Space
Carbon fiber cryotank angles for a place in launch systems
Boeing has manufactured two carbon fiber cryotanks that are being evaluated by NASA for use in heavy-lift launch systems. They offer 30 weight and 25 percent costs savings.
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UAVs may deliver Internet access
Facebook is considering use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to bring Internet access to remote areas. The composites industry could be among the beneficiaries.
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The market for OOA aerocomposites, 2013-2022
In the coming decade, out-of-autoclave technologies will increase composites penetration into primary flight structures.
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No-oven, No-autoclave (NONA)
Room-temperature cure epoxy composites with a 400°F Tg, comparable properties vs. commercial systems without external heat or post-cure, and offering reduced cost and cycle time. Really?
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BMI and benzoxazine battle for future OOA aerocomposites
Offering weight, cost and process advantages, these “hot zone” resins are moving down the thermometer and into out-of-autoclave structural applications and autoclavable tooling now dominated by epoxies.
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Materials Genome Initiative: Impact on Composites
Promising outlook offered by hands-on source.
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Nondestructive inspection: Better, faster and cheaper
Faced with new time and cost pressures, NDI system suppliers are integrating inspection with manufacturing to reduce its share in part cost and cycle time.
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Toray + Zoltek = potential game changer?
Consultant Dale Brosius, also president of Dayton, Ohio-based Quickstep Composites LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of Australia-based Quickstep Technologies (Bankstown Airport, New South Wales), sees the Toray buyout of Zoltek as a potential auto-industry game changer.
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Tooling up for larger launch vehicles
NASA and Janicki Industries demonstrate composites’ cost advantage in tooling for fabrication of 10m/33 ft diameter payload fairing for next-generation launch vehicle.
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Optimization software improves small, low-cost satellite design
Ames Research Center’s (Moffett Field, Calif.) designs and builds a low-cost, small spacecraft on a quick turnaround, using a modular strategy based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts and with the aid of several design software packages and finite element solvers.
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