CW Blog

Fiberglass Cutting Operation at Hubbell’s Lenoir City Plant Moves to Automation

Automating fabric cutting operations saves Hubbell Lenoir City money and can produce composite products faster at less cost to support infrastructure expansion.

Welcome to the Composites Age

The human race has a long history of developing materials, each one a little better than the one before it. Composites are among the latest in a long line, and proving highly adaptable to new opportunities.

Protecting EV motors more efficiently

Motors for electric vehicles are expected to benefit from Trelleborg’s thermoplastic composite rotor sleeve design, which advances materials and processes to produce a lightweight, energy-efficient component.

Mass, cost, durability improvements: EV battery enclosures, Part 2

As interest grows in composite battery covers and trays, composite materials suppliers work to meet current and future needs of automakers, battery module producers.

Flexible, induction-based heating for thermoplastic composite part repair

Spinning off from a German Aerospace Center (DLR) research project, msquare GmbH’s technology aims to innovate and enable repair for high-temperature thermoplastics.

Glass-coated magnetic microwires for nondestructive composites monitoring

Glass-coated, amorphous microwires combine nanometer to micrometer diameters, enabling embedding into composites without degrading mechanical properties.  

Carbon Fiber Event Agenda

Carbon Fiber Event Preconference

Plant tour: ÉireComposites, Galway, Ireland

An in-house testing business and R&D focus has led to innovative materials use and projects in a range of markets, from civil aerospace to renewable energy to marine.

Opportunities and challenges for composites in electric vehicles

Polymer and material specialists at chemical consulting firm ChemBizR reflect on the role of composites in current and future efforts to make electric vehicles more efficient — and more attractive for consumers.    

Final perspectives and provocations

As Dale Brosius winds down his Perspectives & Provocations column, he reminisces on its start in 2013 and offers some parting thoughts on the trends and technologies that are shaping the composites industry.

Carbon fiber composite hydrofoils to enable “world’s fastest” electric ferry

The Candela P-12 Shuttle, set to launch in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2023, will incorporate lightweight composites and automated manufacturing to combine speed, passenger comfort and energy efficiency.