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Composites

Arkema is investing in the developer of an additive manufacturing (AM) process for the manufacture of composite components, Continuous Composites.

A testing device that enables the behaviour of plastics to be determined at temperatures as low as –40°C without the need for a thermal chamber, has been developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer

A scheme for the closed-loop recycling of end-of-life carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) aerospace parts is to be established by ELG Carbon Fibre and Aerocircular NV.

Plans to invest over CHF20 million (€18.5 million) in order to support the Indian wind-energy industry have been revealed by Gurit of Zurich, Switzerland.

The University of Liverpool and Scott Bader of Wellingborough, both in the UK, have established Polymer Mimetics, a joint venture to develop a novel polymer chemistry platform for the industrial ch

GKN Aerospace has taken ownership of its 10 200-m2 (110 000 square feet) Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Bristol, UK, which it will use to develop methods for the high-volume productio

Toray is to supply high-performance carbon fibres to developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Lilium, for the manufacture of composite parts and structures.

A formaldehyde-free binder for the cost-effective and sustainable manufacture of the composite boards used in furniture, flooring and other consumer products has been developed by researchers at Pu

A range of thermoplastics reinforced with fibres made from waste glass is being developed by Lanxess of Cologne, Germany.

A new initiative to develop the next generation of sustainable composite materials and bring together the UK’s composites expertise to quickly turn research breakthroughs into industrial applicatio

Technology adapted from the sailing industry is being used to develop a lightweight blade that would enable offshore wind turbines fitted with it to produce more energy than those with conventional

A two-step approach for the manufacturing of thermoplastic composite structures via the rapid deposition of pre-impregnated thermoplastic tape using automated fibre placement (AFP) techniques, foll

In response to growing demand from European manufacturers of electronic and medical devices, Teijin Carbon Europe GmbH has increased production capacity by 40% for its polyamide (PA)-sized chopped

Construction work on a facility that will manufacture carbon fibre-reinforced prepregs for the primary structure of Boeing’s 777X wide-body commercial aeroplane has been completed in Al Ain, United

The mechanisms that enable the scales of the carp (Cyprinus carpio) to be highly resistant to penetration while remaining flexible have been characterised by researchers working  at the La

Owing to the human coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the organisers of CAMX 2020, the composites industry’s largest event in North America, have announced that the trade show will have to b

Toray Composite Materials America Inc (CMA) is to reduce the size of its workforce in the USA by approximately 25% as it suspends or limits activities at two if its facilities there.

A plant that will operate a rapid-turnaround manufacturing-as-a-service (MaaS) model for the additive manufacturing (AM) of continuous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts is being built by

A carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) from Covestro is being used for the manufacture of the front and back shells of a suitcase launched by Chinese luggage brand Tuplus.

The noise generated by the air flowing over the wing of an aeroplane could be reduced significantly through the use of a skin made from flexible rubber and glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP), ac

A pair of induction-welded thermoplastic composite ruddervators and two compression-moulded access panels made from re-used thermoplastic waste manufactured by GKN Aerospace have been flight-tested

A method for predicting the densities and elastic moduli of glasses using machine learning, which could be exploited for the design of reinforcements for composites, has been developed by researche

New strategies for the design and construction of buildings using carbon fibre-reinforced concrete will be developed through a four-year project with the help of €12 million in funding from the Ger

The developer of a novel three-dimensional (3D) carbon fibre reinforcement for the production of impact-resistant and durable composites has received US$750 000 in funding from the US National Scie

A computational simulation of the transverse failure of composite laminates that could enable the design of stronger materials has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urb

The world's first network arch bridge that hangs entirely on tension elements made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been built in Germany.

Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at the company’s factory in Renton, Washington, USA.

An epoxy prepreg that can be cured at varying temperatures has been launched by Composites Evolution of Chesterfield, UK.

An epoxy resin-based prepreg developed by Toray Advanced Composites of Morgan Hill, California, USA, for the production of parts for motorsports applications has passed a number of flame-retardancy

A reinforced thermoplastic boot floor has been developed for Hyundai’s Creta sports utility vehicle (SUV) by honeycomb-core manufacturer EconCore and tier-1 automotive supplier DPA Moldados.

The strength of composite parts produced using additive manufacturing (AM) could be increased significantly using a technique developed by researchers at Florida A&M University–Florida State Un

In response to the human coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Solvay of Brussels, Belgium, is to accelerate plans to reduce the costs and improve the productivity of its Composite Materials business un

Europe needs to invest more in the research and development (R&D) of technologies for the recycling of composites as thousands of blades for wind turbines approach the end of their operational

Penso of Coventry, UK, has invested £16.3 million in the production of lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bodies for 3.5-t commercial vehicles for the home-delivery sector.

Systems that enable carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) parts to be produced using additive manufacturing (AM) processes have been launched by MakerBot of New York City, USA.

Recyclable epoxy resins from Aditya Birla have been used in the series production of composite parts such as fins for surfboards by Cobra International.

The UK-based developers of a recyclable and lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) spaceframe for passenger rail carriages have been presented with a 2020 JEC Innovation Awar

A focus on the integrity of fibres pays dividends for Cygnet Texkimp

Custom machinery builder Cygnet Texkimp has built a global business around fibre. Technical Manager Andy Whitham explains why fibre integrity is the essential design element in every piece of machinery Cygnet Texkimp engineers. He shares the company’s approach to fibre handling, and the technical considerations that ensure the integrity of valuable fibres is protected during processing to deliver materials and end-products of the highest quality. 

The effects that the chemical functionalisation of few-layer graphene (FLG) flakes has on the mechanical properties of composites reinforced with these nanomaterials has been investigated using adv

A polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) compound containing particles of bismuth trioxide could be used in place of traditional materials such as lead to provide protection from radiation, according to the

Researchers at the US Department of Energy (DoE)’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) and Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are using their exp

BMW Group has awarded its compatriot SGL Carbon a multi-year contract for the production of a glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP)-based cover plate for the battery enclosures the carmaker will us

Working with the European Space Agency (ESA), Bcomp of Fribourg, Switzerland, has developed what it claims to be the first panel for satellites reinforced with natural fibres.

Technology that enables adhesive bonds between composite structures to be broken quickly and cheaply using a simple heat source has been developed by the National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol

Worldwide growth for the use, re-use and recycling of fibreglass

A growing appreciation by engineers of the benefits of using fibreglass in a range of industries (notably wind-energy generation, automotive and construction) is predicted to lead to a boom in sales for the material, reports Sarah Gibbons. At the same time, this demand is also stimulating a market for recycled and re-used fibreglass.

A low-temperature-curing carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy prepreg (HexPly M79) from Hexcel is to be used by Flight Design for the manufacture of a variety of parts for lightweight aircraft.

Precision formatter of composites Web Industries Inc has installed a high-volume composite slitting and spooling line at its Omega Systèmes plant in Nantes, France.

Gurit of Zurich, Switzerland, has signed a two-year supply agreement with an unnamed Chinese turbine-blade manufacturer, through which it will manufacture and supply core material kits during 2020

A start-up company developing an additive manufacturing (AM) process for the production of composite parts has received US$48 million in funding from investors.

A strong, lightweight, all-plastic brake pedal for a mass-production battery-electric sports car has been developed by BOGE Elastmetall GmbH using reinforced thermoplastics from Lanxess.

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