Focus on Design

Focus on Design

Next-generation airship design enabled by modern composites

LTA Research’s proof-of-concept Pathfinder 1 modernizes a fully rigid airship design with a largely carbon fiber composite frame. R&D has already begun on higher volume, more automated manufacturing for the future.

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Construction

CirculinQ: Glass fiber, recycled plastic turn paving into climate solutions

Durable, modular paving system from recycled composite filters, collects, infiltrates stormwater to reduce flooding and recharge local aquifers.

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Focus on Design

Composites enable massive wastewater infrastructure project

To build complex drop shafts for New Zealand’s Central Interceptor project, RPC Technologies pushed the limits with glass and carbon fiber, vertical filament winding and UV-cure resins.

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3D-printed CFRP tools for serial production of composite landing flaps

GKN Aerospace Munich and CEAD develop printed tooling with short and continuous fiber that reduces cost and increases sustainability for composites production.

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Jeep all-composite roof receivers achieve steel performance at low mass

Ultrashort carbon fiber/PPA replaces steel on rooftop brackets to hold Jeep soft tops, hardtops.

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CompositeWorld's top ten articles from our "Focus on Design" column

CW’s Focus on Design assists our readers in staying up to date on the latest trends and innovations in composite materials and design. Take a look at the top ten most read articles from our popular column. 

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Carbon Fibers

Composites-reinforced concrete for sustainable data center construction

Metromont’s C-GRID-reinforced insulated precast concrete’s high strength, durability, light weight and ease of installation improve data center performance, construction time and sustainability.

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Thermoplastics

Composite sidewall cover expands options for fire-safe rail components

R&D project by CG Rail explores use of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and recycled manufacturing scrap to meet fire safety, weight and volume targets.

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Pultrusion

Seat frame demonstrates next-generation autocomposites design

Light weight, simplified/cost-effective manufacturing, passenger comfort and safety informed materials and process innovations and won awards for the 2022 Toyota Tundra‘s second-row seat frame.

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Glass Fibers

Novel composite technology replaces welded joints in tubular structures

The Tree Composites TC-joint replaces traditional welding in jacket foundations for offshore wind turbine generator applications, advancing the world’s quest for fast, sustainable energy deployment.  

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