Design & Tooling

Marine

Pushing the limits of infusion

Polyworx BV used RTM-Worx, semipermeable membranes, a special feed and vacuum line layout and MMD machines to infuse a 62m minesweeper with degassed resin.

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Defense

VIDEO: Helicopter Drop Test

NASA evaluates composites’ ability to improve helicopter crashworthiness by dropping a helicopter fuselage to simulate a severe survivable crash according to military and commercial transport requirements.

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Buckling of composite material compression specimens

Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures, Salt Lake City, Utah) rehearses the causes of, and solutions for, problems with buckling in composite compression specimens.

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Construction

Bus station pavilion: A marriage of design and manufacture

Architectural design studio and boatbuilder cooperate to make this passenger terminal "first" a first-class showpiece.

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Medical

ABCs of ultrasonic inspection

A primer on nondestructive ultrasonic inspection technology.

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The Short Beam Shear test method for composite materials

Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures (Salt Lake City, Utah) suggests larger support and loading cylinders for the Short Beam Shear test method.

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Weaving

Maximum thrills: Minimal tools

Water slide manufacturer’s disastrous fire loss opens door to a closed molding process that reduces the number — and cost — of production molds, promising future gain.

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Space

Tooling up for larger launch vehicles

NASA and Janicki Industries demonstrate composites’ cost advantage in tooling for fabrication of 10m/33 ft diameter payload fairing for next-generation launch vehicle.

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Aerospace

Optimization software improves small, low-cost satellite design

Ames Research Center’s (Moffett Field, Calif.) designs and builds a low-cost, small spacecraft on a quick turnaround, using a modular strategy based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts and with the aid of several design software packages and finite element solvers.

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The Double-Notch Shear test specimen for composite materials

Dr. Donald F. Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah) recommends best practices for double-notch shear test specimens.

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CW Tech Days: High-Temp Composite Solutions