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Filament winding is a specialized technique used in composite manufacturing, involving the precise and automated winding of continuous fibers onto a rotating mandrel or mold. This method allows for the creation of strong and seamless structures, optimizing the alignment and orientation of the fibers to meet specific design requirements. Filament winding is employed in producing cylindrical or conical composite parts, such as pipes, pressure vessels, and aerospace components, enabling engineers to tailor the strength, stiffness, and performance characteristics of the final product.

Processes in composites manufacturing encompass a diverse array of techniques employed to fabricate composite materials. These processes include methods like hand layup, where layers of resin and reinforcement materials are manually placed, and vacuum infusion, where a vacuum draws resin into a preform. Other techniques like compression molding, filament winding, and automated methods such as 3D printing are utilized to create intricate and specialized composite structures. Each process offers unique advantages in terms of precision, scalability, and efficiency, catering to diverse industry needs. As technology advances, newer methods are emerging, promising faster production cycles, reduced waste, and increased customization, driving the evolution of composite manufacturing towards more sophisticated and versatile methodologies.

The wind energy market has long been considered the world’s largest market, by volume, for glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites — and increasingly, carbon fiber composites — as larger turbines and longer wind blades are developed, requiring higher performance, lighter weight materials. The outer skins of wind and tidal turbine blades generally comprise infused, GFRP laminates sandwiching foam core. Inside the blade, rib-like shear webs bonded to spar caps reinforce the structure. Spar caps are often made from GFRP or, as blade lengths lengthen, pultruded carbon fiber for additional strength.

Up to $6 million in secured funding will address the company’s goals to turn wind blades into valuable second-use materials.

Fifty of the 100 wind blades installed on the Sofia offshore wind farm will feature recyclable epoxy resin, becoming a key flagship project representing RecyclableBlades at commercial scale.

Pilot trial at Ryse’s Spain facility required no alterations to production equipment or schedule when using the recycled glass fiber textile, with strength, stiffness and compliance targets achieved.

Compact robotic winder supports optimized filament winding operations and machine use with fixed material feeding for process stability.

A production-scale prepreg tape slitting system featuring SAHM winding technology is available for thermoset, thermoplastic and ceramic tape trialing following an Asia contract win.

Modular GFRP W-tanks fabricated by Toro Equipment simplify the logistics, space and time limitations involved in anaerobic digestive and water treatment containers.

Insights from a new study from the University of Glasgow demonstrates how smaller-scale wind power generation, with designs achieved via computer modeling techniques, can scale up utility-grade systems.

Project goals adapted filament winding to properly integrate optical and carbon fiber sensors and meet technical requirements, resulting in a verified, simplified process for smart composite structures at reduced cost.

Composite wind propulsion technologies will support a series of methanol-ready oil and chemical tankers, as well as six newbuild tankers.

Beaverbrook Park now exhibits a 50-foot pedestrian bridge design consisting of a decommissioned wind blade flanked by two wooden decks.