Workforce Development
Automate or emigrate
Automated fiber and tape placement is not just a notion, but a real manufacturing strategy, and one being embraced by HITCO Carbon Composites.
Read MoreIndustry Jobs: U.S. Army Research Laboratory
The Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving GD, MD is seeking qualifi ed candidates to lead a senior technical team to develop and transition advanced materials for armor ap- plications. Candidates with technical experience in material research, manufacturing science and dynamic behavior of materials are
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Composites Polycon 2007 Showcase
Tampa show attendance is up despite slow economy. ACMA reschedules 2008 show.
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Composites: Past, Present and Future: Marine Composites Training and Education, Part III
In Parts 1 and 2, Andre Cocquyt outlined the difficulty that composites manufacturers have faced in finding skilled employees and described a transferable model for local/regional training programs. In Part 3, he discusses the critical issue of program funding.
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Robotic trimming radically shortens Corvette fender production cycle
Plasan USA (Bennington, Vt.) molds the Chevrolet Z06 Corvette’s front fenders with hand layed, autoclave-cured carbon/epoxy prepreg. Until recently, however, manual deflashing, trimming and drilling of the demolded parts consumed more than an hour to meet requirements for edge quality and fastener hole location
Read MoreMarket Trends: The MRO challenge #x97; managing uncertainty
According to a recent report by Aerostrategy Management Consulting, spending by air transport maintenance and repair organizations (MROs) worldwide totaled $40.8 billion (USD) in 2006. Moreover, Aerostrategy (Ann Arbor, Mich. and Amersham, Buckinghamshire, U.K.) reports that spending on air transport maintenance
Read MorePart design criteria
Designers of composite parts can choose from a wide variety of fiber reinforcements and resin systems. Knowledge of material properties is a prerequisite to satisfactory product design, but cost is a major factor, as well. Over-designed composites cannot compete with lower-cost, established material systems. The
Read MoreRepair considerations
As more composite materials find a place on aircraft, boats, bridges and hundreds of other applications where part replacement is difficult and expensive, OEM engineers are considering the repairability of structural and secondary composite components during the initial design phase. According to a recent report by
Read MoreFuture composites engineers
To support the composites industry, an increasing number of colleges and universities offer composite materials and design courses within mechanical, chemical and civil engineering degree programs. Educators have networked progressively with suppliers and OEMs, cosponsoring projects that give students hands-on
Read MoreRepairing flying composite structures
As the Boeing 787 nears first flight, certification and delivery and as the design of the Airbus A350 XWB is solidified, we hear more and more about how airlines that fly these planes might deal with maintenance and repair.
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