber composites for increased hydrogen storage
8. Infinite Composites: Type V tanks for space, hydrogen, automotive and more
9. A new era for ceramic matrix composites
10. Jeep all-composite roof receivers achieve steel performance at low mass
11. Natural fiber composites: Growing to fit sustainability needs
12. Next-generation airship design enabled by modern composites
13. ASCEND program update: Designing next-gen, high-rate auto and aerospace composites
14. Plant tour: Middle River Aerostructure Systems, Baltimore, Md., U.S.
15. 3D-printed CFRP tools for serial production of composite landing flaps
16. Bio-based acrylonitrile for carbon fiber manufacture
17. Novel composite technology replaces welded joints in tubular structures
18. The basics of composite drawing interpretation
19. MFFD thermoplastic floor beams — OOA consolidation for next-gen TPC aerostructures
20. Automotive chassis components lighten up with composites

CW wrapped up 2023 with a couple of events designed to address some of these trends — the Carbon Fiber Conference (CFC) and an online Tech Days event devoted to AAM. Both events were full of lively conversations aimed at trying to provide a roadmap for navigating the complicated circumstances that are shaping our industry. They both touched on how supply and demand of carbon fiber will be impacted by the optimistic build rates that AAM is hoping to achieve, as well as how AAM processes — which seek to emulate automotive production methods — might influence commercial aerospace. CFC also speculated about the ways in which a growing supply of imported carbon fiber from China might affect the industry.

With the new year ahead of us, CW is looking ahead to more exciting stories, events and discussions surrounding these trends. We have two installments of our CW Tech Days series planned, tackling sustainability and new space, respectively. We’re also exploring ways to push the boundaries of CW’s reporting by partnering with some of our sister publications. For example, in this month’s issue we are launching a new, semi-regular column inspired by Products Finishing magazine that discusses finishing and fastening topics related to composites manufacturing. The first installment discusses an innovative energy-saving coating technology based on photonic cooling. 

In addition you’ll find:

• A story discussing Cygnet Texkimp’s work to optimize Type V hydrogen tank fabrication and sustainability in a range of sectors;
• A plant tour on composites automation specialist BeSpline/Addcomp offering a look at its novel AFP systems and adaptive molds for unique 3D parts;
• A look at Arcadia Aerospace Industries’ versatile approach to nondestructive testing and ultrasonic inspection of complex aerostructures;
• And more.

On behalf of the team at CW, I hope you enjoy this issue and wish you much success in 2024. Happy New Year!