Composites

Boeing has opened a new composite centre at its campus in St Louis, Missouri, USA

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) are between them investing nearly US $50 million in their shared manufacturing

Durable thermoplastic foams and composites that can be used to make wind turbine blades lighter and more recyclable than conventional blades are being developed as part of European Union (EU)-funde

Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, is increasing its capacity for the production of composites with a new resin facility and an upgraded site in Östringen, Germany.

SCIGRIP of Durham, North Carolina, has completed an agreement to acquire Arjay Technologies Inc of Largo, Florida, a manufacturer of bonding compounds for the composites industry. 

Prepreg producer North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) of Renens, Switzerland,  has been chosen to supply composites for a proposed Thin Aperture Light Collector (TALC) space telescope project.

Composites able to heal themselves at low temperatures are being developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham in the UK and the Harbin Institute of Technology in China. 

Mikrosam has delivered a fully automated filament winding line for compressed natural gas (CNG) tanks to global automotive supplier Magna’s plant in Graz, Austria. 

Teijin Ltd is to acquire North American automotive composites supplier Continental Structural Plastics Holdings (CSP) Corp for US$825 million. 

A three-dimensionally (3D) printed composite trim-and-drill tool has received the title of ‘largest solid 3D printed’ item by Guinness World Records. 

Stratasys Inc of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, has developed two pieces of additive manufacturing technology for producing composite structures: Robotic Composite 3D Demonstrator; Infinite-Build 3D

Owens Corning has announced plans to invest US$110 million to increase the production capacity of its composites operations in India.

Demand in the US for composites reinforced with carbon, aramid and S-glass fibres will rise by 5.3% per year to a value of $10.0 billion in 2020, according to a recent report from Freedonia Group. 

Royal DSM and specialty chemicals producer Zhejiang NHU Special Materials Co Ltd have inaugurated a joint-venture (JV) company for polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) compounds. 

A project focussing on both decreasing the cost of manufacture and increasing the design flexibility for automotive thermoplastic composites has been initiated by the Institute for Advanced Composi

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) in Atlanta, USA, have developed a system that enables carbon fibre-reinforced epoxies to be recycled easily and cheaply. 

Glass fibre fabrics from Hexcel Reinforcements have been used by Dasyc SA for the manufacture of its Composite Modular Transportable Hangar (CMTH). 

The US$50-million Indiana Manufacturing Institute – based in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, USA, and housing the Center for Composites Manufacturing and Simulation – has officially ope

Recycling specialist ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd of Coseley, UK, has joined the US Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). 

The National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, UK, has signed a collaborative innovation agreement with the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST).

PolyOne Corp has acquired Gordon Composites and Polystrand from Gordon Holdings.  

METYX Composites, a division of textiles company Telateks AS, is in the process of doubling the size of its production facilities at its main manufacturing centre in Manisa, Turkey.  

Technology that can be seamlessly incorporated into composites to create a high-capacity, resilient data transfer network has been developed by TWI of Cambridge, UK.

Impossible Objects of North Brook, Illinois, has added carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone (PEEK) to its three-dimensional (3D) printing range.

A glass fibre-reinforced polyamide (PA) 6 is being used to produce the oil pan module for the six-cylinder boxer engines used in the Porsche 911 Carrera.

A continuous carbon and glass fibre-reinforced polycarbonate (PC) is being used by LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co KG of Fuerth, Germany, to produce thin-walled, decorated housings for electronic d

At the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK in July, QinetiQ unveiled a material that could make composite aircraft structures three times more resistant to impacts such as bird and

Long fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) specialist PlastiComp Inc has invested in a dedicated research and development (R&D) laboratory at its headquarters in Winona, Minnesota, USA. 

Henkel has opened a composites laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. 

North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) has opened its new production facility in Zory, Poland. 

As part of plans to increase its presence in Europe and North America, Chinese glass fibre producer Jushi of Tongxiang has started its second glass fibre furnace in Suez, Egypt. 

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) manufacturer Quickstep Holdings has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with shipbuilder DCNS Group. 

A unique herringbone structure observed in the outer layer of the mantis shrimp's dactyl club is inspiring the development of high-strength composites. 

A flame, smoke and toxicity (FST)-retardant thermoset system offers a high level of design freedom for rolling stock interiors, according to its developer Huntsman Advanced Materials. 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) of Tennessee and Cincinnati Inc of Harrison, Ohio (both in the USA), have signed a nonexclusive licensing agreement on ORNL patents related to large-scale addit

The first polyurethane (PU) rotor blade for wind turbines in Asia has been manufactured by Covestro of Leverkusen, Germany. 

A researcher at Clemson University of South Carolina, USA, has received a US$2 million grant to develop cheaper precursors for the production of carbon fibres. 

Giro Sport Design, based in Santa Cruz, California, USA, has launched a new cycling helmet – the Aerohead Ultimate MIPS – employing TeXtreme carbon fibre fabrics to create a light, strong and rigid

Hexcel Corp has made a strategic investment in Oxford Performance Materials (OPM), a producer of three-dimensionally (3D)-printed carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic parts.

A laser-based surface preparation process developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) could make joints between carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) and aluminium more robust and cheaper

Prepreg producer GMS Composites of Dandenong South, Victoria, Australia, has developed a flame retardant (FR) epoxy prepreg with high toughness and a relatively short gel time. 

The carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP)-bodied GT has become the latest Ford model to feature CFRP wheels. 

A plasma-based oxidation method that reduces dramatically the time and energy needed for the production of carbon fibre has been developed by RMX Technologies of Knoxville and the Department of Ene

A carbon fibre-reinforced polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) leading edge access door panel, made with recycled thermoplastic composites, has been developed by The ThermoPlastic composites Research Cente

Reichhold Group of Durham, North Carolina, USA and Polynt of Scanzorosciate, Italy, have agreed a merger that will create a global manufacturer of composite resins, coatings and other speciality ch

Dow Automotive Systems of Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA, has developed an injection bonding technique for use with its Betaforce composite bonding adhesives. 

EconCore and DuPont Performance Materials are working together to produce wide, strong and rigid honeycomb sandwich panels for the transportation, construction, leisure and energy industries.

A hybrid plastic–metal airbag housing with an integrated lead frame, co-developed and produced by Quadrant Creative Molding & Systems (QCMS) for automotive steering wheel airbag assemblies, is

As part of a significant growth programme, North Thin Ply Technology (NTPT) is expanding its offering of conventional-weight prepreg following the installation of equipment at its facility in Zory,