Articles

Thermoplastics

Cabin cruiser: Making the most of a mirror finish

The hull mirror-like gel coat finish on the Daedulus 30 cabin cruiser was achieved through a combination of Marine Concepts’ (Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire, U.K.) mold design experience and fabrication techniques and materials provided by Scott Bader (Wollaston, Northamptonshire, U.K.).

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Glass Fibers

Bathware production: Feeder facilitates faster flow

Shower pans molder Just Trays Ltd. (Leeds, West Yorkshire) invests $1.6 million (USD) to improve its manufacturing processes, including the purchase of two of Model T5 Low Headroom Bulk Bag Dischargers from Spiroflow Ltd. (Clitheroe, Lancashire, U.K. and Monroe, N.C.).

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Wind/Energy

Paris 2011: JEC Composites/Sampe Europe preview

JEC’s industry-leading trade exhibition and SAMPE Europe’s International Conference pair up, again, in Paris.

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Editorial

Making news accessible

CT Editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan says the CT Staff is "letting CT do what it does best: Cover the news behind the breaking news."

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Wind/Energy

Supply and demand, redux

HPC editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan says carbon fiber producers and users need to re-associate.

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Consumer

Spread-tow fabrics reduce waveboard weight

Fanatic (Molln, Austria) recently introduced a new version of its windsurfing waveboard, called FreeWave TeXtreme, made with TeXtreme spread carbon tow fabric from Oxeon AB (Boras, Sweden).

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Weaving

Out-of-autoclave prepregs: Hype or revolution?

Oven-cured, vacuum-bagged prepregs show promise in production primary structures.

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Fiber-matrix interfacial bond test methods

Dr. Don Adams describes six single-fiber methods for testing fiber-matrix interfacial bond strength.

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Prepregs

Drag racing champ wins with composite rear wing

A composite rear wing assembly built by Aerodine Composites Group (Indianapolis, Ind.) was critical to 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champion Larry Dixon’s effort at the wheel of the Al-Anabi Top Fuel dragster.

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Carbon Fibers

Why CFRP?

There is no technology that can help automakers reach their lightweighting goals faster than carbon fiber-reinforced plastics.

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Sustainability

Life Cycle Assessment: Are composites "green"?

Methods for calculating the impact composites have on the environment enable data-driven comparisons to traditional materials on a level playing field.

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Q&A Forum: Automotive Composites

How will fiber-reinforced polymers fare in a post-recession, cost- and fuel-economy-obsessed auto market?

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