Design & Tooling
Deepsea submersible incorporates composite pressure capsule
Spencer Composites Corp. (Sacramento, Calif.) fabricates the inner carbon/epoxy composite pressure capsule for a submersible deepsea vessel the late Steve Fossett was to take to the depths of the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench.
Read MoreThe digital thread: Transformation to automation
Dr. Leslie Cohen traces the “digital thread” on which automation of composites fabrication processes depends.
Read MoreGuide for Testing Polymer Matrix Composite Materials
Dr. Donald Adams offers insight into ASTM D 4762, a compendium of knowledge about standards relevant to testing polymer composites.
Read MoreDigital design, RTM update aircraft propeller
Second-generation type-certified propeller delivers for Cirrus Aircraft’s SR-22 at a more affordable price.
Read MoreBuilding a bigger Big Wheel
Machining specialist scales up the 1970s icon, producing plugs and tools for an exact fiberglass replica at a Disney resort.
Read MoreBlock shear strength of adhesive bonds
Dr. Don Adams describes two methods (ASTM D 905 and ASTM D 4501) for loading adhesive bonds in direct shear while minimizing undesirable peel and through-thickness tensile stresses.
Read MoreOrion re-entry system: Composites displace metal
World’s largest heat shield updates metal design with out-of-autoclave process.
Read MoreIntegrated software: Streamlined hull & tool design
Although its reputation was solid, rigid inflatable boat (RIB) builder Planatech (Athens, Greece) recently sought ways to design new composite products and their corresponding tool sets faster, without compromising quality.
Read MoreCost-effective carbon composite reflector dish
Modular manufacturing method forms different dish sizes with near mirror-perfect reflective surfaces, without resort to one-off tools.
Read MoreResidential construction breakthrough: Composites find a home
Composite materials get the go-ahead for an unconventional but code-compliant California house.
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