Fluon+ colored melt processable compounds. Source | AGC Chemicals America Inc.

(AGCCA, Exton, Pa., U.S.), a materials compounder offering advanced polymeric solutions, announces its Fluon+ Compounds portfolio tailored for critical industrial applications. By compounding thermoplastic polymers with fillers such as glass, graphite, pigments and functional monomers, AGCCA says it enhances material properties to extend application reach, solve complex challenges, and reduce life cycle costs and downtime.

AGC’s Fluon+ Compounds are engineered to improve performance in critical applications across industries including wire and cable production, chemical processing and appliance manufacturing. Common uses include wire and cable insulation, heat-shrink tubing, heating cables, valve pump liners, pump housings, column packings, films and sheets, tubing and hoses, and laser mark concentrates.

Key product lines are:

Fluon+ Melt processable compounds: Enhance properties with fillers and add pigment to a wide range of fluoropolymer resins including ECTFE, ETFE, FEP, PFA and PVDF. These compounds improve chemical resistance, toughness and lubricity. Laser engraving additives for wire and cable applications are also available.

Fluon+ Filled PTFE compounds: PTFE resins compounded to specific needs with pigments and fillers such as glass, graphite and metal powders. Incorporating fillers enhances wear resistance, creep resistance, and thermal and electrical conductivity.

Fluon+ Adhesive grades: Fluorinated adhesive resin compounds made with Fluon ETFE or PFA offer adhesive and dispersive properties, enabling compatibility with materials previously unsuitable for fluoropolymers.

Fluon+ Modifiers: Functionalized fluoropolymers incorporated into existing polymer matrices and composites to improve high-temperature molding results. These additives greatly improve impact resistance.

Fluon+ Composites: Adhesive fluoropolymers combined or laminated with carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) or carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP). These composites add fluoropolymer functionality to metals, polymers and other materials.

Fluon+ mPlastics: Fluorinated compounding solutions tailored to meet specific performance requirements. Fluoropolymer modifications improve the impact and wear resistance of engineered plastics, along with their physical and electrical properties.

“By improving abrasion, chemical, corrosion and temperature resistance, Fluon+ Compounds help extend product life cycles and minimize maintenance costs,” says Arthur Schultheiss, industrial market manager. “Plus, their compliance with PFAS regulations and well-established safety profiles provide peace of mind to industries requiring high-performance materials that are both effective and responsible.”

Source (All Images) | Cartken

(Oakland, Calif., U.S.), an autonomous robotics company, launches Cartken Hauler, a robust, highly maneuverable robot with increased payload capacity designed to automate mixed outdoor/indoor environment material handling for advanced materials and composites manufacturers. The solution focuses on challenges beyond last-mile delivery, tackling a critical gap in industrial and on-site logistics automation: seamless material handling across complex, mixed environments, multiple levels and diverse terrains.

Moving heavy, sensitive or bulky items between indoor and outdoor production zones remains a largely manual process — one that slows down throughput and adds labor strain. In addition, Cartken says, traditional mobile robot solutions — AGVs and AMRs, for example — often lack the flexibility required for complex industrial environments, such as struggling with uneven ground, ramps, curbs and weather-exposed areas.

The Hauler, however, makes it possible to more easily transport things like composite molds, raw materials or finished components between fabrication areas, curing ovens, tool storage and loading bays.

Cartken Hauler is designed for industries that demand dynamic, efficient material transport, handling everything from inventory and samples to tools and documents. It combines AI-powered, camera-based autonomy with rugged, all-terrain capabilities, ensuring reliable operation in demanding environments, and navigates safely around people.

The Hauler smoothly navigates uneven concrete, gravel, pebbles, grass, asphalt, dirt, tile and carpet. It also operates reliably in rain, sun, snow and extreme temperatures from -20°C to +50°C. Perception sensors are said to enable navigation in any lighting conditions. The autonomous robot also integrates with existing systems for deliveries across multiple floor levels, with integration for elevators, gates, doors and software systems.

It has a load capacity of 660 lbs (300 kg) on flat surfaces and 550 lbs (250 kg) on 10° slopes, and reaches a top speed of 4.5 mph with a zero-point turning radius and omni-directional steering. Cartken offers the system with a flat base, shelf, enclosed and temperature-controlled compartments capable of maintaining -80°C to +100 °C.

