The composites-intensive electric aircraft was purchased to meet the airline’s goal of flying a commercial demonstrator by 2026.
The $37 million contract will enable Piasecki to demonstrate its ARES tilt-duct VTOL aircraft and hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies. Molded Fiberglass Grating
Design Organization Approval makes Lilium qualified to design and hold a type certificate for aircraft developed according to the EASA’s SC-VTOL safety objective rules.
The two-seat EL-2 Goldfinch is a blown-lift aircraft filling the gap for air travel routes between 50-500 miles. Certification and entry into service is targeted for 2028.
The Spanish electric mobility solutions developer is steadily growing its team and investments, emphasized by its rebranding from Umiles Next and the introduction of Integrity to customers.
$9.8 million will grow the eVTOL aircraft manufacturer’s footprint in Marina, California, support 690 new state jobs and accelerate early manufacturing to support initial commercial operations, targeted for 2025.
Combined LSAM and five-axis CNC milling capabilities will optimize D-Composites’ production services, flexibility and cut time and cost for composite tooling manufacture.
Evaluation of CFRTP m-pipe through Element’s U.K. facility aims to qualify the system for new operating environments.
Innovative prepreg tooling is highly drapable, capable of forming complex carbon fiber tooling shapes, in addition to reducing through thickness porosity and only requiring one debulk during layup.
Simutence and Engenuity demonstrate a virtual process chain enabling evaluation of process-induced fiber orientations for improved structural simulation and failure load prediction of a composite wing rib.
3D imaging and analysis capability illustrates detailed, quality characterization and performance simulation of composites and other advanced materials that properly captures the as-manufactured component.
Latest version of comprehensive simulation software speeds up computations and introduces surrogate model functionality.
Qarbon Aerospace will focus on the design, development and manufacture of a thermoplastic composite structure for defense aviation components requiring icing protection.
Fraunhofer IFAM researchers and partners combine biodegradable polymer polycaprolactone and bioactive glass to 3D print custom-fit structures for bone fracture sites.
The carbon fiber wheel manufacturer and supplier has been awarded a total of 18 vehicle programs over the last couple of years, and is now looking to build capacity.
Lehvoss’ carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite materials are being used in the production of an e-bike set that will taken an expedition across North Africa.
Through the use of EzCiclio low-dielectric epoxy hardener, PCB manufactures can make recyclable, reusable products for electronic applications.
Terrene 3.0 is a compression-dominant arch developed as a multidisciplinary research project composed of natural fiber-reinforced sand and other biomaterials that delivers eco-friendly, less energy-intensive building methods.
Combined LSAM and five-axis CNC milling capabilities will optimize D-Composites’ production services, flexibility and cut time and cost for composite tooling manufacture.
New developments regarding productivity, maintenance and ergonomics make this enhanced composite placement system well suited for the production of complex parts.
Data collected from one year of outdoor testing reasserts the 3D-printed, bio-based structure’s viability to address housing challenges, sets the stage for future development.
Using Mechnano’s D’Func process, the new masterbatch of ogolimers enables 3D printing resin development with improved mechanical and nano-uniform electrical performance.
Collins Aerospace draws on global team, decades of experience to demonstrate large, curved AFP and welded structures for the next generation of aircraft.
Discussion of the issues in our understanding of thermoplastic composite welded structures and certification of the latest materials and welding technologies for future airframes.
CW explores key composite developments that have shaped how we see and think about the industry today.
Knowing the fundamentals for reading drawings — including master ply tables, ply definition diagrams and more — lays a foundation for proper composite design evaluation.
As battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles continue to supplant internal combustion engine vehicles, composite materials are quickly finding adoption to offset a variety of challenges, particularly for battery enclosure and fuel cell development.
Performing regular maintenance of the layup tool for successful sealing and release is required to reduce the risk of part adherence.
Increasingly, prototype and production-ready smart devices featuring thermoplastic composite cases and other components provide lightweight, optimized sustainable alternatives to metal.
Interest in higher performance and more sustainability drive new composite materials innovations in sporting goods and other consumer products.
