The EHang unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) complies with approved type design, safety and quality requirements, with deliveries to customers now underway.
Overair heads to flight testing in early 2024, marked by rapid prototype development. Grating Frp
The eVTOL developer is scouting locations in the U.S. for continued flight testing of its inaugural consumer aircraft, AIR One, through the Agility Prime program.
Together, the two Spanish companies will outline plans for eVTOL aircraft and operations integration in Europe and Latin America to ensure compatible interaction and maximize aircraft performance.
Following DOA approval, Lilium shifts from the design phase to industrialization, including fuselage matching and joining and a ramp-up of parts production from Tier 1 aerospace suppliers.
The composites-intensive electric aircraft was purchased to meet the airline’s goal of flying a commercial demonstrator by 2026.
A new ASTM-standardized test method established in 2022 assesses the compression-loaded damage tolerance of sandwich composites.
Composites automation specialist increases access to next-gen technologies, including novel AFP systems and unique 3D parts using adaptive molds.
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.
Backed by previous composites-related projects, Kineco continues to contribute its expertise to future space exploration in India.
Among the latest advances are toxicity tests, used to evaluate the effect of different resins and plastic degrading on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and thus determine the technology’s long-term sustainability.
Breiana Whitehead, pioneering Australian kite-foil sailor, spearheads board design intricacies with ATL Composites to enhance her performance ahead of the July 2024 competition.
Composites automation specialist increases access to next-gen technologies, including novel AFP systems and unique 3D parts using adaptive molds.
New support will enable climate-friendly, high-performance and aesthetically pleasing interiors made from ekoa natural fiber composite surfaces and panels.
Holding the new Guinness World Record at 11.98 meters, the 3D-printed composite water taxi used a CEAD Flexbot to print two hulls in less than 12 days.
Breiana Whitehead, pioneering Australian kite-foil sailor, spearheads board design intricacies with ATL Composites to enhance her performance ahead of the July 2024 competition.
Three prefabricated, low-carbon homes, using Mighty Buildings’ large-format 3D printing and UV-curable resins, will be built in the San Francisco Bay Area as models for future industry developments.
T50B masterbatch by Mechnano, in partnership with Bomar, streamlines AM resin development, resolving CNT dispersion issues and elevating mechanical performance while catering to various printing technologies
Composites automation specialist increases access to next-gen technologies, including novel AFP systems and unique 3D parts using adaptive molds.
Plastics and composites manufacturers will benefit from Roctool’s heat and cooling induction for molding processes, with increased technical service support and capability demonstrations on a global scale.
Cygnet Texkimp’s Multi Roll Stack and composite recycling technology catalyze ASCEND program’s mission to optimize aerospace, automotive hydrogen storage and CFRP sustainability.
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.
The composite pressure vessel market is fast-growing and now dominated by demand for hydrogen storage.
The burgeoning advanced air mobility (AAM) market promises to introduce a new mode of transport for urban and intercity travelers — particularly those who wish to bypass the traffic congestion endemic to the world’s largest cities. The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft serving this market, because they depend on battery-powered propulsion, also depend on high-strength, high-performance composite structures produced at volumes heretofore unseen in the aerospace composites industry. This CW Tech Days will feature subject matter experts exploring the materials, tooling and manufacturing challenges of ramping up composites fabrication operations to efficiently meet the demands of a challenging and promising new marketplace.
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 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.
Venue ONLY ON-SITE @AZL Hub in Aachen Building Part 3B, 4th Floor Campus Boulevard 30 52074 Aachen Time: January 31st, 2024 | 11:00-16:00h (CET) This first constitutive session will shape the future of the workgroup. ✓ Insights into solutions for e.g. circularity, recycling, sustainability, end of life etc. ✓ Interactive exchange along the value chain to tackle these challenges: Share your input in the “World Café” workshop session! ✓ Are you a solution provider? Take your chance and present your solution approach in a short 5-minute pitch. Get in touch with Alexander.
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.
Cevotec, a tank manufacturer, Roth Composite Machinery and Cikoni, have undertaken a comprehensive project to explore and demonstrate the impact of dome reinforcements using FPP technology for composite tanks.
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.
Online industry event in spring 2024 will feature six presentations covering sustainability in the composites industry.