Source (All Images) | Modern Mill

 (McComb, Miss., U.S.) is a building materials manufacturer that creates a sustainable wood reinforcement alternative named Acre from upcycled rice hulls. Acre, produced at the company’s zero-waste manufacturing facility in Fernwood, Mississippi, combines the warmth and workability of wood with the durability and low maintenance of composites.

Acre’s composition comprises upcycled rice hulls and a rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin matrix. The rice hulls make up about 50% by volume of the product. According to Modern Mill, this is a common and abundant waste byproduct that is often destined for landfills — the U.S. grows and exports more than 20 billion pounds of rice each year

The rigid PVC used is recyclable and doesn’t have any VOCs or plasticizers which are commonly found in flexible PVC. Made using natural gas rather than coal or oil, the polymer is derived from 50% saltwater (versus 100% fossil fuel polymers) and is less prone to degradation, meaning product lifespans are extended.

Acre products are available in siding, trim, decking, porch boards and millwork. Siding profiles include shiplap, edge and center bead, board and batten, nickel gap, and v-groove. Acre can replace wood in nearly all non-structural applications, Modern Mill reports — it can be easily cut, drilled and routed with standard woodworking tools, doesn’t produce harmful dust and can be thermoformed to create custom shapes.

In addition, Acre can be stained or painted without primer in hundreds of approved colors, making it virtually indistinguishable from rich tropical wood species like cedar, ipe, teak and mahogany. Manufactured with a natural grain, Acre offers the beauty of real wood without knots or splintering. It is also resistant to water, weather, rot, pests and mold, making it an ideal choice for both exterior and interior applications.

Ultimately, Modern Mill’s solution aims to reduce unnecessary deforestation. Acre also supports clean-air living, containing no phenol, formaldehyde or adhesives, making it a healthier, more sustainable option for building projects.

Source | IPS Adhesives

IPS Adhesives (Durham, N.C., U.S.), a global structural adhesive and surfacing products manufacturer, announces the launch of Scigrip SG2000 to the North American market.

Designed with a long open time and more forgiving 1:1 mix ratio, Scigrip SG2000 offers enhanced ease of use with an extended 100-120 minute working window. IPS Adhesives anticipates North American users to simplify their assembly routines and save time with Scigrip SG2000’s 1:1 mix ratio.

SG2000 is a two-part methyl methacrylate adhesive (1:1), available in an off-white color in pail or drum packaging. It is well suited for harsh environments, irregular or uneven surfaces, and a variety of composite substrates. Once bonded, the adhesive provides high fatigue, impact and shock load resistance. In addition, SG2000 is able to easily fill deep gaps up to 1.5" (39 mm), without boiling.

Transportation, construction and marine industries are expected to be some of the earliest adopters. SG2000 adhesives are available now through IPSA’s North American distribution network.

Source | Getty Images

 (Vancouver, Canada), a sustainable commercial manufacturer of high-purity graphene, and battery materials and testing services company NEI Corp. (Somerset, N.J., U.S.), have announced the launch of Nanomyte FGA-1AD and Nanomyte FGA-1ND, a new line of graphene dispersions designed for advanced coatings, energy storage and composite materials.

HydroGraph and NEI launched the strategic partnership in November 2024, with a shared mission to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced graphene-enhanced battery materials. The resulting dispersions are said to integrate seamlessly into existing electrode slurries, replacing or supplementing traditional conductive carbons to enhance electrode performance. The outcome is improved electrical conductivity, enabling the development of better electrodes and expanding possibilities for high-performance energy storage solutions.

“Our collaboration with NEI Corp. has already resulted in our graphene materials being made available in a format familiar to the battery industry,” says Kjirstin Breure, CEO and president of HydroGraph. “These new dispersions aren’t just enabling customers to test and enhance battery performance; they are also setting the stage for broader graphene adoption across the energy storage sector.”

The two dispersions combine HydroGraph’s pristine fractal graphene technology with NEI’s extensive experience in battery materials. The result is a ready-to-use concentrate of high-purity graphene additive exhibiting 100% sp2 bonded carbon, in a turbostratic arrangement, and an average of six graphene layers per particle. This nanoscale structure is reported to enhance conductivity, improves rate capability and increases energy density.

FGA-1AD is a ready-to-use aqueous graphene dispersion and FGA-1ND is a ready-to-use NMP-based graphene dispersion. Both are designed to replace or supplement traditional conducting carbons in electrode slurries to enhance performance.

