Injection/Overmolding

Thermoplastics

Breathing-mold process yields sandwich composite from LFT

In-cavity foaming and controlled mold-opening technique creates core and faceskins from a single injection molded material, reducing part mass and boosting performance.

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Curing

Pixelated temperature control

Surface Generation is providing digital process control for composites molding that cuts energy use, cycle time and processing pressures while breaking boundaries in thickness, complexity and embedded elements.

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IACMI

Composites manufacturing — where the excitement lives

A regular CW columnist and the chief commercialization officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI, Knoxville, TN, US), Dale Brosius points out that for today's engineering students, a Ph.D in manufacturing could open the door to an exciting, alternative career path.

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High-definition part surface quality on injection molded parts

RocTool (Le Bourget du Lac, France; Charlotte, NC, US) has introduced a new technology, called HD Plastics, that applies the company's fast, high heating and fast cooling to the improvement and optimization of thermoplastic resin systems in injection molding applications.

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Selective reinforcements boost “commodity” composite properties

Strategically placed advanced reinforcements reduce weight, cost while dramatically increasing mechanical performance and dimensional stability.

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ATL/AFP

Can we make recycled carbon fiber “sexy”?

Although we have methods to create useful product forms from recovered fiber, creating demand for those products will require new entrepreneurial effort.

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PEEK

JEC World 2016 exhibition and product previews

JEC World 2016 will be held in Paris March 8-10. These are some of the products that will be found at the show.

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Prepregs

Carbures: Conquering the world for composites

This global Tier 2 supplier produced 39,322 parts for Airbus in 2015, has sold seven RMCP machines to China capable of 40,000-75,000 composite auto parts/yr and is completing a study on opportunities for composites in oil and gas applications in Mexico. What next?

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Marine

Boat propellers with replaceable, interchangeable blades

Long glass fiber-reinforced polyamide makes this modular propeller tough enough for a challenging application, eliminating costly prop repair.

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RTM

Turnkey manufacturing systems: Materials, markets and maturation

Automated production cells promise affordability and less risk in scaling up composites production, but are they really the path forward?

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