Design & Tooling
Structural health monitoring: Decades of demos build confidence
Current momentum in local structural health monitoring development can be credited to a great deal of developmental effort on the part of these system developers.
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Designing with composites: Optimizing for performance and manufacturing
David Leigh Hudson, the director of product and market strategy for the Fibersim product portfolio at Siemens PLM Software (Waltham, MA, US), the need in the field of composite part design for a serious commitment to what he terms "concurrent engineering" processes.
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Shelby GT350R features carbon fiber wheels
Ford worked with Australia-based Carbon Revolution to develop the one-piece all-carbon fiber wheels, which save 60 lb in weight but provide better steering response.
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Bespoke sports cars’ composite body speaks volumes
Glass-reinforced plastic artfully captures classic curves, crash-protects passengers and stunningly packages its maker’s high-performance but highly fuel-efficient diesel powertrain.
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Additive manufacturing in automotive applications
Although they have been overshadowed by aerospace applications, 3D-printed tools also are finding a place in automotive processing. Here's one example.
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3D-printed fixtures & jigs
Holding fixtures, jigs, trim tools and metal-forming dies can be expensive elements of post-mold composite part processing and assembly. Additive manufacturing, therefore, is proving especially useful in reducing the design/build time/cost in this area.
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A growing trend: 3D printing of aerospace tooling
Toolmakers and OEMs are embracing additive manufacturing for customized, rapid tools, masters and jigs.
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Optimum unidirectional compression testing of composites
Dr. Daniel O. Adams, a professor of mechanical engineering, the director of the Composite Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Utah, and VP of Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, US) discusses the complex relationship between composite tensile and compressive properties, why that makes it necessary to perform both tension and compression testing, and how best to perform the latter.
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Indiana Manufacturing Institute breaks ground
The Indiana Manufacturing Institute (IMI) is part of a $50 million project where Purdue University will advance research of composites manufacturing.
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3D Printing Moves Into Tooling Components
Some pundits predict that 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), will change our world forever. While that may yet be, one thing is clear: The growth of 3D printing over the past two decades has wrought significant change in composites tooling. Although AM’s most obvious advantage is direct part production without tooling, the growing trend in the aerospace and automotive sectors at present is its use for fast, on-demand builds of mold tools to keep pace with accelerating composite part design cycles and demand for faster overall part processing speeds.
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