Ginger Gardiner

Ginger Gardiner Senior Technical Editor

Aerospace

MFFD longitudinal seams welded, world's largest CFRTP fuselage successfully completed

Fraunhofer IFAM and partners have completed left and right welds connecting the upper and lower fuselage halves and sent the 8×4-meter full-scale section to ZAL for integration with a cabin crown module and testing.

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Market Outlook

Composites end markets: Batteries and fuel cells (2024)

As the number of battery and fuel cell electric vehicles (EVs) grows, so do the opportunities for composites in battery enclosures and components for fuel cells.

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Optimizing robotic winding of composite tanks and pipes

Pioneer in mandrel-based reinforced rubber and composite products, TANIQ offers TaniqWindPro software and robotic winding expertise for composite pressure vessels and more.

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JEC

JEC World 2024 highlights: Thermoplastic composites, CMC and novel processes

CW senior technical editor Ginger Gardiner discusses some of the developments and demonstrators shown at the industry’s largest composites exhibition and conference.

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Market Outlook

Composites end markets: Pressure vessels (2024)

The market for pressure vessels used to store zero-emission fuels is rapidly growing, with ongoing developments and commercialization of Type 3, 4 and 5 tanks.  

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Work In Progress

Measuring energy use to enable sustainable composites production

Airbus subsidiary CTC uses new technology to measure energy use in machine components and processes to optimize equipment, production lines and guide decisions for future composites.

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Bonding

Fraunhofer IWS completes MFFD longitudinal fuselage joint using CONTIjoin technology

Thermoplastic composite upper and lower half shells for the Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator were welded using CO2 laser over a total length of 8 meters.

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Plant Tours

Plant tour: Sekisui Aerospace, Orange City, Iowa, Renton and Sumner, Wash., U.S.

Veteran composites sites use kaizen and innovation culture to expand thermoplastic serial production, 4.0 digitization and new technology for diversified new markets.

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Feature

The future of quartz and oxide fibers at Saint-Gobain Advanced Ceramic Composites

New business builds on 100-year legacy in quartz, prepares for growth, while starting production of oxide fibers to meet increased demand for CMC by aerospace and industrial sectors.

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Sustainability

Mitsui Chemical, Microwave Chemical complete microwave-based carbon fiber demo facility

Completed in December 2023, the pilot production line at Mitsui Chemicals Nagoya Works began trials in January and will supply carbon fiber samples within fiscal 2024.

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Pressure Vessels

Plastic Omnium starts construction of Chinese mega-plant for H2 pressure vessels

The new PO-Rein joint venture factory in Jiading, Shanghai, aims to be operational in 2026, producing up to 60,000 hydrogen vessels and high-pressure hydrogen storage systems per year for the Chinese commercial vehicle market.

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Hydrogen Storage

Update: THOR project for industrialized, recyclable thermoplastic composite tanks for hydrogen storage

A look into the tape/liner materials, LATW/recycling processes, design software and new equipment toward commercialization of Type 4.5 tanks.

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