Automotive

Autoclave

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?

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Out of Autoclave

The 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.

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Ketones

Move 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.

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More 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.

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Automotive

Composites for heavy truck: Tough-duty inspection cover

Thermoplastic composite reduces weight, cost, corrosion, extends maintenance intervals.

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2014 North American International Auto Show Review

Detroit’s annual automotive industry showcase highlights the rapid pace of innovation.

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Processing 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?

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Aerospace

Move 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.

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Carbon Fibers

Business and busy-ness

CT editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan returns for JEC Europe 2014 in Paris with observations about several intriguing composites industry trends.

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Automotive

Dow 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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expanded metal foils and polymers
Release agents and process chemical specialties
CIJECT machines and monitoring systems
HEATCON Composite Systems
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Airtech
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
Airtech International Inc.