CW Blog
Molding with compression? Choose wisely you must
For those in the market for a compression molding machine — either to replace an aging machine or to add new capability — must be prepared to answer serious questions about the material and application for which it will be molded.
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What do PU/carbon spars and the Valencia lighthouse have in common?
Saertex reinforcements, infusion, speed of fabrication and long life.
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The Flexible Flyer: How composites made velomobile history
Separating frame and spring functions makes them easier to design but then those separate parts are heavier. Columnist Bob Stuart's updated velomobile suspension illustrates a way to combine those functions in a lighter, more responsive construction.
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The dawn of low-cost carbon fiber?
After several years of research and development work on its pilot scale carbon fiber manufacturing line, ORNL signaled that its efforts are ready to be paid off when it announced it is seeking licensees for its process.
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Materials & Processes: Composites for repair
Composites offer cost-effective means to repair, protect and/or strengthen structures made of steel, concrete or other materials.
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Materials & Processes: Composites part design
Designers of composite parts can choose from a huge variety of fiber reinforcements and resin systems. That makes knowledge of how those materials work together a critically important aspect of part development. Here's a short description of what that knowledge entails.
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Materials & Processes: Fiber formats for composites
Fibers used to reinforce composites are supplied directly by fiber manufacturers and indirectly by converters in a number of different forms, which vary depending on the application. Here's a guide to what's available.
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Supply and demand: Advanced fibers
Demand for advanced fiber, virgin and reclaimed, is on an upswing after a dip during the recent recession. Fiber suppliers are gearing up to meet an expected increase in demand as manufacturers in a number of composites end-markets scale up or start up part development and production programs
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Materials & Processes: Introduction
High strength at low weight remain the winning combination that propels composite materials into new arenas, but other properties are equally important. This article outlines the case for composites and introduces SourceBook's overview of the materials and processes used to make them.
Read MoreThe NDE challenge
CW editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan discusses the aerospace industry's need for robust and reliable non-destructive evaluation technologies.
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Form + function = Classy chassis
Sandwich-composite chassis components double as structural and styling elements, reducing cost of ownership.
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Lower cost, less waste: Inline prepreg production
New technologies move direct (fabricator-based) prepregging closer to reality.
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