Ginger Gardiner

Ginger Gardiner Senior Technical Editor

Composites in Class A body panels: Evolution continues

Low-density SMCs lead the way as fiber-reinforced polymers make headway in auto components that must please the eye.

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Aerospace

Class A composites: A history

Composites have made a lingering and increasingly positive impression in the for exterior automotive body panels.

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Carbon Fibers

SpaceX announces COPV’s role in September rocket explosion

Buckles (voids) between carbon composite overwrap and aluminum liner in cryotank led to ignition of super chilled oxygen — will be fixed long-term via COPV design change.

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Automotive

Hybrid steel/composite transmission gears

Scalable gear design trims heavy-truck weight, preserves wear life, controls cost.

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Ketones

Plant Tour: Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing, Bristol, RI, US

Precision thermoplastics parts manufacturer expands into hybrid composites to help meet OEM demand for higher performance while trimming weight, cost and lead times.

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Sustainability

Recycled carbon fiber for lower-priced lightweight in heavy trucks?

Though its recent SuperTruck project used CFRP to slash over 3,200 lb, Volvo says it needs lower cost materials like recycled carbon fiber.

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CW Plant Tour: Composite Technology Center, Stade, Germany

A cornerstone of Germany’s CFK Valley, CTC pushes composites forward via automation, recycling, digital thread-based manufacturing and more.

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RTM

Recyclable epoxy proven in HP-RTM

Recyclamine hardener performs well in global processing trials and cradle-to-cradle recycling demo.

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Reversibly crosslinking thermoset-thermoplastic hybrid polymers

Evonik’s new system delivers crosslinked performance of epoxies below 100°C, processing benefits of thermoplastics above 170°C.

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Marine

Cored carbon air-supported vessel

Tuco Marine’s ASV a sustainable yet speedy craft.

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Out of Autoclave

Redesigned bonded fasteners enable RTM railway cabinets

Adhesion Technologies Ltd. (ATL, Hampshire, UK) has developed a range of in-mold bonded fasteners, which reduce build time by eliminating the need for hole-drilling.

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Glass Fibers

How is knitting different?

There are three principal methods of manipulating fibers or yarns into textile fabrics.

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