Automation
Windpower 2009 highlights
The show confirmed wind energy’s status as a recession-proof market for composites, but blade manufacturers were put on notice about the need to automate.
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Offshore wind: How big will blades get?
Explosive growth in offshore wind farms will push the limits of blade engineering as manufacturers pursue massive designs that will harvest more megawatts.
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Wind Blade Manufacturing, Part I: M and P innovations optimize production
As demand for wind turbines reaches unprecedented levels, rotor blade manufacturers explore new production strategies, including automation and blade segmentation.
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Structural health monitoring: Composites get smart
New initiatives are mainstreaming real-time monitoring systems into composites on aircraft, wind blades and other critical performance structures.
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Taking Subjectivity out of Class A Surface Evaluation
Toward the goal of more consistent, repeatable and quantifiable Class A surface analysis, automakers and systems suppliers are developing and employing automated surface inspection tools.
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Automate or emigrate
Automated fiber and tape placement is not just a notion, but a real manufacturing strategy, and one being embraced by HITCO Carbon Composites.
Read MoreResin infusion processes
Ever-increasing demand for faster production rates has pressed the industry to replace hand layup with alternative fabrication processes and has encouraged fabricators to automate those processes wherever possible. A common alternative is resin transfer molding (RTM), sometimes referred to as liquid molding. RTM is a
Read MoreMarket Trends: Standing on the Threshold
In his book by the same name, Malcom Gladwell describes The Tipping Point as “that magical moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips and spreads like wildfire.” After decades of strong growth driven by a desire for improved performance, high-performance composites have arrived at the
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Update: Automated repair cell
Consortium makes progress on aircraft component diagnostics/repair cell concept.
Read MoreSmart Aircraft Structures: a Future Necessity
Health monitoring of aircraft structures using distributed in situ sensor systems.
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