Composites

In preparation for the production of its fully electric iNEXT car, the BMW Group is investing around €400 million in its largest European production plant in Dingolfing, Germany.  

A facility for the development and manufacture of propeller systems with all-composite blades has been inaugurated in Brockworth, UK, by Dowty Propellers.

Glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) longitudinal leaf springs are being used for the first time by Ford of Dearborn, Michigan, USA.

Ways in which composites could be used to increase the power density, and reduce the size, of the integrated electric drive units (EDUs) for electric vehicles (EVs) are to be investigated by a part

A facility for the research and development (R&D) of manufacturing technologies for use in industries such as aerospace and automotive has been opened by the Welsh government and the University

Lightweight and thin carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) body armour able to protect its wearer from attacks with blunt, edged and pointed weapons has been unveiled by

A by-product from the roasting of coffee beans could soon be used in the manufacture of automotive parts such as headlamp housings.

SGL Carbon and Solvay have entered into a joint development agreement to bring to market what they claim will be the first composites based on large-tow, intermediate modulus (IM) carbon fibre.

Over 1.2 t of waste carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) generated by America’s Cup contenders INEOS Team UK has been recycled by ELG Carbon Fibre, which has used the resulting materials to produ

Mikrosam is to deliver equipment for the development and manufacture of reinforced thermoplastic aircraft parts to GKN Fokker.

Pratt & Whitney (P&W) of East Hartford, Connecticut, USA, is to open a facility for the research and development (R&D) of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) for use in aerospace applicati

Composite electrodes for structural supercapacitors have been developed by researchers at Texas A&M University of College Station, USA.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö has agreed to sell its glass fibre reinforcement business in Mikkeli, Finland, to Vitrulan Composites Oy – a subsidiary of Vitrulan Group – for €6.5 million.

With furniture manufacturers looking to replace wood with other affordable, recyclable and easily processable materials, their attention is turning to the use of composites of natural and thermopla

Two multiaxial glass fibre fabrics from SGL Carbon are being used by Airbus Helicopters to manufacture the five-blade rotor of its H145 helicopter.

Plastic Omnium of Levallois, France, reports that it has won a significant order from a German manufacturer for the development of 35-MPa (350-bar) hydrogen-storage tanks for use in buses.

Albany International Corp has acquired CirComp GmbH, a developer and manufacturer of high-performance composite components.

An automated assembly line for the manufacture of bodies for lightweight commercial vehicles for the home-delivery sector from carbon fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRPs) has been unveiled by Penso of

Multiaxial fabrics from Vectorply are being used to manufacture the pultruded carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) bumper beam for General Motors Co’s 2020 mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

UK-based Jiva Materials and French nonwovens manufacturer EcoTechnilin have claimed Innovation Awards at the 2019 editions of JEC World and JEC Asia for their development

Conventional X-ray tubes could be used to investigate the physical structure of fibre-reinforced plastics following the development of a small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique by researchers

Honeywell of Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA, is increasing its capacity for the production of its ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre (Spectra) by more than 20%.

Graphene nanoplatelet manufacturer, XG Sciences Inc and producer of filaments for additive manufacturing (AM), Terrafilum have signed a joint development agreement to develop, produce and sell fila

Manufacturer of reinforcements for the tyre and construction industries, Kordsa has formed a partnership with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to develop

US recycled carbon fibre specialist Carbon Conversions Inc (CCI) is working with compatriot Dell to create lightweight and cost-effective carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) covers for laptop co

A composite textile that can be heat-cured to form a rigid, non-flammable, heat-resistant and thermally insulating protective wrap or cover (14) has been developed by Saprex Advanced Solutions of G

“Disparate and frequently unclear” regulations are slowing and, in some cases, preventing the use of composites in the UK—restricting the growth of a potential multi-billion-pound benefit to the na

A multilayer composite component for the rotor blades of wind turbines has been developed by Wobben Properties.

Gurit is to close its automotive production site in Székesfehérvár, Hungary, in mid-2020.

A range of flax fibre-reinforced epoxy prepregs for use in motorsport applications has been introduced by Composites Evolution of Chesterfield, UK.

The Spanish developer of ultra-large-tow precursors and the US licensee of an efficient plasma-oxidation process intend to join forces to produce affordable carbon fibre on a commercial basis.

A material comprising a combination of steel composite metal foam (CMF) and epoxy resin could be a promising alternative to aluminium for the production of the leading edges of wings for aircraft.

A lightweight ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre-reinforced composite for the production of combat helmets has been unveiled by Honeywell of Morris Plains, New Jersey, USA.

A pair of carbon fibre-reinforced polypropylenes (PPs) has been developed for use in automotive applications by Borealis of Vienna, Austria.

Plans to raise £5 million of growth capital in the next year have been announced  by carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheel manufacturer Dymag of Chippenham, UK, as it looks to construct a ne

Resin supplier Scott Bader of Wellingborough, UK, has revealed that its urethane acrylate resins are being used to produce the automotive industry’s first curved pultruded carbon fibre-reinforced p

Supplier of composite components to the automotive industry, Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has broken ground on a new manufacturing facility in Seguin, Texas, USA.

Three Guinness World Records have been awarded to the University of Maine (UMaine)’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center for the world’s largest prototype additive manufacturing (AM) machine

Collaborative research into the design and manufacture of strong and lightweight materials for use by the automotive sector will be undertaken in the USA by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and

Henkel of Düsseldorf, Germany, has reached a strategic material supply agreement with manufacturer of one-piece carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) wheels Carbon Revolution of Geelong, Victoria,

A commercially viable all-composite wheel for electric and niche vehicles, such as driverless cars, last-mile delivery vehicles, road sweepers and agricultural vehicles, is being developed by a con

Fibre-reinforced polyamides (PAs) from Lanxess have been used by L&L Products to reinforce a steel insert for the A-pillars of Porsche’s convertibles and roadsters.

Voith Composites and HRC are to work together to develop next-generation high-pressure hydrogen vessels for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

A plant and technical centre for the development and manufacture of resins has been opened in Ayutthaya, Thailand, by Teijin.

Carbon Truck & Trailer GmbH (CarbonTT) is producing lightweight pultruded carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components for truck chassis using polyurethane (PU) resins from Covestro.

A carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) suspension link that is 45% lighter in weight than aluminium versions has been designed and manufactured for a high-end carmaker by Shape Machining Ltd of W

GKN Aerospace of Redditch, UK, is to cut 100 jobs over the next two years as it consolidates its four divisions in order to create what it describes as a simpler, more competitive business.

Continuous carbon fibre-reinforced polycarbonates (PCs) from Covestro are being used to produce parts of the wheels for NIO's ES6 and ES8 electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

Diab has signed a five-year contract for the supply of core materials with turbine blade manufacturer Vestas that it believes to be worth €200–250 million.

A battery pack with high energy- and power-densities that features an exoskeleton made from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering of Wantage, UK