Materials
ORNL demonstrates 3-D printing with carbon fiber
Oak Ridge National Laboratory can print carbon fiber reinforced parts from 10 cm in size up to 2.4m in both lab and production settings at its Carbon Fiber Technology Facility.
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Carbon fiber featured in new electrical transmission cable
Celanese Corp. (Dallas, Texas) and Southwire Co. LLC (Carrollton, Ga.), North America’s largest wire and cable producer, have introduced a new option for utility transmission lines: the C7 Overhead Conductor, featuring a lightweight and high strength-to-weight, multi-element composite core of Celstran continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic rods (CFR-TPR), made by Celanese.
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GFRP enables first grid-connected U.S. floating wind turbine
Composite tower on 1:8-scale system reduces hull size/weight and helps mitigate the overall cost of electric power generation.
Read MoreContract cutting and kitting
If buying a flatbed cutting system isn't practical, composite manufacturers have the option of contract cutting services.
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Automated cutting accelerates
Software/hardware advances and peripheral equipment make flatbed cutters essential to automated production scenarios.
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Towerless turbine: Airborne system powers rural locales
Wind energy start-up Altaeros Energies' (Boston, Mass.) Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) proof-of-concept prototype reportedly can harvest the more consistent winds at higher altitudes because its elevation is not limited by the need for a tower.
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Public transit: Modular composites update Sao Paulo ferries
When the Brazilian state of São Paulo, through its state-controlled company DERSA, funded new composite superstructures for 12 existing car ferries, Barracuda Advanced Composites (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) specified materials and engineered the new design.
Read MoreMolding i3 body panels
Beyond its CFRP Life Module, BMW's i3 commuter car features doors, door inners, fenders, bumpers, a hood and a rear spoiler made from injection molded thermoplastic.
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BMW Leipzig: The epicenter of i3 production
A glimpse into the inner workings of an automaker at the forefront of serial-production autocomposites.
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SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers expands Moses Lake facility . . . again
BMW signals that it is serious about consuming carbon fiber for years to come as SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers expands its Washington production site to 9,000 tons per year.
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