CW Blog

Invar, wire additive manufacturing expand aerocomposite tooling options

Invar facesheets and backing structures are candidates for large-format 3D printing to more quickly and efficiently produce aerostructures tooling.

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Aerospace

Aerospace: R&D investment now is critical to post-pandemic growth

While reduced R&D investments may be a natural response to the pandemic’s swift and brutal impact to commercial aviation, ramping up innovation is more imperative for the long-term.

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Glass Fibers

Hydroelectric turbine blade design propelled by composites

Glass fiber composites power the development of a modular, spiral-shaped hydroelectric micro turbine blade for low-cost, high-efficiency renewable energy generation.

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Economics

Supply chain challenges persist into the new year

Quickening expansion in new orders and production activity was counterbalanced by worsening contraction in export activity for the January Composites Index.

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Automotive

Composites contribute to high-performance Cadillacs

The CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing are built for speed, with the latter being the quickest Cadillac ever to make it to a dealer showroom. Aero sculpting brings composites into play and add accents to the interior.

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Digital Demos

Integrating, optimizing automated laser projection solutions

Virtek Vision explores the latest developments of Virtek Iris 3D, the company’s vision-based laser projection system for composites layup and fabrication applications.

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Aerospace

The evolution of the commercial aerospace landscape

Following the grounding of the 737 and the downturn caused by the pandemic, Boeing finds itself a distant second to Airbus. What should it do?

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Epoxies

Commercializing UV-curable thermosets for continuous fiber 3D printing

Strategic partners Continuous Composites and Arkema/Sartomer are developing a library of photocurable resins for use in a variety of OOA, high-speed, high-performance composite applications.

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Economics

Supply chains will mean everything for composites in early 2021

Lengthening order-to-fulfillment times caused the reading for supplier deliveries to surge, lifting the overall December Composites Index into expansionary territory. 

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Application

Additive Molding technology revolutionizes autonomous drone design

Arris’ Additive Molding process uses consolidated glass/carbon fiber airframe to optimize performance and reduce costs to produce Skydio X2 drone for industrial, consumer and defense use.

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Automotive

Liftgate design puts modified filament winding to the test

Heavily modified winding process produces light, structural support frame for performance-critical liftgate.

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Feature

Tow steering, Part 2: The next generation

Wings on next-generation commercial aircraft will be longer, thinner, more aerodynamic and more efficient. They also are ideal candidates for the application of steered tows. One project aimed to design, fabricate and quantify a tow-steered wing skin.

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Composite raw materials
Alpha’s Premier ESR®
Quickly Make Molds, Tools and Fixtures
prepeg and slit tape products