CW Blog

Marine 22 Jul 2019

Employment activity leads expansion in business activity

The Composites Fabricating Index for June 2019 came in at 52.7, continuing its stretch of more than 30 months of expanding activity.

Wind/Energy 18 Jul 2019

Decommissioned wind turbine blades used for cement co-processing

An initiative to recycle wind turbine blades includes the use of recycled glass fiber composites for cement manufacturing, replacing raw material and saving energy.

Application 17 Jul 2019

Natural fiber enables e-bike for package delivery

New parcel delivery vehicle concept employs a natural fiber prepreg for low weight, vibration dampening, non-conductivity and flame retardancy.

Aerospace 15 Jul 2019

Bigger, better, faster, more

Editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan considers the implications of propitious aircraft OEM announcements for the aerocomposites supply chain.

Carbon Fibers 10 Jul 2019

Combining plastics and composites for Class A parts without tools

Plastics Unlimited’s patented TEC process cuts secondary finishing and meets multiple demands for medium-volume parts.

Watch

9 Jul 2019

Podcast: CW Talks interviews Achim Fischereder of Hexcel's automotive business segment

Carbon Fibers 9 Jul 2019

Episode 26: Achim Fischereder, Hexcel

Achim Fischereder, director of sales and marketing for the automotive business segment at Hexcel, discusses the state of composites in cars and trucks today and the outlook for the future.

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Braiding 8 Jul 2019

Mechanical testing of textile composites

Standardized mechanical testing methods abound, but they often focus on composites with unidirectional layers. Here are some modifications to common test methods for testing textile composites.

Mass Transit 4 Jul 2019

Index activity expands, led by production

The Composites Fabricating Index for May 2019 came in at 53.3, led higher by production activity.

Carbon Fibers 3 Jul 2019

Acrylonitrile from biomass scales up

Affordable, sustainable, efficient manufacture of biomass-based acrylonitrile — the primary feedstock of carbon fiber production — is leaving the lab and entering the real world.