Wind/Energy
Aircraft delays alter carbon fiber supply/demand balance
When Boeing announced in early December that it was officially pushing back the first flight and the first delivery of the 787 Dreamliner to second quarter 2009 and first quarter 2010, respectively, one of the first questions that circulated among our staff centered on the issue of carbon fiber supply.
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Wind Blade Manufacturing: Cost-efficient materials-based strategies
The wind blade’s four key elements — the root, the spar, the aerodynamic shell or fairing, and the surfacing system — have present unique manufacturing challenges that must be met with carefully selected composite material systems and molding strategies.
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Wind Blade Manufacturing, Part I: M and P innovations optimize production
As demand for wind turbines reaches unprecedented levels, rotor blade manufacturers explore new production strategies, including automation and blade segmentation.
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Wind Blade Manufacturing: Are thermoplastic composites the future?
In a market dominated by thermoset composites, some wind turbine blade manufacturers are actively pursuing new composite blade designs featuring faster-processing reinforced thermoplastics.
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On the road with CW
Late summer and early fall is a busy travel time for the writers and editors of CT.
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Prepreg forecast: Strong growth through 2013
Prepreg applications are on the rise in the composites industry as manufacturers in a variety of industries increasingly adopt this versatile material. Today, prepregs find use in commercial aerospace, military/defense, general aviation, space/satellite, marine, sporting goods, automotive, civil engineering, wind
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Structural health monitoring: Composites get smart
New initiatives are mainstreaming real-time monitoring systems into composites on aircraft, wind blades and other critical performance structures.
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Alternative energy growth creating secular demand for composites
Alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, are finally emerging as contenders alongside our primary electric-power-producing fossil fuels, natural gas and coal (but not oil), primarily because these technologies are ready for widespread distribution and adoption, based on average pricing for electricity.
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JEC COMPOSITES 2008 show review
Composites professionals converged on this annual Parisian gathering in greater numbers than ever before, confident that the market’s global growth will continue.
Read MoreEvidence of shift is everywhere
Back in February, in the good old days when a gallon of gas cost only $3.42, our family started contemplating a summertime road trip. We’ve done a few of these over the years and, like many Americans, consider a cross-country summertime drive a necessary cultural experience that helps enhance family unity. For the
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