CAMX

Workforce Development 31 Aug 2016

CAMX 2016 Exhibitor Previews: Part 1

CAMX, in its third year, is growing and expanding, and the quantity and quality of new products and technologies being introduced at the show is impressive. This week features Part 1 of the CAMX 2016 Exhibitor Previews.

Adhesives 15 Aug 2016

More and more composites blowing in the wind

Wind energy is putting the uncertainty that was the hallmark of this industry in the rearview mirror. Electricity from this renewable resource is cheaper and more competitive than it's ever been — and getting more so. This massive consumer of composite materials has a bright future.

Workforce Development 3 Aug 2016

Additive manufacturing comes to composites fabrication

The use of continuous fiber in additive manufacturing systems is not trivial, but it is being done. As this fabrication technology evolves and matures, options for applying it in everything from automotive to aerospace to consumer composites will expand tremendously, creating a host of new opportunities for the composites industry. Read here for who is providing what kind of additive manufacturing technology for use in composites fabrication.

CAMX 21 Jul 2016

CAMX 2016 preview: AGFM

American GFM Corp./GFM (AGFM, Chesapeake, VA, US; GFM, Styer, Austria) is introducing its Model US-120/CM-10 system, featuring automated and semi-automated ply cutting, sequential offloading, sorting and kitting to prepare for ply lay up.

CAMX 23 Jun 2016

Taking the hand out of hand layup

Hand layup has a long history in aerospace composites fabrication, but it's not well suited for automotive composites manufacturing, where volumes are much higher. But the discrete placement of fiber reinforcements still has value. Research is pointing toward automated hand layup that might help this process bridge the aerospace-to-automotive divide.

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Aerospace 16 May 2016

Composites recycling becomes a necessity

Boeing and Airbus each is generating as much as a 1 million lb of cured and uncured carbon fiber prepreg waste each year from 787 and A350 XWB production. If you include the entire supply chain for these planes, the total is closer to 4 million lb/year. And with the automotive industry poised to consume (and waste) more carbon fiber than ever, recycling of composite materials has become an absolute necessity. The technology is there, but the markets are not. Yet.

Ketones 15 Apr 2016

Thermoplastics riding into automotive, aerospace

The legacy of composite parts and structures is built on a family of thermosets — including epoxy, vinyl ester, polyester and phenolic — that have helped tremendously to make the industry what it is today. Not to be forgotten are thermoplastics, which have played a serious role as well, and offer advantages that promise to make this material type one of the fastest growing over the next decade.

CAMX 9 Nov 2015

CAMX 2015: Strong Mix of Market, Technical, Product Innovation

CAMX 2015 (Oct. 26-29) in Dallas, TX, was, by all accounts, a success. Feedback from the exhibit floor and the conferences was positive and upbeat. CompositesWorld was there and offers this review of highlights from the show floor and the session, including product award winners, keynote address and industry announcements.