Molds/Tools
Building a bigger Big Wheel
Machining specialist scales up the 1970s icon, producing plugs and tools for an exact fiberglass replica at a Disney resort.
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Cost-effective carbon composite reflector dish
Modular manufacturing method forms different dish sizes with near mirror-perfect reflective surfaces, without resort to one-off tools.
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Residential construction breakthrough: Composites find a home
Composite materials get the go-ahead for an unconventional but code-compliant California house.
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Gurit CBS for the Aston Martin DBS
Out-of-autoclave process mints Class A carbon composite body panels in one-hour mold cycle.
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RTM showcase: One-Piece Rudder
A transatlantic design team uses concurrent engineering to integrate rudder spars, ribs and skins in a single RTM cycle.
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Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft proves large structure practicality
Dr. John Russell reports that the successful completion of a flying aircraft in the the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft program has demonstrated the holistic impact that composites technology can have on future aircraft development.
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Solvent-free release a good match for wind blade molding
Wind power’s reputation as a “green” technology belies the fact that production of turbine components requires many materials and products that aren’t green.
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Lightweight, stable large-tool concept requires no master model
After two years of testing, partners Advanced Composites Group (ACG, Tulsa, Okla.) and GrafTech (Parma, Ohio) are commercializing the ACG GRAFOAM FPA-20 tooling system, a new concept in dimensionally stable, low-mass, high-temperature-compatible composite tooling. The system’s foundation is carbon foam.
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Mold release update
New products from mold release manufacturers emphasize ease of use and application flexibility.
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