Source | GFRP Tech

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) products manufacturer  (Johannesburg, South Africa) introduces EnviraMesh, an environmentally sustainable alternative to steel mesh, as its latest product offering to the South African construction market.

EnviraMesh, available in rolls, is reported to significantly enhance the structural integrity of buildings and infrastructure. Tailored for heavy-duty applications — including high-load-bearing structures, highway and airport pavements, and reinforced concrete slabs — EnviraMesh is corrosion-resistant, nonconductive and electro-magnetic neutral.

“Good construction relies heavily on the quality of its foundation for the durability and the safety of the structure,” notes Allen Fiford, CEO of GFRP Tech. “With EnviraMesh providing three times more strength than traditional steel mesh, we are enhancing the tensile strength of concrete structures, while reducing the risk of cracks.”

In addition, Fiford says that the shift from steel mesh to GFRP mesh is not only about innovation but about reducing carbon emissions as well, as the production of traditional steel reinforcement usually involves significant energy consumption. “By adopting GFRP materials, we can significantly cut down on this energy use while streamlining the construction process, reduce maintenance costs and expand the lifespan of buildings,” says Fiford.

EnviraMesh is locally manufactured and is already being supplied to various residential products, including in the lifestyle estate, Steyn City, in Fourways. EnviraMesh complements GFRP Tech’s existing EnviraBar range of products.

Cannon Legos showcased this fully automatic system at JEC World 2025. Source | Cannon Group

 (Peschiera Borromeo, Italy), a company of The Cannon Group, showcases an innovative, fully automatic system for the in-line vacuum degassing of resins for the production of large composite components using vacuum infusion, resin transfer molding (RTM) and pultrusion. The system combines a compact design and footprint, offering high output and a reduction in processing times.

“We started developing this technology based on the requirements for the wind energy market. As the sector moves to ever larger wind blades for bigger power generation, there is a strong demand for greater outputs without compromising performances and costs,” explains Davide Bertinat, product manager at Cannon Legos. “The technology we developed is building on the experience that Cannon has in the oil and gas sector, particularly for water treatment on offshore platforms. This was then adapted and customized for resin degassing and, after a period of testing and adjusting, we achieved the desired high in-line output, while maintaining a small footprint.”

At present, degassing technologies are mainly operated off-line in batches with low throughput and long processing times. Although some existing technologies are already aimed at in-line processes, these tend to have limited output. To bypass this, some suppliers will offer more than one unit to cover higher volumes.

The solution from Cannon Legos is said to significantly reduce the overall degassing time, processing 1 m³ intermediate bulk container (IBC)  in less than 10 minutes. This solution enhances efficiency and ensures an optimized footprint, even at high output rates. Moreover, a single Cannon unit can replace several existing modules, enabling customers full integration in production processes thereby saving operating costs, time and space. 

The company’s in-line degassing technology is not only well-suited to produce large wind turbine blades. It can also be used in other production processes where the presence of air or gas bubbles in chemicals needs to be minimized in order to improve the integrity of the final product, such as structural parts for the automotive industry, aerospace applications or battery trays.

Source | Apache Aerospace

 (Mukilteo, Wash., U.S.) provides complete tool management and inventory control solutions for the aerospace industry. The company recently introduced the MX-5 precise, self-feeding countersink system design developed for cutting carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), fiberglass and aluminum materials.

The MX-5 is a process-specific tool capable of adjusting diameters in predrilled metallic or composite materials. Its cutting tools are made from special grades of carbide to provide optimized tool life. A pneumatic clamping and feed rate system enables repeatable control of high-tolerance depth countersink cuts. The machine’s graduation indicates lock detents and allows depth to be adjusted in increments of 0.0005". The system weights only 4.8 Ibs, works on shop air supply of 80-120 psi and has been designed to work easily in any workplace.

According to the company, this third-generation system offers a host of features that make it easier for operators to use. For example, tool setup prior to performing countersink operations, as well as the adjustment of cutting tool depth, feed rate and complete tool assembly have been simplified. MX-5 also ensures operators can easily measure countersink depth and adjust required specs.

Apache Aerospace provides technical and customer support in all fifty U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. The company specializes in providing application-driven cutting tools, raw materials, testing and evaluation, surface finish, tool design and grinding, and edge prep and coatings.

