ÂÌñÏׯÞ

Published

Composite products designed for efficiency, performance and sustainability

CAMX 2025: Whether through weight reducing or strength enhancements, 3M designs its microspheres, ceramic fibers, films and LSP materials and composite resins to meet its customers application demands.

Share

Source | 3M/Shutterstock.

3M (Saint Paul, Minn., U.S.) has placed itself at the forefront of innovation with its offering of a diverse range of products. Among these are 3M Glass Bubbles, Nextel ceramic fibers, films and composite resins.

3M Glass Bubbles are hollow microspheres that are engineered to help reduce the weight of composite components across multiple applications, including aerospace, automotive and marine. Weight reduction, in turn, could potentially lead to other benefits like improved fuel efficiency and performance.

3M Nextel ceramic fibers are another offering targeting high-temperature applications. These fibers are integral to the development of advanced composite materials such as ceramic matrix composites (CMC), metal matrix composites (MMC) and polymer matrix composites (PMC). They are particularly valuable in the aerospace sector and in emerging technologies like eVTOL aircraft, where high strength and thermal resistance are critical.

In the aerospace industry, 3M continues to innovate with its recent advancements in adhesive films and lightning strike protection (LSP) films. 3M says these products are essential for ensuring the structural integrity and safety of aircraft. 3M adhesive films provide robust bonding solutions, while LSP materials help safeguard aircraft from potential damage caused by lightning strikes, enhancing overall safety and reliability.

3M’s composite resins are optimal for energy applications, offering benefits to builders and designers of glass or carbon fiber-reinforced composites. The company’s value proposition centers on lightweighting, which also enhances mechanical properties. 

Related Content

Related Content

CAMX

TPC, FRP poles and fire-retardant panels

CAMX 2025: Avient Corp. is bringing its latest composites innovations including Polystrand, GridCore and Hammerhead solutions.

Read More

VIDEO: Robots enable nine-axis machining of composites

Machine Tool Camp displayed its hybrid machining center at CAMX, featuring nine-axis machining capability enabled by robotics. 

Read More
CAMX

Automated RTM, SQRTM enhance aerospace composites serial production transition

CAMX 2025: Coexpair, in partnership with Radius Engineering, combines equipment development and fabrication with engineering of composite parts, demonstrated in its European customer support, deliveries.

Read More
Carbon Fibers

Repurposed carbon fiber waste support closed-loop recycling goals 

CAMX 2025: Work with Carbon Fiber Conversions, a supplier and a strategic partner, to transform carbon fiber waste into a valuable resource, strengthening both business and sustainability credentials.

Read More

Read Next

Wind/Energy

Ceramic matrix composites: Faster, cheaper, higher temperature

New players proliferate, increasing CMC materials and manufacturing capacity, novel processes and automation to meet demand for higher part volumes and performance.

Read More
Aerospace

Next-gen fan blades: Hybrid twin RTM, printed sensors, laser shock disassembly

MORPHO project demonstrates blade with 20% faster RTM cure cycle, uses AI-based monitoring for improved maintenance/life cycle management and proves laser shock disassembly for recycling.

Read More
Predicting Failure

Cutting 100 pounds, certification time for the X-59 nose cone

Swift Engineering used HyperX software to remove 100 pounds from 38-foot graphite/epoxy cored nose cone for X-59 supersonic aircraft.

Read More