CW Blog

Composites manufacturing for general aviation aircraft

General aviation, certified and experimental, has increasingly embraced composites over the decades, a path further driven by leveraged innovation in materials and processes and the evolving AAM market.

Carbon Exoskeleton Technology Enables Freedom in Composite Design

At JEC World 2023, Addyx exhibited their patented water-soluble inflatable mandrel, together with a patented carbon exoskeleton technology. This technology enables greater design freedom, reduced manufacturing costs, and lighter and stronger composite components.

National Composites Week 2023

National Composites Week is August 21-25 and the theme is #CompositesAreNow. The goal of National Composites Week is to celebrate and bring attention to the myriad ways that composite materials and composites manufacturing contributes to the products and structures that shape the American manufacturing landscape today. Learn how you can participate. 

VIDEO: AFP Solutions in Composites Manufacturing

Addcomposites, which specializes in automated fiber placement systems and the associated software, exhibited various AFP structures at JEC 2023. In this video, Addcomposites Co-Founder, James Kuligoski, discusses their automated fiber placement solutions with CW.

Optimized approach to predict delamination failure in CFRTP structures

ARRK Engineering and Mitsui Chemicals improved delamination prediction accuracy to help optimize absorbed energy/failure load for an overmolded TAFNEX CF/PP UD tape bumper beam.

The basics of composite drawing interpretation

Knowing the fundamentals for reading drawings — including master ply tables, ply definition diagrams and more — lays a foundation for proper composite design evaluation.

Plant tour: Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.

Purpose-built facility employs resin transfer infusion (RTI) and assembly technology to manufacture today’s composite A220 wings, and prepares for future new programs and production ramp-ups.

Recycling hydrogen tanks to produce automotive structural components

Voith Composites and partners develop recycling solutions for hydrogen storage tanks and manufacturing methods to produce automotive parts from the recycled materials.

Composites GBI lost a little ground in June

The GBI: Composites has contracted since April, just barely remaining within a two-point range of 50.      

VIDEO: The Advantages of Thermoplastics in Composites Manufacturing

Paris Air Show 2023 highlights

The Paris Air Show, one of the largest aerospace trade shows in the world, returned for the first time since 2019 and proved that the global aviation industry industry is very much alive and kicking.

The (not exactly) new guy at CW

Former CW writer and editor Scott Francis rejoins the brand as editor-in-chief as Jeff Sloan assumes the role of publisher.