Manufacturers often struggle with production anomalies that can be traced back to material deviations. These can cause fluctuations in material flow, cooling, and cure according to environmental influences and/or batch-to-batch variations. Today’s competitive environment demands cost-efficient, error-free production using automated production and stable processes. As industries advance new bio-based, faster reacting and increased recycled content materials and faster processes, how can manufacturers quickly establish and maintain quality control? In-mold dielectric sensors paired with data analytics technology enable manufacturers to: Determine glass transition temperature in real time Monitor material deviations such as resin mix ratio, aging, and batch-to-batch variations throughout the process Predict the influence of deviations or material defects during the process See the progression of curing and demold the part when the desired degree of cure, Tg or crystallinity is achieved Document resin mix ratios using snap-cure resins for qualification and certification of RTM parts Successful case histories with real parts illustrate how sensXPERT sensors, machine learning, and material models monitor, predict, and optimize production to compensate for deviations. This Digital Mold technology has enabled manufacturers to reduce scrap by up to 50% and generated energy savings of up to 23%. Agenda: Dealing with the challenge of material deviations and production anomalies How dielectric sensors work with different composite resins, fibers and processes What is required for installation Case histories of in-mold dielectric sensors and data analytics used to monitor resin mixing ratios and predict potential material deviations How this Digital Mold technology has enabled manufacturers to optimize production, and improve quality and reliability
SolvaLite is a family of new fast cure epoxy systems that — combined with Solvay's proprietary Double Diaphragm Forming technology — allows short cycle times and reproducibility. Agenda: Application Development Center and capabilities Solutions for high-rate manufacturing for automotive Application examples: battery enclosures and body panels
OEMs around the world are looking for smarter materials to forward-think their products by combining high mechanical performance with lightweight design and long-lasting durability. In this webinar, composite experts from Exel Composites explain the benefits of a unique continuous manufacturing process for composites profiles and tubes called pull-winding. Pull-winding makes it possible to manufacture strong, lightweight and extremely thin-walled composite tubes and profiles that meet both demanding mechanical specifications and aesthetic needs. The possibilities for customizing the profile’s features are almost limitless — and because pull-winding is a continuous process, it is well suited for high volume production with consistent quality. Join the webinar to learn why you should consider pull-wound composites for your product. Agenda: Introducing pull-winding, and how it compares to other composite manufacturing technologies like filament winding or pultrusion What are the benefits of pull-winding and how can it achieve thin-walled profiles? Practical examples of product challenges solved by pull-winding
Composite systems consist of two sub-constituents: woven fibers as the reinforcement element and resin as the matrix. The most commonly used fibers are glass and carbon, which can be processed in plane or satin structures to form woven fabrics. Carbon fibers, in particular, are known for their high strength/weight properties. Thermoset resins, such as epoxies and polyurethanes, are used in more demanding applications due to their high physical-mechanical properties. However, composites manufacturers still face the challenge of designing the right cure cycles and repairing out-of-shelf-life parts. To address these issues, Alpha Technologies proposes using the encapsulated sample rheometer (premier ESR) to determine the viscoelastic properties of thermosets. Premier ESR generates repeatable and reproducible analytical data and can measure a broad range of viscosity values, making it ideal for resins such as low viscous uncured prepreg or neat resins as well as highly viscous cured prepregs. During testing, before cure, cure and after cure properties can be detected without removing the material from the test chamber. Moreover, ESR can run a broad range of tests, from isothermal and non-isothermal cures to advanced techniques such as large amplitude oscillatory shear tests. During this webinar, Alpha Technologies will be presenting some of the selected studies that were completed on epoxy prepreg systems utilizing ESR and how it solves many issues in a fast and effective way. It will highlight the advantages of this technique that were proven with the work of several researchers. Moreover, Alpha Technologies will display part of these interesting findings using the correlations between the viscoelastic properties such as G’ and mechanical properties such as short beam shear strength (SBS).
Surface preparation is a critical step in composite structure bonding and plays a major role in determining the final bonding performance. Solvay has developed FusePly, a breakthrough technology that offers the potential to build reliable and robust bonded composite parts through the creation of covalently-bonded structures at bondline interface. FusePly technology meets the manufacturing challenges faced by aircraft builders and industrial bonding users looking for improved performance, buildrates and lightweighting. In this webinar, you will discover FusePly's key benefits as well as processing and data. Agenda: Surface preparation challenges for composite bonding FusePly technology overview Properties and performance data
The incorporation of EMI shielding into composites is necessary in a wide range of applications — such as electronics and battery enclosures for AAM, automotive and aerospace — where EMI could interfere with the operation of the device, vehicle or aircraft, ultimately compromising security and control. TFP’s conductive nonwoven materials provide a solution, possessing a combination of properties that make them highly infusible, flexible, lightweight and an effective EMI shield. This combination allows them to overcome challenges in both application and process that more traditional substrates such as films, foils and paints struggle to achieve. In this webinar, Dr. Mark James will introduce TFP’s conductive nonwovens, their lightweight structure and EMI shielding capability. He will discuss how they are easily incorporated into composites to impart this functionality to the surface of a part, with some typical examples. Mike Campbell and Adam Halsband will then provide a case study on a new development for TFP materials as an EMI enhanced SMC compound. This compound is designed as a scalable, cost-effective solution for high throughput BEV applications, such as battery enclosures. Agenda: An introduction to TFP’s conductive nonwovens, their structure and manufacture The key physical properties and how they are tailored to suit end-use requirements How conductive nonwovens can be used effectively in a variety of applications A case study on the development and use of TFP’s veils in an EMI enhanced SMC compound for BEV applications
ICERP India is an important event of the Indian composites industry organized by FRP Institute once in every two years and ICERP event is the biggest event on Composites in India and second biggest event in Asia.