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 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.
During CW Tech Days: Thermoplastics for Large Structures, experts explored the materials and processing technologies that are enabling the transition to large-part manufacturing.
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.
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.
This CW Tech Days event will explore the technologies, materials, and strategies that can help composites manufacturers become more sustainable.
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.
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.
There’s a new report out from EPTA (European Pultrusion Technology Assn., Frankfurt am Main, Germany) that discusses new trends for pultrusion in building and construction.
A pultruded bridge manufactured by Strongwell.
There’s a new report out from EPTA (European Pultrusion Technology Assn., Frankfurt am Main, Germany) that discusses new trends for pultrusion in building and construction. I’ve summarized the report here, including a helpful table of properties, and included a link to the entire report on EPTA’s Web site. And, the group’s next meeting is March 1-2, 2018 in Vienna, Austria (here’s a link to the event information page: https://pultruders.org/pdf_news/1_WPC_Save%20the%20date.pdf).
According to EPTA, more architects, engineers and builders are discovering the benefits of pultrusion and finding ways to incorporate pultrusions in construction projects. The properties of pultruded profiles make them well suited to numerous applications in the residential housing market, where they provide strong, durable solutions, outperforming traditional materials for many years. This is particularly true, says the report, for window and door systems, and now in a further range of applications such as exterior trim, decking, pergolas, columns and fencing. Composite profiles also present excellent potential for the building of affordable housing, a growing demand worldwide. Offering a combination of properties not available with traditional building materials, and attractive attributes for green builders, the prospects for pultruded profiles are bright.
If you don’t already know, pultrusion is a continuous process for producing linear fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composite profiles with a uniform cross-section (curved sections are also possible, as CW has reported, here: http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/curved-pultrusion-no-longer-an-oxymoron). In the pultrusion machine the reinforcing fibers are impregnated with resin and pulled through a heated die where curing takes place. The finished profiles are cut to length at the end of the line and can then be stored and used as structural units when required. The pultrusion operation can be readily automated, and represent a fast, efficient way of producing high performance composite parts, with significant design freedom. Both solid and hollow profiles can be manufactured, in simple and complex cross-sectional shapes, including tubes, rods, I-beams, T-, U- and Z-profiles. EPTA says pultrusion allows for extremely high fiber loading and accurately-controlled resin content, so parts have excellent structural properties. A range of reinforcing fibers, and formats, can be used, including glass and carbon fiber, and a variety of thermoset matrix resins, including polyester, epoxy and vinyl ester, as well as thermoplastic resins. In the residential housing market glass fiber reinforced polyester resin (GRP) is typical.
According to the report, almost any profile cross-section can be manufactured within the following parameters:
Pultruded profiles are pigmented throughout the thickness of the part and can be made to virtually any color. Surfacing veils may be employed to create special appearances such as wood grain, marble and granite. Profiles can also be painted, cut and drilled using conventional hardened tools, and connected using bolts, screws, rivets or adhesives. A durable UV-resistant coating is typically applied to profiles intended for outdoor use.
EPTA points out that a number of standards have been developed covering the design, fabrication and installation of pultruded profiles. These include the Pre-Standard for Load & Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) of Pultruded Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Structures developed by the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and European Standard EN 13 706, which specifies minimum requirements for the quality, tolerances, strength, stiffness and surface of structural profiles. Other codes currently in use are the Eurocomp Design Guide and the CUR96 in the Netherlands. The report says work towards new European technical specifications for the design and verification of composite structures used in buildings, bridges and construction works is currently being conducted by Working Group WG4 “Fibre Reinforced Polymers” under the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) Technical Committee 250 (CEN/TC250).
At the end of their service life pultruded profiles can be recycled. A grinding process results in a by-product that can be used as a filler in building materials such as concrete and asphalt, or reused in the pultrusion process as a filler in the matrix resin, says EPTA. An important advance in Europe involves the recycling of glass fiber-based composite regrind through co-processing in cement kilns. This route is becoming increasingly popular since it is highly cost effective, helps to improve the ecological footprint of cement manufacturing, and is compliant with the European Waste Framework Directive (WFD) 2008/98/EC. The composite regrind used for co-processing in cement kilns is both an alternative fuel and raw material (AFR). When combined with other feedstock materials into an input stream with consistent composition and caloric value, the inorganic fraction acts as valuable raw material, while the organic fraction acts as efficient fuel for the calcination process.
