Composites

Thermwood is working with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Boeing to develop low-cost tooling from composites using additive manufacturing (AM).

Toray Advanced Composites and BASF have signed a manufacturing and supply agreement for the production of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes for automotive and industrial applications.

Highly damage-resistant composites, the design of which has been inspired by the dactyl club of the mantis shrimp, are poised for commercialization following the licensing of the technology by The

The automotive industry’s first composite engine shroud is being produced by Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) for the dual-wall dashboard that features in Ford’s 2020 Explorer. 

Prodrive Composites is increasing production capacity at its facility in Milton Keynes, UK, as it looks to meet the automotive industry’s growing demand for composite parts.

Continental Structural Plastics (CSP) has signed a definitive agreement to buy the stamping operations of AMI, including its 8361-m² (90 000 square-foot) headquarters and manufacturing f

A consortium of German and Austrian companies has been set-up to develop new materials, printing methodologies and post-processing technologies for the production of automotive parts using additive

Teijin Ltd has completed its acquisition of the US supplier of highly heat-resistant thermoset prepreg for the aerospace industry, Renegade Materials Corp of Miamisburg, Ohio.

Following the signing of a year-long contract extension, SGL Carbon is to supply carbon fibre prepregs to Elbe Flugzeugwerke for the manufacture of the Airbus A350 cabin’s floor panels until the en

A glass fibre-reinforced polyamide (PA) 6 from Lanxess is being used by Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co KG to produce steering-column-switch housings for various models of Ford’s Fiesta, Focus and Eco

Covestro of Leverkusen, Germany, is investing in the manufacture of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) in response to growing demand for the materials from its customers.

A method for producing composite sandwich structures using a multilayer textile has been developed by Toyota Jido Shokki, a subsidiary of Toyota Industries of Japan.

Following the signing of a joint development agreement, Teijin Ltd is to supply materials to AEV Robotics for the development of its modular vehicle system.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded a US$73.7-million contract to Made In Space Inc to demonstrate the viability of the automated manufacture and assembly of spa

Engel of Schwertberg, Austria, is to use its stand at K 2019 to showcase an overmoulding cell that employs infrared (IR) radiation to heat-up and form three continuous fibre-reinforced the

Two novel, lightweight wing designs have been tested by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR)  as part of a European Union (EU)-funded project.

An efficient weaving machine feeder designed for use in the production of reinforcements for composites has been launched by IRO AB of Ulricehamn, Sweden.

Glass fibre-reinforced polyamide (PA) 6s from Lanxess are being used in the high-volume manufacture of lightweight shells for the electronically adjustable rear seats in Audi’s A8 sedan.

Novel approaches to the recycling of wind turbine blades are to be developed through a newly formed partnership between a trio of industry associations based in Brussels, Belgium.

Teijin Ltd is to buy tier one composite parts supplier Benet Automotive sro from Jet Investment. The terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

ELG Carbon Fibre is working with sailing team INEOS Team UK to ensure sustainable materials and practices are incorporated into its build programme for the 2021 America’s Cup.

Hexcel, Progen and Future Aerospace have opened a joint-venture laboratory and materials testing facility in Shanghai, China.

Drones and crawling robots that can inspect composite wind turbine blades non-invasively for hidden damage faster and in more detail than is possible using traditional inspection cameras are being

A centre that will be used to develop lightweight components for high-value industries, including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, renewables, medical, marine and off-road transport, was officia

The world's first welded carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) pressure bulkhead for a single-aisle aircraft is being developed by engineers at Premium Aerotec of Augsburg, Germany.

Spirit AeroSystems has disclosed details of the work being undertaken at its facility in Prestwick, UK, on the fabrication and assembly of leading edges, wing boxes and lower wing covers for Airbus

A composite–metal anti-roll bar for trucks and trains is being developed by a research consortium in the UK.

A developer and manufacturer of a novel three-dimensional (3D) carbon fibre reinforcement for the production of impact resistant and durable composites has this year raised US$1.75 million in fundi

For the first time on a commercial basis, polyurethane (PU) raw materials from Covestro have been used for the production of wind blades.

Researchers in the USA are taking inspiration from the shield (known as a telson) found in the tail of the mantis shrimp to design impact-resistant composites.

US companies Raytheon Co of Waltham, Massachusetts, and United Technologies Corp of Farmington, Connecticut, are to merge through a transaction that is expected to close in the first half of 2020.

Researchers in the USA have demonstrated that vehicle armour made using composite metal foam (CMF) can stop large-calibre ball and armour-piercing rounds as effectively as conventional steel armour

Additive manufacturing (AM) start-up Arris Composites has secured US$10 million in funding to develop a process that it says will “address the scalability problem of AM and the steep costs and limi

Fibres spun from lunar rocks could help attempts to colonize the Moon by providing the basis of reinforcements for structures made using raw materials that do not need transportation from Earth.

A recyclable and lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (CFTRP) spaceframe for passenger rail carriages has been developed in the UK.

Plants for the production of engineering plastics and thermoplastic polyurethanes will be the first to be built at BASF’s US$10-billion chemical production site in Zhanjiang, China, according to th

A  medium-wave infra-red (IR) heating system from Heraeus Noblelight is being used in the research and development of methods for the manufacture of composite parts from thermoplastics at the UK’s

A flame-retardant (FR) composite designed for use in additive manufacturing processes has been launched by Markforged of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.

A line for the production of unidirectional (UD) fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes is to be launched by Karl Mayer of Obertshausen, Germany.

Carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTPs) from Teijin Ltd are being employed by General Motors (GM) to manufacture pickup boxes for selected models of its vehicles.

The National Composites Centre (NCC) in Bristol, UK, has secured a prestigious new partner and has cemented relations with another.

A project through which mixed-material joining technologies will be tested and evaluated has been established by research institutes Lightweight Innovations For Tomorrow (LIFT) of Detroit and the C

A prototype battery enclosure for NIO’s electric vehicles that is made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been developed by the Chinese carmaker in partnership with SGL Carbon.

A textile tape designed for wrapping composite pipes that transport high-pressure fluids, such as those used in the oil extraction industry, has been developed by Chomarat.

Reinforcement fabrics that are supplied by Hexcel with adhesive dots patterned on their surfaces have been used by Sunseeker for the manufacture of its latest performance cruiser.

A glass fibre-reinforced sheet moulding compound (SMC) from CSP Victall is being used to produce the pickup boxes of Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC)’s Yuhu 3 and Yuhu 5 trucks—the first such use of com

The development of an all-thermoplastic drive-shaft with an integral, overmoulded gear won herone GmbH of Dresden, Germany, an Innovation Award in the Aerospace category at JE

A carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) moulding compound from Hexcel of Stamford, Connecticut, USA, has been used to produce an automotive transmission cross-member using what the company claims

A unidirectional (UD) carbon fibre fabric that can be used to create the thick laminates necessary for the production of long wind turbine blades has been developed by Ahlstrom-Munksjö of Stockholm