Carbon Fibers

Aerospace

Leonardo invests for the future, establishes pilot carbon fiber plant in Italy in collaboration with MAE

Part of government-supported project to innovate composites, pilot line will be operational in 2022 and enable testing of new precursors and process variations.

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RTM

RECONTRAS project validates use of microwaves and laser welding to obtain recyclable composites

Reseachers obtained a reduction in costs and energy consumption through the manufacture of three composite prototypes and confirm the feasibility of recycling and processing the resulting material.

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Prepregs

Hexcel, HP Composites develop carbon fiber Class A body panels

Italian component producer combines composites processing expertise with Hexcel HexPly XF3 surfacing material, HexPly M47 and HexPly M49 prepregs for supersport sedan external body panels.

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Aerospace

Anisoprint continuous fiber co-extrusion technology powers lunar rover vehicle 

Carbon fiber-reinforced wheel mount and control arm design reduces lunar rover weight to as low as 24 and 64 grams, respectively.

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Carbon Fibers

Refrigerated railcar floor expands composites horizons

TrinityRail, in an effort to update a 20-year-old design, seizes the opportunity to apply composites in a structural application in its refrigerated railcar. It’s a first for the rail and composites industry.

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Aerospace

Leveraging motorsports composites for next-gen rotorcraft

FastCan consortium integrates hollow, solid and cored CFRP into single-cure, single-piece canopy for reduced weight and cost.

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Prepregs

DLR Institute of Structures and Design increases maturity of thermoplastic composite fuselage structures

Project with Airbus demonstrates OOA co-consolidated stringer-stiffened skin with resistance welded frame and cleats.

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Wind/Energy

Hydrogen is poised to fuel composites growth, Part 1

Applications abound for composite tanks to store compressed H2 gas, but challenges exist in cost, size, efficiency and limited carbon fiber capacity.

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Artificial intelligence optimizes CNC milling of carbon fiber-reinforced composites

The Augsburg AI Production Network — DLR Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP), Fraunhofer IGCV and University of Augsburg — use ultrasonic sensors to correlate sound to quality in composites machining.

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PEEK

Short carbon fiber compounds expand reach of thermoplastic composites

With fiber weight fractions of up to 50% and an array of thermoplastic matrices available, injection molding compounds are expanding composites’ capabilities.

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microwire technology for composites