CW Blog

Materials Testing 1 Jul 2015

Optimum unidirectional compression testing of composites

Dr. Daniel O. Adams, a professor of mechanical engineering, the director of the Composite Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Utah, and VP of Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, US) discusses the complex relationship between composite tensile and compressive properties, why that makes it necessary to perform both tension and compression testing, and how best to perform the latter.

Workforce Development 1 Jul 2015

Workforce development: Let's start in high school

CW Editor-in-Chief Jeff Sloan says one concern at the otherwise positive initial membership meeting of the new Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) was that the composites industry is quickly losing knowledge, as old-timers retire, that is not so easily replaced. Here's his prescription.

Automotive 1 Jul 2015

Composite engine piston cylinder housings

Phenolic BMC could replace aluminum in car/motorcycle engine housings.

Aerospace 14 Feb 2023

Thermosets vs. thermoplastics: Is the battle over?

Dale Brosius, the chief commercialization officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and a regular CW columnist, sees a shift in the industry from infighting between proponents of thermoset and thermoplastic composites to a healthier competitive atmosphere that serves to make composites overall more competitive with legacy materials.

Consumer 30 Jun 2015

Composites enable innovative prototype for snow mountain bike

A group of engineering students from the University of Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada) believe mountain biking should be enjoyed year-round.

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Automotive 25 Jun 2015

Engel: Full speed ahead on composites R&D

CW attended the Engel Symposium 2015 and visited its Technology Center for Lightweight Composites in St. Valentin, Austria.

Out of Autoclave 17 Jun 2015

Summer...time for an air show

Highlights from the 2015 edition of the Paris Air Show, and what to look for at the upcoming EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh next month.

Adhesives 15 Jun 2015

3D Printing Moves Into Tooling Components

Some pundits predict that 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), will change our world forever. While that may yet be, one thing is clear: The growth of 3D printing over the past two decades has wrought significant change in composites tooling. Although AM’s most obvious advantage is direct part production without tooling, the growing trend in the aerospace and automotive sectors at present is its use for fast, on-demand builds of mold tools to keep pace with accelerating composite part design cycles and demand for faster overall part processing speeds.