Workforce Development
Reformable composite equestrian saddle
This carbon fiber/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) saddle tree features an intralaminate heating element that enables horse owners to reconfigure saddle shapes as horses grow, greatly reducing long-term saddle-fitting costs.
Read MoreIs a composites technical talent shortage looming?
Regular CW columnist Dale Brosius, also the chief commercialization officer for the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI, Knoxville, TN, US), calls for more schools with curricula that mint engineers with undergraduate degrees in composites.
Read MoreAeroengine Composites, Part 2: CFRPs expand
Proven in fan blade/case applications, carbon fiber-reinforced polymers migrate to previously unanticipated destinations nearer the engine “hot zone.”
Read MoreStructural health monitoring: NDT-integrated aerostructures
SHM moves from structural testing to an FAA-qualified inspection alternative, to reduce cost, streamline operations and mature toward lighter, more robust smart structures
Read MoreComposites lighten driving simulator dome
A first for its codevelopers, Pagnotta Engineering Inc. (PEI, Exton, PA, US) and JRL Ventures (Cape Coral, FL, US), this low-mass enclosure spawned a new product venture for the pair in research-oriented driving simulation systems.
Read MorePort Angeles Composite Recycling Technology Center wins federal grant
The $2 million from the US Department of Commerce will retrofit a building in Port Angeles, WA, US, to house the industrial and training facilities for the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC).
Read MoreWorkforce development: Let's start in high school
CW Editor-in-Chief Jeff Sloan says one concern at the otherwise positive initial membership meeting of the new Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) was that the composites industry is quickly losing knowledge, as old-timers retire, that is not so easily replaced. Here's his prescription.
Read MoreFirst all-carbon yacht a winner
Vacuum infusion with customized fabrics enables demanding yacht build
Read MoreTurning ideas into innovative composites
From helmets to harps to the new Formula Lites all-carbon race car, Crawford Composites pursues perfection in a wide array of carbon fiber parts.
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