CW Blog

Aerospace 23 Feb 2009

Thermoplastic composites: Inside story

Reinforced thermoplastics buy their way into structural aircraft interior components.

Aerospace 23 Feb 2009

Aircraft simulation gets composites aware

Rapid software evolution enables faster, better virtual solutions to complex composite design problems.

Sustainability 20 Feb 2009

SAMPE Europe/JEC Composites 2009 preview

SAMPE Europe’s 30th annual spring conclave and the nearby JEC Composites Show characterize the latest in material and process technologies.

Autoclave 20 Feb 2009

Inside R and D: A-VaRTM takes flight in Japan

Tests show out-of-autoclave process can reduce costs on new regional jet.

Thermoplastics 27 Jan 2009

One-piece molded truck body uses customized resin formulation

When General Motors Corp. (Flint, Mich. ) opted to update its small Astro cargo van in 2007 concurrent with the introduction of new Colorado and Canyon light truck platforms, customers talked and GM listened.

Adhesives 27 Jan 2009

Composites help create "ghostly" sculpture of bygone time

Sculptor Lawrence Argent of Argent Studios Ltd. (Denver, Colo. ) recently completed another of his several Denver-area public art installations, an internally illuminated, translucent composite sculpture called Ghost Trolley.

Out of Autoclave 26 Jan 2009

JEC Composites 2009/SAMPE Europe preview

Organizers predict good turnout in poor economy for annual Paris tradeshow.

Infrastructure 26 Jan 2009

Infrastructure rallying cry

One of the buzz phrases surrounding President Obama's stimulus legislation is “infrastructure construction.” Composites professionals know that if we want a lasting solution to current civil infrastructure needs, 21st Century materials and technology must be used. We know that composites offer that option. But they — government officals, civil engineers and other decision-makers — don’t know.Who will tell them, if not us?

Aerospace 26 Jan 2009

Is it really low-tech vs. high tech?

I’ll bet that a lot of folks who read this column regularly — assuming I’m lucky and lots of folks are reading — have spent their entire careers working with E-glass without ever thinking they were high-performance geeks, too. To them, welcome to the club!