Automotive
The promise of composites in automotive
The composites industry has for many years fervently sought a place at the high-volume automotive table. Now that that place appears set — thanks to unprecedented demand for vehicle lightweighting — the industry can’t help but wonder if the opportunity is a serious and sustainable one. Is this really the chance that’s been hoped for?
Read MoreThe making of the BMW i3
CompositesWorld's tour of the BMW i3 manufacturing and assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany, offers a glimpse of one possible future of automotive production.
Read MoreMove over honeycomb, thermoplastic sandwich is commercialized as DYNATECH
PEI foam core/skin sandwich panels claim to save up to 40 percent weight and 30 percent cost in rail and aircraft interiors vs. honeycomb.
Read MoreMore from JEC: High-quality carbon fiber monocoques in two hours
Mubea Carbo Tech produces high-quality carbon fiber monocoques in increasingly larger volumes and lower cycle times, and now introduces all-CF wheels to save almost 30 lb per vehicle.
WatchComposites for heavy truck: Tough-duty inspection cover
Thermoplastic composite reduces weight, cost, corrosion, extends maintenance intervals.
Read More2014 North American International Auto Show Review
Detroit’s annual automotive industry showcase highlights the rapid pace of innovation.
Read MoreProcessing within the PUR cure window
Composite Spray Molding enables volume production of fiber-reinforced polyurethane sandwich structures for auto interiors. Are Class A exterior parts next?
Read MoreMove over steel — Aluminum is now the target
Dale Brosius, a consultant and president of Quickstep Composites (Dayton, Ohio), observes that chasing aluminum as a competitor is a much easier task than chasing steel — if the composites industry can meet cost and volume requirements.
Read MoreBusiness and busy-ness
CT editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan returns for JEC Europe 2014 in Paris with observations about several intriguing composites industry trends.
Read MoreDow epoxy joins the fast-cure race
Dow Automotive made waves at JEC Europe with the debut of VORAFORCE 5300, a low-viscosity, <90-second cure epoxy for automotive composites molding applications.
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