TTCC-FC/HC closed-circuit cooling tower offerings. Source (All Images) | Tower Tech

(Oklahoma City, Okla., U.S.) a company part of Creative Composites Group that manufactures modular fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite cooling towers, has announced the expansion of its modular cooling tower line, adding closed-circuit models to its open-circuit offerings.

Tower Tech offers the open-circuit TTXR and TTXL modular cooling towers and has added the TTCC-FC (evaporative fluid cooling) and TTCC-HC (hybrid fluid cooling) closed-circuit models. This expansion meets a growing market need for modular closed-loop towers with the performance benefits of composites. According to the company, the closed-circuit line is adapted from the two decades of successes and data from Tower Tech’s open-circuit line.

“At Tower Tech, we chose to create a comprehensive, engineered technology; we don’t need dozens of products to meet customer needs,” says Mathu Solo, president of Tower Tech. “This has allowed us to focus on sustainable efficiency, a design that saves valuable resources, including energy, water and chemicals, all while reducing carbon footprint.” Solo notes that Tower Tech is the only domestic manufacturer with a full line of CTI-certified modular cooling towers that has earned hurricane-force wind ratings, FM-approved fire ratings and missile impact certification.

Tower Tech’s open-circuit cooling towers offer a distinctive upside-down design that eliminates side louvers and open basins. This is reported to significantly reduces Legionella growth risks and gives the towers a smaller required footprint overall. Made of composites, the towers are also lighter than conventional towers and are factory pre-assembled, enabling fast delivery and installation. Use of composites and its engineered technology also increase the towers’ longevity while providing reliable redundant operation.

The same is true of the Tower Tech closed-circuit line. The TTCC models prioritize water conservation and strict contamination prevention of the process fluid, making them ideal for the food and beverage industry, data centers and HVAC installations using heat pumps for decarbonization through high-efficiency electrification.

A significant achievement is patented XchangeTech polymer coils (for closed-loop) and fill media (available for both open- and closed-loop). These composite internal components are inherently corrosion-resistant, reducing maintenance and repair times, in addition to weight savings, in comparison to conventional fill media and coils.

Source | Industrial Summit Technology (I.S.T.)

(I.S.T., Shiga, Japan and Parlin, N.J., U.S.) launches Imidetex. The polyimide fiber — with properties such as high tensile strength (3.0 GPa), a continuous use temperature exceeding 250°C and an ultra-low water absorption rate (<0.9%) — has been engineered as a “super fiber” for the most demanding environments. 

Imidetex has been designed to work in synergy with traditional glass and carbon fibers, enhancing their performance with its own balance of lightweight strength, durability and multifunctional properties. Unlike conventional materials that require trade-offs between strength, weight and flexibility, I.S.T. reports that Imidetex integrates seamlessly into composite structures, complementing and expanding the functional capabilities of existing solutions.

When combined with carbon or glass fibers, Imidetex provides vibration damping, improved impact resistance and weight reduction without compromising structural integrity. This complementary nature enables composites to meet more demanding specifications in industries such as aerospace, automotive, telecommunications and high-performance sports equipment.

When incorporated into composite structures, Imidetex delivers enhanced performance through these following properties:

• Electromagnetic transparency: Enhances communication performance and high-frequency support.
• Low transmission loss: Optimizes signal quality, increases energy efficiency and enables long-distance transmission.
• Optimal vibration damping: Improves structural stability and dynamic performance.
• Impact resistance: Provides high durability against external impacts and minimizes structural damage.

Additionally, Imidetex retains the inherent properties of polyimide, including high heat resistance, low water absorption and high strength.

Because of its ability to enhance rather than replace existing materials, I.S.T. believes Imidetex can unlock new opportunities in fields like telecommunication devices (5G/6G, RF equipment), sports equipment (protective gear, high-performance devices), automotive and mobility, public infrastructure, medical devices, and aerospace and satellite technologies.

Beyond performance, Imidetex offers designers a distinctive aesthetic appeal. Its natural amber hue provides a distinctive visual identity, adding new possibilities for product design.

As industries increasingly prioritize sustainability, Imidetex also acts as an environmentally responsible solution. With high durability and an extended lifespan, it contributes to longer-lasting composite structures, reducing material waste and minimizing the need for replacements.

Additionally, the polyimide fiber is reported to be significantly more energy-efficient in production, generating approximately one-fifth of the CO_â‚‚ emissions associated with carbon fiber manufacturing.