Resins
Composite engine piston cylinder housings
Phenolic BMC could replace aluminum in car/motorcycle engine housings.
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Thermosets vs. thermoplastics: Is the battle over?
Dale Brosius, the chief commercialization officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) and a regular CW columnist, sees a shift in the industry from infighting between proponents of thermoset and thermoplastic composites to a healthier competitive atmosphere that serves to make composites overall more competitive with legacy materials.
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Tires that never go flat
SciTech Industries and Rapid Composites develop high-volume production tires that use glass fiber/PET composite springs instead of innertubes and compressed air.
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Thermoplastic composites technology: A view from Europe
For this Dutch consortium, bringing the manufacturability of thermoplastic materials to maturity is the goal in concert with OEMs, materials and equipment supplier members.
Read MoreThermoplastic composites: European consortia, galore!
In addition to the Thermoplastic Composites Research Center (TPRC, Enschede, The Netherlands) — see our article focused on TPRC, titled "Thermoplastic composites technology: A view from Europe" under "Editor's Picks, at top right — there are many other European consortia, comprising private industry, university and government entities, which share the goals of exploring composites materials and methods for manufacturing them, including those with thermoplastic matrices. Here's a sampling.
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In-orbit-deployable radar dish
Aramid/PEI delivers flexibility, strength and precision for space-based reflector
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Understanding the influence of fiber orientation on structural analysis of fiber-filled parts
The effect of fiber orientation on material properties is a key way the injection molding process impacts mechanical performance. Doug Kenik and Angie Schrader of the Design, Lifecycle & Simulation product group at Autodesk (Waltham, MA, US) illustrates two ways fiber orientation influences the structural behavior of fiber-filled parts and discuss the need for a bi-directional approach to design and analysis.
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Turning ideas into innovative composites
From helmets to harps to the new Formula Lites all-carbon race car, Crawford Composites pursues perfection in a wide array of carbon fiber parts.
Read MoreDow: 60-second epoxy is in range with liquid compression molding
Dow Automotive Systems (Horgen, Switzerland) made big news at JEC Europe 2014 with the introduction of VORAFORCE, its ultralow-viscosity, fast-cure epoxy for automotive molding.
Read MoreHexion is Hexion again, with a 60-second epoxy in hand
Resins manufacturer Hexion (Columbus, OH, US), which has spent the past few years going by the name Momentive, is back to being called Hexion.
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