Articles
Megayacht Composite Masts Get Smart
Freestanding square rigging is fully instrumented for structural health monitoring while under sail.
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Smart Aircraft Structures: a Future Necessity
Health monitoring of aircraft structures using distributed in situ sensor systems.
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Testing Tech: Shear testing of sandwich panel core materials
In my previous column (HPC November 2006, p. 10), I noted that the shear strength and shear stiffness of the core material in a sandwich panel can be determined in situ while performing flexural tests to evaluate other sandwich panel properties. However, as was stated then, it is more accurate to measure these
Read MoreLong-Fiber Injection Advances Polyurethane Composites
Single-step molding technology lets fabricators enjoy the high modulus, low emissions and short cure times of thermoset polyurethanes.
Read MoreCOMPOSITES POLYCON 2006
ACMA's and ICPA's trade shows converge in America's middle, St. Louis.
Read MoreFRP concrete forms shape West Point library&'s new entryway
MFG Construction Products Co. (div. of Molded Fiber Glass Cos., Ashtabula, Ohio) manufactures fiberglass forms for cast-in-place concrete construction. The company has recently been involved with demanding applications at historic locations, including a $59 million (USD) library expansion at the U.S. Military Academy
Read MoreFAR Part 25 Standards
Prior to 1990, most cabin composites were epoxy-based. But in 1987, the U.S. Federal Aviation Admin. (FAA) mandated slower burn rate/flame spread in aircraft seat cushion materials in its Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 25 standards. Then, in 1990, it also established regulations that mandated stringent
Read MoreSandwich panel flexure testing
Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures (Salt Lake City, Utah) comments on the composite materials testing community's move toward the use of the terms "long beam flexure" and "short beam flexure" when addressing sandwich panel testing.
Read MoreHigh-Performance carbon fiber car wheels take big step forward
One of the "holy grails"of carbon fiber application is car wheels. How badly would auto OEMs love to lose those heavy steel wheels? The question always has been: Can a carbon fiber wheel meet all of the required performance specs at an affordable price? The short answer is, yes but not yet. Dymag Racing UK
Read MoreFilament winding
Filament winding is a continuous fabrication method that can be highly automated and repeatable with relatively low material costs. A long, cylindrical tool called a mandrel is suspended horizontally between end supports, while the “head” – the fiber application instrument – moves back and forth along the length of a
Read MoreTube rolling
Tube rolling is a long-standing composites manufacturing process for producing finite-length tubes and rods. It is particularly applicable to small-diameter cylindrical or tapered tubes in lengths up to 6.1m/20 ft. Tubing diameters up to 152 mm/6 inches can be rolled efficiently. Typically, a tacky prepreg fabric or
Read MoreMatrices: Carbon, metal and ceramic
Perhaps the most exotic matrix, in part because it is neither thermoset nor thermoplastic, is pyrolized and densified noncontinuous carbon, which forms the matrix in carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. C/Cs withstand extremely high temperatures – nearly 1650°C/3000°F on space shuttle components – and also find use in
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