The annual Conference on Composites, Materials, and Structures (also known as the Cocoa Beach Conference) is the preeminent export controlled and ITAR restricted forum in the United States to review and discuss advances in materials for extreme environments. The Conference started in the 1970s as a small informal gathering for government and industry to share information on programs and state-of-the-art technology. Attendance has grown to nearly 500 people while preserving this same objective to share needs and trends in high-temperature and extreme environment materials, and the latest information on advanced materials and manufacturing processes. The five-day conference program includes two to three parallel sessions per day on topics including thermal protection materials, ceramic matrix composites, carbon-carbon materials, ballistic technologies, hypersonics, and gas turbine engines. Attendees are engineers, scientists, managers, and operational personnel from the turbine engine, aviation, missiles and space, and protective equipment communities. These communities include the Navy, Air Force, Army, MDA, NASA, DARPA, FAA, DOE, engine manufacturers, missile and aircraft manufacturers, commercial space companies, and material and component suppliers. The Conference will be held in St. Augustine again for 2024! Participation is limited to U.S. Citizens and U.S. Permanent Residents only with an active DD2345 certification.
The 48th International Conference & Exposition on Advanced Ceramics & Composites (ICACC 2024) will be held from Jan. 28–Feb. 2, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. It is a great honor to chair this conference, which has a strong history of being one of the best international meetings on advanced structural and functional ceramics, composites, and other emerging ceramic materials and technologies.
The Transformative Vertical Flight (TVF) 2024 meeting will take place Feb. 6–8, 2024 in Santa Clara, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley and will feature more than 100 speakers on important progress on vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and technology.
The Program of this Summit consists of a range of 12 high-level lectures by 14 invited speakers only. Topics are composite related innovations in Automotive & Transport, Space & Aerospace, Advanced Materials, and Process Engineering, as well as Challenging Applications in other markets like Architecture, Construction, Sports, Energy, Marine & more.
JEC World in Paris is the only trade show that unites the global composite industry: an indication of the industry’s commitment to an international platform where users can find a full spectrum of processes, new materials, and composite solutions.
Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.
Initial demonstration in furniture shows properties two to nine times higher than plywood, OOA molding for uniquely shaped components.
The composite tubes white paper explores some of the considerations for specifying composite tubes, such as mechanical properties, maintenance requirements and more.
Foundational research discusses the current carbon fiber recycling landscape in Utah, and evaluates potential strategies and policies that could enhance this sustainable practice in the region.
In its latest white paper, Exel navigates the fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) considerations and complexities that can influence composites design.
New white paper authored by Eike Langkabel, Sebastian de Nardo, and Jens Bockhoff, examines the best resin formulations for composites used in automotive part production, both structural parts and body panels.
Tension control plays a vital role in composites manufacturing in order to achieve automated processing, continuous processing, reduced scrap, increased product quality, and more, says a new white paper released by The Montalvo Corp.
Austrian research institute Wood K plus makes 95% silicon carbide ceramics more sustainable (>85% bio/recycled content), enables 3D shapes via extrusion, injection molding and 3D printing.
Thermoplastic polymer resin was designed to tackle distinctive industry challenges of large-scale 3D printing while also assisting with sustainability initiatives.
The MB9, representing a combination of high performance and eco-conscious materials use, will be commercially available in time for the 2024 sailing season.
For 42 months, the Aitiip Technology Center will coordinate the EU-funded project to design a new range of intermediate materials, such as pellets or resin-impregnated carbon fibers, which will be used to manufacture more sustainable final products.
Co-located R&D and production advance OOA thermosets, thermoplastics, welding, recycling and digital technologies for faster processing and certification of lighter, more sustainable composites.
The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research are targeting more sustainable carbon fiber via low-pressure stabilization and bio-based precursors, and working with Saint-Gobain to commercialize oxide ceramic fibers for CMC.
CW’s editors are tracking the latest trends and developments in tooling, from the basics to new developments. This collection, presented by Composites One, features four recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials.
CompositesWorld’s CW Tech Days: Infrastructure event offers a series of expert presentations on composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets.
Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations.
The composites industry is increasingly recognizing the imperative of sustainability in its operations. As demand for lightweight and durable materials rises across various sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction, there is a growing awareness of the environmental impact associated with traditional composite manufacturing processes.
In the Automated Composites Knowledge Center, CGTech brings you vital information about all things automated composites.
Closed mold processes offer many advantages over open molding. This knowledge center details the basics of closed mold methods and the products and tools essential to producing a part correctly.
