Design & Tooling

Pressure Vessels 31 Mar 2012

Ply placement: Largest laser projection system for wind blade manufacture

Following the recent installation of a 16-projector system for an aircraft fuselage application, Assembly Guidance Systems Inc. (Chelmsford, Mass.) recently delivered what it says is the largest unified laser-projection system of its kind, for wind turbine blade fabrication.

Out of Autoclave 31 Mar 2012

Thermoplastic Wind Blades: To be or not?

Will future wind blades incorporate thermoplastic composites? It depends on whom you ask.

Wind/Energy 1 Mar 2012

Big parts? Big tooling breakthrough

Electrically heated carbon fiber/PEEK/ceramic tooling and powdered epoxy resin system could revolutionize production of large composite aerospace structures.

Pressure Vessels 1 Mar 2012

Patented MECHTool system

Galway, Ireland-based ÉireComposites’ patented MECHTool (Mold Efficient Cooling and Heating) system was developed to replace traditional ovens in a number of thermoplastic molding processes.

BMI 29 Feb 2012

Testing the damage tolerance of composite materials

Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures, Salt Lake City, Utah) looks at standards and also-rans in the area of testing for damage tolerance.

Marine 29 Feb 2012

Software enables submarine shipyard’s composites-for-metal effort

When Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (Kiel, Germany) looked for a software solution to reduce the risk of using composites for a greater range of thicker parts, FiberSIM software from VISTAGY Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) enabled its engineers to develop initial designs more quickly and to better understand the impact of design changes.

Design/Simulation 29 Feb 2012

Thermocouple innovation shortens autoclave setup for stringers/frames

ATK Aerospace Structures (Clearfield, Utah) trials a thermocouple system from TE Wire & Cable LLC (Saddle Brook, N.J.) called AccuConnect, which cuts thermocouple setup time from 2.5 hours to 20 minutes.

Sustainability 2 Jan 2012

Material deformation and recovery test methods

Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah) reviews ways and means to quantify composite material deformation and recovery.