Aerospace
New aerocomposites niche: Helicopter transmission gears?
A NASA study shows that steel/composite hybrid gears save significant weight, and could mitigate vibration-related noise.
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Modeling and simulation: Is ICME the next composites breakthrough?
CompositesWorld columnist and composites industry consultant Dale Brosius encourages empirical learners (read "hands-on, trial-and-error old-timers") like himself to buy in and start using today's software-based design and simulation tools, which, he says, have the "potential to truly transform the composite industry."
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Can IACMI propel us out of adolescence, into adulthood?
On Jan. 9, the US Department of Energy (DoE) announced that it will add US$70 million to the US$189 million already committed to the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) for composites R&D. CW's editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan asks, "What will come of this investment?"
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Composite tooling without oven or autoclave
No Oven No Autoclave technology has been demonstrated in tooling for NASA, including multiple thermal cycles and use for curing epoxy infused out-of-autoclave parts.
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The value of composites in aeroengines
CompositesWorld takes a closer look at the value of composites used in 10 major aircraft engine platforms.
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GKN to build Boeing 737 MAX winglets in UK and Sumner, WA
Originally slated for its Orangeburg, SC facility, GKN will set up new assembly plant near Tacoma for Advanced Technology winglets.
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Part design criteria (2015)
Designers of composite parts can choose from a huge variety of fiber reinforcements and resin systems. That makes knowledge of how those materials work together a critically important aspect of part development. Here's a short description of what that knowledge entails.
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Supply and demand: Advanced fibers (2015)
Demand for advanced fiber, virgin and reclaimed, is on an upswing after a dip during the recent recession. Fiber suppliers are gearing up to meet an expected increase in demand as manufacturers in a number of composites end-markets scale up or start up part development and production programs.
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Fiber reinforcement forms
Fibers used to reinforce composites are supplied directly by fiber manufacturers and indirectly by converters in a number of different forms, which vary depending on the application. Here's a guide to what's available.
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The matrix (2015)
The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here's a guide to selection.
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