CW Blog
Handgun holsters: Thermoplastic composites target extreme performance
Safariland LLC (Ontario, Calif.), produces gun holsters, previously made of leather, from a proprietary composite that relies on a custom-formulated thermoplastic sheet product from Boltaron Performance Products LLC (Newcomerstown, Ohio)
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Twisting in the Wind
CT editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan surveys the potential negative effects on the composites industry of the battles in the U.S. Congress over over renewal of the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy technologies — and the resulting uncertainty in the wind energy market.
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COMPOSITES 2012 Highlights
As ACMA’s annual conclave convened in North America’s gambling capital, show exhibitors and attendees placed their bets on better days.
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Thermoplastic Wind Blades: To be or not?
Will future wind blades incorporate thermoplastic composites? It depends on whom you ask.
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Carbon fiber market: Gathering momentum
All signs point to increasing demand from many market sectors. Will capacity keep pace?
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Testing the damage tolerance of composite materials
Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures, Salt Lake City, Utah) looks at standards and also-rans in the area of testing for damage tolerance.
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In memorium: Bill Benjamin
HPC editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan looks at the contribution and the legacy of a composites industry icon, Bill Benjamin.
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Software enables submarine shipyard’s composites-for-metal effort
When Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (Kiel, Germany) looked for a software solution to reduce the risk of using composites for a greater range of thicker parts, FiberSIM software from VISTAGY Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) enabled its engineers to develop initial designs more quickly and to better understand the impact of design changes.
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Thermocouple innovation shortens autoclave setup for stringers/frames
ATK Aerospace Structures (Clearfield, Utah) trials a thermocouple system from TE Wire & Cable LLC (Saddle Brook, N.J.) called AccuConnect, which cuts thermocouple setup time from 2.5 hours to 20 minutes.
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Styrene: Issues and implications
The facts (such as they are) behind the furor surrounding this vital crosslinking chemical’s listing in the 12th RoC.
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SEICO 12 focuses attention on composite technologies of the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft.
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Corrosion prevention: Glass/vinyl ester liner protects power plant pit
When PT Paiton Energy in Paiton, East Java, Indonesia, wanted to expand its existing 1,230-MW coal-fired power plant, it needed a new concrete aeration pit to hold seawater that is circulated through the plant’s cooling system.
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