The report includes a table comparing pultruded composites with other materials:
A comparison of the properties of pultruded composite with alternative building materials. (*According to EN 13 706.)
EPTA says pultruded composites are viewed as a new material option that can meet the most stringent demands and offers manufacturers, dealers and distributors the ability to differentiate themselves in a highly competitive marketplace. The low maintenance, durability and high strength characteristics of pultruded composites are attractive to both home owners, who want to reduce maintenance time and expense, and contractors wanting to reduce service recalls. Pultruded profiles in window systems have earned a maintenance-free reputation over the last 20 years and are recognized for superior performance in dimensional stability and thermal performance. This has led to opportunities for pultruded composite to replace wood, PVC and aluminum in a variety of other applications including exterior trim, decking, columns, pergolas and arbors, as well as railings, fencing and decking. Projects have also demonstrated the application of pultruded profiles to low cost modular housing systems.
One potential application for pultrusions, says the report, is to prevent thermal bridging through steel and concrete framing, which impacts a building’s energy performance. Reducing thermal bridging reduces conduction of heat and energy consumption, and prevents surface condensation from forming inside the building. Because of its superior thermal performance, glass fiber composite is a good option to provide thermal breaks. Various projects and applications are being developed in this area.
The corrosion resistant properties of composite materials make them ideal for products exposed to the weather. Pultruded roof trim, fascia and soffit are extremely tough and durable and provide a low maintenance solution while maintaining the appearance of wood. The lightweight profiles are easy to transport, handle and install.
Pultruded profiles are also being used in roof rain gutters. In some cases, the gutter system and fascia are combined in a single pultruded piece, reducing the labor required for installation. Pultruded gutters have a smooth inner finish to prevent deposits. The report details many more potential apps.
Although still relatively new to the residential housing market, EPTA says the properties of pultruded composite profiles have earned them a position of awareness and respect among architects, engineers and building owners. The potential for further growth is high. Design flexibility and the ability to customize the mechanical performance of pultruded profiles according to the application are recognized advantages. The development of further standards covering the design, fabrication and installation of pultruded profiles will continue to make it easier for designers and builders to specify pultruded products. Pultruded glass fiber composites offer a high performance, cost-effective alternative to more familiar building materials, and are suited to a large number of applications in the residential construction market. A heightened global emphasis on green building and sustainable building practices will only bring increased interest in the potential for pultruded profiles to create energy efficient and sustainable solutions for the future.
Here’s the link to the complete paper: https://pultruders.org/pdf_news/1_EPTA%20Construction%20Briefing.pdf. The European Pultrusion Technology Association was created in 1989 by a group of leading European pultruders with the mission of supporting the growth of the pultrusion industry by maximizing external communication efforts and encouraging knowledge sharing between members. Since 2006, the association has existed under the umbrella of the AVK – Industrievereinigung Verstärkte Kunststoffe e.V., in Frankfurt, Germany. Membership of EPTA is open to all companies and individuals worldwide wishing to further the application of pultruded profiles.
Composite parts are formed in molds, also known as tools. Tools can be made from virtually any material. The material type, shape and complexity depend upon the part and length of production run. Here's a short summary of the issues involved in electing and making tools.
Tried-and-true materials thrive, but new approaches and new forms designed to process faster are entering the marketplace.
For composite applications, these hollow microstructures displace a lot of volume at low weight and add an abundance of processing and product enhancements.
Applications aren't as demanding as airframe composites, but requirements are still exacting — passenger safety is key.
The inaugural CW From the Archives revisits Sara Black’s 2007 story on out-of-autoclave infusion used to fabricate the massive composite upper cargo door for the Airbus A400M military airlifter.
Discussion of the issues in our understanding of thermoplastic composite welded structures and certification of the latest materials and welding technologies for future airframes.
Startup Fited and Brightlands Materials Center have developed a lighter weight, thinner CFRP corrective brace, including pressure sensors made from continuous carbon fibers.
Fiberglass Rods CompositesWorld is the source for reliable news and information on what’s happening in fiber-reinforced composites manufacturing. Learn More