Loading ...Composites were flying high this week: Nanomaterials, developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, blasted into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis for performance testing. Airbus selected ATK to produce composite structures and tooling for its next-generation A350 XWB (Xtra Wide Body) aircraft, and a slow economy isn’t dampening demand for combat jets.
On the ground, Ford Motor Co. is using a wheat straw-reinforced plastic in its 2010 Flex model. The material will be used in the storage bins, and is expected to reduce petroleum usage and CO2 emissions. Iran Khodro Industrial Group (IKCO) built the country’s first car from nanomaterials. The Samand Soren features nano composites in the dash board, engine parts, filters and lubricators.
In other news, composites manufacturers visited Capitol Hill to brief congressional staffers, and the ACMA announced that Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney will speak at Composites 2010 in Las Vegas.
The U.S. Department of Energy gave Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries a $741,000 grant to develop materials and automation processes for wind blade manufacturing. The largest wind farm in Utah (and one of the largest in the western U.S.) was commissioned with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the project site near the small town of Milford. The power generated by the wind farm will serve areas in southern California. International Finance Corp. expert said in an interview that Mexico can develop up to 5 percent of its electricity generating capacity through renewable resources in the next decade, led by long-overdue wind farm projects starting up this year.
Axion International Holdings secured a $957,000 contract from the U.S. Army to manufacture and install two railroad bridges at the U.S. Army Transportation Corps in Fort Eusis, Va. The bridges, made of a recycled plastic composite, will replace two wooden bridges which were taken out of service. In Wales, passengers at Aberdyfi station could soon receive greater assistance in stepping from the train to the platform. The Cambrian Coast Railway is planning to install a glass-reinforced plastic hump to eliminate that 18-inch gap and assist disabled passengers.
The National Composites Center in Dayton, Ohio received stimulus funding to help launch a composite materials training program. Craven Community College received a portion of a regional aerospace grant to benefit its new composites program. The Composites Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, Ontario secured $11.6 million in federal funding to expand its programs and initiatives. The Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, an effort by UNC-Greensboro and N.C. A&T State University broke ground on Monday. This will be the first step toward an effort that will generate approximately $250 million in economic impact for the region over the next two decades.
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