Composites

A production cell capable of switching from filament winding (FW) to automated fibre placement (AFP) processes in a matter of minutes has been developed by Mikrosam of Prilep, Republic of Macedonia

Hexcel Corp of Stamford has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Aerospace & Defense (A&D) business of Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) of South Windsor, both in Connecticut

Chomarat of Le Cheylard, France, is to present two applications of its C-Ply multiaxial reinforcement for composites – a drone wing and a kayak – at the CAMX Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA,

Multiaxials producer Saertex USA has reorganized its processes at its facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, to assist in its growth in North American markets. 

A radiolucent, 30%-by-weight carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been launched for the manufacture of implantable devices by Solvay of Brussels, Belgium. 

An open-mould process for producing composites that automates the impregnating, curing and laminating processes while aligning the reinforcing glass fibres has been developed by two companies in Ja

Teijin is to establish a new carbon fibre production facility in Greenwood, South Carolina, USA, which will be run by a subsidiary, Teijin Carbon Fibers (TCF). 

Composites recycling specialist ELG Carbon Fibre (ELG) and Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) are working to ensure that as much of the yacht team’s carbon fibre process and end-of-life waste are

Electric GT has announced a partnership with Bcomp to replace some traditional carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels on its racing car with translucent natural fibre-reinforced alternatives

SGL Group is buying BMW Group's 49% equity investment in their joint venture SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (SGL-ACF), which supplies the carmaker with carbon fibres for its i3, i8 and 7 Series model

Far-UK has sold its controlling interest in carbon fibre braiding specialist Axon Automotive Ltd to Bawtry Investments Ltd.

A range of reinforced compounds designed to address the unique requirements of large-format additive manufacturing has been launched by Sabic of Houston, Texas, USA. 

Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, and Strata of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), have formalized their joint venture (JV) to supply Boeing with advanced composite materials from a facility to be built

Velox GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, has signed a distribution partnership with Ilium Composites, a manufacturer of glass reinforcements for closed mould and speciality applications based in Bahrain.

A pultrusion process that is more efficient than conventional process – thereby cutting costs for manufacturers – has been developed by Covestro of Leverkusen, KraussMaffei of Munich and the Instit

A polyetheretherketone (PEEK, Zeniva ZA-500) from Solvay is being used by DiFusion Technologies to produce its ZFUZE osteoconductive (bone growth-promoting) PEEK composite for spinal implants. 

A long glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene (LGFPP) instrument panel carrier for the 2017 Mini Countryman has won the Body Interior category at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)’s

SGL Group has bought Benteler’s shares in the joint-venture company the two set-up in 2008, automotive composite parts manufacturer Benteler-SGL. 

Personnel and processing equipment are being installed at GE Aviation’s factory complex in Huntsville, Alabama—the first in the USA to be mass-producing silicon carbide (SiC) materials for the manu

North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) is working with 4a manufacturing to develop carbon prepreg foam sandwich materials, which the two companies claim to be the thinnest in the world.

Chomarat of Le Cheylard, France, says that multiaxial machine for the manufacture of carbon fibre reinforcements it has purchased from Karl Mayer of Obertshausen, Germany, is ten-times more product

Researchers in the USA have developed an experimental device to test the durability of high performance and robust polymers that appear to strengthen themselves under a rapid series of impacts.

A JEC Asia Innovation Award has been presented to R-Tech Materials for its work on developing an early warning safety sensor for hydrogen fuel cell storage tanks in cars.

Methods for the cost-effective use of filament sensors in fibre-reinforced plastics are being developed by researchers in Germany.

Boeing and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have agreed efforts to reduce the costs involved in MHI's production of wings for the 787 Dreamliner. 

Cobra International Co Ltd of Chonburi, Thailand, has established a business unit dedicated to the manufacture of large composite structures for the architectural and mass transport markets.

A major German car manufacturer is equipping the first vehicles of various model series that are delivered to countries with poor road infrastructure with an engine undertray made of a particularly

Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic inserts from Lanxess are being used to reinforce the injection-moulded front ends of Volkswagen’s Atlas and Teramont sports utility vehicles (SUVs), which

Toray Industries Inc of Tokyo, Japan, is to open its Automotive Center Europe (AMCEU) near Munich, Germany, in August 2018.

Continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) and a highly efficient production method for the manufacture of housings for electronic devices has been developed by Covestro of Leverkusen, Germ

Hexcel Corp of Stamford, Connecticut, USA, has expanded its existing supply agreement with Vestas Wind Systems A/S of Aarhus, Denmark, to provide composite materials for wind turbine blades.

Gurit of Zurich, Switzerland, has won a contract for the production and supply of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) exterior car body panels from an Italian premium carmaker. 

Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, is launching a grade of polyarylamide (PARA) reinforced at 55% by weight with a hybrid of glass and carbon fibres. 

AnalySwift LLC ‘s VABS software has been licensed by North Thin Ply Technologies (NTPT) for the simulation of high-end composite golf club shafts and other tubes for use in aerospace, industrial an

Tools that enable the measurement and monitoring of the raw materials (fabrics and rovings) and epoxy resin coatings (prepregs) for composites, while also determining the height of topological mate

Gurit of Zurich, Switzerland, is to transfer its UK prepreg business to its Spanish prepreg production facility in Albacete by the middle of 2018. 

Porcher Industries has completed the acquisition of technical fabrics manufacturer Interglas Technologies from the Preiss Daimler Group. 

Hexcel Corp of Stamford, Connecticut, USA, has completed the acquisition of Structil SA, a producer and supplier of high-performance composites based in Vert-le-Petit, France.

The European glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) market will grow by around 2% in 2017 (compared with 2016) with production forecast to total 1.118 Mt (for thermosets and long fibre-reinforced th

The Composite Recycling Technology Center of Port Angeles, Washington, USA, and ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd of Coseley, UK, have manufactured an automotive seatback from recycled carbon fibre.

A storage-stable wood fibre-reinforced composite for the manufacture of furniture that can be processed via hot moulding has been developed by BASF and Sonae Arauco.

A method for embedding unidirectional carbon fibres in carbon fibre sheet-moulding compound (SMC) can be used to produce lightweight structural components in under three minutes, according to the U

Mould technology from Roctool of Le Bourget Du Lac, France, has been installed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee, USA. 

An epoxy prepreg (HexPly M77HF) developed for a quick three-minute cure cycle using low-pressure processing techniques is to be launched by Hexcel of Stamford, Connecticut, USA.

Hexcel is launching a UK Government-backed £7.4-million research and development project on multiaxial fabrics for composites and is expanding its manufacturing facility in Narborough, UK. 

The threat posed to the US State of Florida by Hurricane Irma, notices of flight cancellations and an indication from Orlando Airport of its possible closure have prompted the American Com

Carbon Fibre Preforms (CFP) of Solihull, UK, is to launch two carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) products manufactured using an automated process it claims is rapid and efficient.  

Gurit of Zurich, Switzerland, has completed acquisition of PH Windsolutions of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.