During CW Tech Days: Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing.
CompositesWorld’s CW Tech Days: Infrastructure event offers a series of expert presentations on composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets.
Explore the cutting-edge composites industry, as experts delve into the materials, tooling, and manufacturing hurdles of meeting the demands of the promising advanced air mobility (AAM) market. Join us at CW Tech Days to unlock the future of efficient composites fabrication operations.
Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing.
MVP's Automated Equipment: Revolutionizing Composites Part Production Through Filament Winding within CompositesWorld's CompositesWorld Collections Knowledge Center
Composites One Offers Manufacturing Efficiencies with Aerovac Kitting Solutions within CompositesWorld's CompositesWorld Collections Knowledge Center
A report on the demand for hydrogen as an energy source and the role composites might play in the transport and storage of hydrogen.
This collection features detail the current state of the industry and recent success stories across aerospace, automotive and rail applications.
This collection details the basics, challenges, and future of thermoplastic composites technology, with particular emphasis on their use for commercial aerospace primary structures.
This collection features recent CW stories that detail a range of tooling technologies, processes and materials.
ACMA issues standard for fiberglass grating with an eye for expanding the industrial composites market
The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA, Arlington, VA, US) has published a new manual under the banner of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI, Washington, DC, US). “FRP Composites Grating Manual for Pultruded and Molded Grating and Stair Treads” is intended to educate engineers, designers and end-users about the properties, performance and uses of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) grating. Greater knowledge of the performance benefits of FRP will increase awareness of the material and enable engineers to design and use FRP with confidence, says ACMA. FRP grating is used in many industries, from walkways in industrial plants to flooring on ships to decorative grids on commercial and residential buildings. It is more durable and corrosion resistant than steel, which can rust and corrode in extreme environments.
Aldred D’Souza, P.E., the director of engineering/design at Fibergrate Composite Structures Inc. (Dallas, TX, US) and the chair of ACMA’s Fiberglass Grating Manufacturers Council, says, “The successful completion of the FRP Composites Grating Manual marks a major milestone in the advancement of the Industry. This new standard should increase the awareness of FRP grating and its suitability in a wide range of markets beyond wastewater treatment plants, waterparks and chemical plants. As FRP gratings become more mainstream because of this wider acceptance, market expansion for composites is evident.” Other members of the Fiberglass Grating Manufacturers Council who also participated in development of the publication include Strongwell (Bristol, VA, US), Delta Composites LLC (Spring, TX, US), Seasafe Inc. (Lafayette, LA, US), Creative Pultrusions Inc. (Alum Bank, PA, US), Owens Corning (Toledo, OH, US), Interplastic Corp. (St. Paul, MN, US), Precisioneering Ltd. (Scarborough, Ontario, Canada), and ChinaGrate (Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China).
The new publication is not a design manual nor requirement, but a voluntary consensus standard. Approval of an American National Standard requires review by ANSI and assurance that the requirements for due process, consensus and other criteria for approval have been met by the standards developer, in this case, ACMA. Consensus is established when, in the judgment of the ANSI Board of Standards Review, substantial agreement has been reached by “directly and materially affected interests.” The use of American National Standards is completely voluntary; their existence does not in any respect preclude anyone, whether he or she has approved the standard or not, from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures not conforming to the standards, emphasizes ACMA in the standard’s Preface.
The FRP Composites Grating Manual has three sections:
The new FRP Composites Grating Manual (print and digital versions) can be found at the ACMA Education Hub. The manual costs $50 for ACMA members and $75 for nonmembers for a hard copy. A digital download (PDF) version costs $40 for members and $60 for nonmembers.
To learn more about ACMA’s Fiberglass Grating Manufacturers Council, contact John Busel at jbusel@acmanet.org.
Robots and digital technology deliver speed plus larger, more complex parts, while generative 3D winding obviates mandrels and waste for automotive applications.
The U.S. seems poised to invest heavily in infrastructure. Can the composites industry rise to the occasion?
Natural fiber reinforcements have been available for some time, but factors such as compatibility with current processes and geographic availability continue to limit widespread use.
New approach to CFRP-strengthened steel beams increases load capacity by >75%, enabling dramatic downsizing while maintaining traditional bolted and welded attachments.
As part of its efforts to automate as much of its production process as it can, Lyons Industries acquired a Massivit 10000 additive manufacturing system to quickly produce high-performance molds and support fixtures.
CompositesWorld’s Carbon Fiber Conference, in its 26th year, will be held Nov. 28-30 in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. There are many good reasons to attend.
To aid design of fatigue-resistant structures, Econ Engineering has developed an algorithm to evaluate ply-based cyclic stiffness degradation combined with an FE failure check, validated for a CF/PAEK pressure vessel.
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