Out of Autoclave

Biomaterials

Sicomin bioresin used in NOTOX boards

Sicomin (Châteauneuf les Martigues, France) and surfboard manufacturer NOTOX (Anglet, France) have created a bioresin formulation that offers as little environmental impact as possible and supports greener production methods.

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Ketones

SAMPE 2017: Highlights

SAMPE returned to Seattle, WA, US, May 22-25 and featured the usual mix of conference presentations and exhibit hall activity. CW was there and offers this summary of highlights from the event.

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Automation

Automated Preforming, Part 2: Glide Forming

Flat layups are shaped into stringers with different cross-sections, lengths, thicknesses and curvatures using a single machine at rates up to 10 mm per second.

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Adhesives

3D TPC structural preforming process lightens car doors

Automated cell manufactures and pre-impregnates continuous-fiber 3D preforms for injection/compression overmolding of parts with complex shapes, and tailored structural properties.

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Aerospace

Preforming goes industrial: Part 1

ATL and AFP-based preforming options now abound for processing dry and/or impregnated reinforcements as quickly as 1 minute or less with potential yearly part yields in the millions.

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Pressure Vessels

Composites recycling is gaining traction

Although CW’s coverage of composites recycling dates back over a decade, informal statistics still show that only ~2% of composites-related companies are active recyclers. That said, three years since our most recent feature on the subject, there is demonstrably greater interest and activity, and real applications of recycled fiber are growing.

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Sustainability

Composites at AIA 2017

The ACMA Architectural Division exhibited its 4th annual Composites Pavilion and 2nd annual COMPOSITES CHALLENGE for architectural students.

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Wind/Energy

Polyurethane’s processing speed, properties enable bigger blades

Decade-long development effort reaches key wind energy cost-reduction milestone using epoxy-besting infusion resin.

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Wind/Energy

Automated Preforming, Part 1: Numbers and Landscape

CW’s multi-blog series on preforming begins with an overview and quick look at the numbers: 1-minute take time, 10-15 seconds per layer, 490-kg/hr and 3.5 million parts/year. Are you ready for serial CFRP production?

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Recycling

Composites recycling: Gaining traction

Recycling of carbon fiber, glass fiber and — at last — resins, is growing as new players enter the space.

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Greenerd Compression Molding
Toray Advanced Composites hi-temperature materials
ELFOAM rigid foam products
Kent Pultrusion
Wabash
Custom Hydraulic Press Manufacturing
HEATCON Composite Systems
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
Airtech International Inc.