Articles
Workforce development: Let's start in high school
CW Editor-in-Chief Jeff Sloan says one concern at the otherwise positive initial membership meeting of the new Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) was that the composites industry is quickly losing knowledge, as old-timers retire, that is not so easily replaced. Here's his prescription.
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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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Composites enable innovative prototype for snow mountain bike
A group of engineering students from the University of Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada) believe mountain biking should be enjoyed year-round.
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Engel: Full speed ahead on composites R&D
CW attended the Engel Symposium 2015 and visited its Technology Center for Lightweight Composites in St. Valentin, Austria.
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Summer...time for an air show
Highlights from the 2015 edition of the Paris Air Show, and what to look for at the upcoming EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh next month.
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3D Printing Moves Into Tooling Components
Some pundits predict that 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), will change our world forever. While that may yet be, one thing is clear: The growth of 3D printing over the past two decades has wrought significant change in composites tooling. Although AM’s most obvious advantage is direct part production without tooling, the growing trend in the aerospace and automotive sectors at present is its use for fast, on-demand builds of mold tools to keep pace with accelerating composite part design cycles and demand for faster overall part processing speeds.
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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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Hydrofoil technology meets the luxury yacht market?
If Zephyous Charters gets its way, hydrofoil technology made famous by the 2013 America's Cup race will soon be available on a luxury yacht near you. All that's needed is a little money.
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Opportunities for composites at AIA 2015
Key trends and new products on the floor at this year's American Institute of Architects show.
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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.
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