Reinforcements
Boeing 787 Update
Approaching rollout and first flight, the 787 relies on innovations in composite materials and processes to hit its targets
Read More
Carbon/epoxy guitar: Competitive in quality and price
When former aerospace engineer and guitar aficionado Ellis Seal set out to design a composite acoustic guitar, he believed the inherent properties of carbon fiber could produce sound, playability, durability and consistency impossible in a wooden instrument.
Read More
Sizing Up Fiber Sizings
What glass fiber users need to know about sizings, and how new sizing developments are enhancing the performance of glass-reinforced composites.
Read More
Low-cost carbon fiber: Real or just wishful thinking?
In a wide variety of applications, from easy-to-install bridges to ultra-lightweight, fuel-efficient vehicles, there has been great excitement in recent years about the potential for using carbon fiber-reinforced composites.
Read MoreModular Cable Offers Flexibility
The Composite Carbon Cable system developed by Doris Engineering, IFP, Soficar and Freyssinet is based on a different design. Their concept is to assemble a tether from uniformly sized strands or “modules” made up of parallel rods. Each module is hexagonally shaped, allowing any number of modules (strands) to
Read MoreProven Performance In A Chemical Line Installation
EDO Specialty Plastics (Baton Rouge, La., U.S.A.) filament winds composite pipe and fittings for offshore facilities platforms and rigs. Founded in 1973 as Specialty Plastics and acquired by EDO in 1998, the company manufactures industrial fiberglass piping systems for the chemical, petrochemical and pulp and
Read MoreComposite Production Riser Projects
ABB Vetco Gray is currently developing a 10.05 inch (ID), all-carbon fiber, top-tensioned production riser, designed for use on TLPs and spars. The design enables operation at an internal pressure of 6,000 psi and a mean bulk temperature of 175°F. Ten prototypes are currently undergoing static and fatigue test
Read MoreRiser Arch Trays, Mud Mats Provide Multiple Benefits
In 1999, 42 composite riser arch trays were supplied by DML Composites (Plymouth, U.K.) to Halliburton Subsea for the Norsk Hydro Troll C field riser support system, in 1,100 ft/340m of water. The trays, which sit atop two 260 ft/80m tall steel jacket riser support structures, cradle the flexible risers that c
Read MoreStudies Support Viability Of Composites
Numerous studies have compared the performance and cost of steel and composite tendons. Conoco, Norske Conoco A/S (NCAS) and KOP headed several projects to qualify composite TLP tethers prior to launching a full sea test. In a recent study, they compared steel and composite TLP systems in water depths up to 9,
Read MoreOther Types Of Repairs Possible With Composites
Since 1995, DML Composites (Plymouth, U.K.) has been one of the pioneers in the use of customized wet layup repairs for offshore pipework and other platform component repairs. A project completed by DML in 2000 involved the in-service repair of a steel caisson on a platform in the North Sea. A caisson is a lar
Read More
