Sara Black Senior Technical Editor Emeritus

Autoclave 18 Dec 2009

Fuselage skins redesign streamlines production

Cirrus Aircraft’s SR22 second-generation design improves functionality and enables faster processing.

ATL/AFP 24 Nov 2009

Filament wound pipe proves durable in electric power plants

Korea-based Hankuk Fiber Glass Co. Ltd. develops a much more durable composite alternative to cast iron ash-transfer pipes for coal-burning electric power plant customers.

Aerospace 9 Oct 2009

Optimizing the Ares V payload shroud

Sizing software allows rapid analysis of candidate composite architecture for highly loaded and weight-sensitive launch vehicle component.

Design/Simulation 7 Oct 2009

Simulation simplifies fabrication of all-composite crew module

Specialized simulation software shortens development cycle on first all-composite crew module demonstrator for NASA space program.

Adhesives 9 Sep 2009

Ocean-going catamarans: Making speed on composite hulls

This yacht is one of 13 composite yachts from sailboat builder Gunboat (Cape Town, South Africa) able to comfortably travel 300 nautical miles (345 miles/556 km) per day with a minimal crew.

Out of Autoclave 7 Sep 2009

FEA facilitates custom megayacht design

Modeling software and design ingenuity meet vibration challenges in ocean-going luxury yacht.

Compression Molding 24 Jul 2009

Automated solution: New presses for SMC molding process

Using glass/polyester sheet molding compound (SMC) that it formulates and manufactures in-house, Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures (Belding, Mich.) produces composite boxes and enclosures for electrical systems and components.

Defense 16 Jun 2009

Direct manufacturing of military aircraft parts

Laser sintering process shortens lead time, simplifies production of complex, high-performance parts.

Out of Autoclave 12 Jun 2009

Composite engine valves?

HPC technical editor Sara Black reports progress on CFRP intake and exhaust valves for race car engines.

Molds/Tools 21 May 2009

Solvent-free release a good match for wind blade molding

Wind power’s reputation as a “green” technology belies the fact that production of turbine components requires many materials and products that aren’t green.