Out of Autoclave

Marine

Co-infused stringers and carbon fiber at Ft. Lauderdale Boat Show

Midnight Express Boats takes almost 4,000 lb out of its newest model, the 39S, with a switch to infusion and better optimized laminates.

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Out of Autoclave

C-Series composite wing

The C-Series and Learjet 85 feature wing structures manufactured with dry fiber placement, but with cure in an autoclave. CW looks at how it's done.

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Braiding

Structural preform technologies emerge from the shadows

Not yet in full production, with one exception, all are aimed at accelerating composite part manufacture at fast automotive rates.

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Weaving

Wind blades: Pi preforms increase shear web failure load

Easily coinfused structural joint increases ultimate strength and fatigue life, offering solutions for designers as blades get longer and move offshore.

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Thermoplastics

Wind blades: Progress and challenges

Despite double-digit wind energy industry growth, turbine blade manufacturers and materials suppliers acknowledge a pressing need to reduce costs and innovate.

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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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Fabrics/Preforms

Manhole covers: Composites replace cast iron on university campus

Traditional cast-iron manhole covers are replaced on a college campus with composite versions manufactured by Fibrelite Composites (Skipton, North Yorkshire, U.K., and Pawcatuck, Conn.).

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Infrastructure

The positive consequences of regulating styrene

In 1859, Thomas Austin imported 24 wild rabbits from England and released them into the Victoria, Australia, countryside to provide animals for sport hunting.

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Automotive

HPC goes to SPE ACCE

CT Editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan fields initial reports from two CT staffers about the recent — and growing — Society of Plastics Engineers' Automotive Composites Conference and Exhibition.

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Automotive

Tailored Fiber Placement: Besting metal in volume production

Affordable automated production of highly optimized preforms and parts.

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microwire technology for composites