Sara Black Senior Technical Editor Emeritus
Comptek's consumer adhesive spin-off
When technicians involved in Aero Solutions LLC’s (Boulder, Colo.) repair projects reported that resin residue left in the bags that contained the company’s glass/polyurethane protective wraps was “great for gluing stuff,” parent conpy Comptek Structural Composites’ CEO Jim Lockwood decided to try bottling it.
Read MoreComposites the clear choice in telecom tower rehabs
Tower permit difficulties spur repairs/upgrades of aging steel structures.
Read MoreQuay cable tray: Composites upgrade container ship terminal
When the Cape Town, South Africa, Transnet National Ports Authority began a 12-month effort to expand its facility and upgrade its existing quays (wharfs), engineers realized that the Authority had a safety problem at its main container quay. Composites provided the solution.
Read MoreBuilding a house, with a 3-D printer
A Dutch project is working with Henkel on an effort to 3-D print an entire house to help evaluate material and manufacturing strategies.
Read MoreReselling, reusing composite materials and parts
The more carbon and glass fiber is used, the more it's thrown away. How the industry copes with reusable material will matter much in the coming decades. What do you do with your usable scrap?
WatchThermoplastic composites save weight in rotorcraft aerostructure
This helicopter structure outdoes both metal and thermoset-composite alternatives.
Read MoreLaser encoder enables highly accurate cutting of critical wingskins
To ensure machined part dimensional accuracy on Flow International Corp.’s (Kent, Wash.) new Composites Machining Center’s (CMC) gantry design, in x-axis lengths of 6 to 50m (19.5 to 162.5 ft), one of the keys is Renishaw plc’s (Gloucestershire, U.K.) HS10/HS20 laser encoder.
Read MoreComposites fit telecom tower repair like a glove
Telecome towers are critical to phone, television and radio communications, but building new ones is expensive. Composites-based repair systems aim to extend the life of towers already in operation.
Read MoreVideo: Morphing wing technology update
A new video from NASA Dryden shows how aircraft wing morphing technology is being used to develop quieter and more efficient aircraft systems.
Read MoreSportfishing yacht: Infusion optimized
This well-loved deepsea fishing brand has moved from Miami to a new facility, and to a state-of-the-art resin-infused laminate for its Bertram 64.
Read MoreInspection: 30-year-old fiberglass pipeline stands test of time
Examined after three decades in service (half its predicted service life), this filament wound fiberglass pipe showed no signs of degradation.
Read MoreLisa Airplanes rises, falls, rises again
Creative use of carbon fiber helped make Lisa Airplanes' Akoya LSA a possibility, and with some fresh financing, it's now on its way to becoming reality.
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