CW Blog
Aerospace composites in “the more for less” era
The past decade was about innovation and new technology. The next will be about productivity.
Read MoreAutocomposites and the myth of $5/lb carbon fiber
The $5/lb line in the sand comes with a similar challenge that, ultimately, will determine the fate of carbon fiber in automotive: Manufacturability.
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Wet-spinning carbon fiber precursor begins in Australia
Australian R&D center CSIRO is working on wet-spinning polymers to produce precursors for carbon fiber. Polymers being used include polyacrylonitrile, cellulose, lignin and blends of these materials. Q&A with Derek Buckmaster.
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Resin prices on the rise
UPR, vinyl ester and gel coat prices are on the rise in the US, Europe and the Middle East. The culprit, it appears is styrene, whose supply is short thanks to unforeseen technical problems.
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NASA carbon fiber glider to gather weather data during flight
The teams are still working on the design but the aircraft is expected to have a wingspan of about 3 feet and will be made of double ply, carbon fiber.
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Google shoots the moon
Google Lunar XPRIZE contenders turn to space- and launch-friendly composites.
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A tsunami of growth: An inside look at the CSP/Teijin merger
I had the opportunity to meet and interview the top executives of Continental Structural Plastics (CSP, Auburn Hills, MI, US) and Teijin Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) last week. The occasion was an open house and celebration of the acquisition of CSP by Teijin.
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Machine vision: Rapid error detection
Aerospace-aimed ply placement technology evolves into process management and near-real time inspection system for production laminated composite parts.
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Plant tour: Aeris Energy, Caucaia, Brazil
In Northeast Brazil, wind blade manufacturer Aeris Energy is laser-focused on serving the domestic energy market, but it's poised to expand to serve the entire world. In the process, it has developed operations and a workforce that makes it a standout in the region.
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Compression molding: New materials and markets
From multifunctional aircraft interiors to compounds using continuous fabrics to the growing use of recycled carbon fiber – compression molding offers new opportunities.
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IACMI Winter Meeting: Mapping the road ahead
The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) held its winter meeting in Denver Feb. 1-2, updating its membership on the public-private institute's efforts to accelerate composites design and manufacturing.
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Supersonic flight goes commercial, again
Boom Technology describes its program to validate a cost-effective faster-than-sound airliner.
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