Loading ...Volkswagen announced it will make a limited edition vehicle for 2010 that achieves a weight of about 630 pounds by incorporating larger doses of carbon fiber. Innovative Composites International Inc. filed a patent application covering construction of housing systems fabricated from thermoplastic composite sandwich panels. Bombardier selected AAR Corp. to manufacture composite flap track fairings for its CSeries Aircraft, SpaceShip Two completed its first captive flight and Boeing conducted a critical wing stress test over the weekend on the 787 Dreamliner, which will determine if it can move forward in certification.
The industry also continued to show its innovation. Elite Bicycles Asia will distribute Edge Composites products in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos.
Using a carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 66 compound, Blueseventy released Carbon Race, the first carbon fiber goggles. The Plastiki, a boat made entirely from recyclable plastics, set sail from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia. The continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastics market is predicted to grow by 12 percent in the next five years. Oregon City will open a new charter school designed to give students hands-on experiences, as well as internships, in composites manufacturing.
Meanwhile the renewable energy sector was a hot topic around the globe. EDF Energies Nouvelles announced that its first wind farm in Mexico, located in Oaxaca, will comprise 27 turbines (supplied by Clipper Windpower) and power several retail stores in the area. China will soon begin construction on the country’s second offshore wind farm, located in Weihai, Shandong Province. Iberdrola Renovables bought 100 percent of the rights to build the Ventotec Ost 2 offshore wind complex in the German zone of the Baltic Sea. And a new Maine bill clarifying what wind energy developers should pay communities that host wind projects, putting payments at $4,000 per turbine, received unanimous support from legislation.
However, not all news was good news. The UK hit a snafu when a wind farm had to be temporarily shut down after a 150-foot blade snapped off a turbine. And the U.S. military is growing concerned that proposed wind farms will block radar designed to detect threats in U.S. skies, therefore stalling the alternative energy projects around the country.
In other news, Ashland Performance Materials is increasing the price of its raw materials by 3 cents per wet pound. KaZaK Composites, Inc. announced that its New Hampshire facility is celebrating its third anniversary. Cobham Advanced Composites was fined for not providing adequate safety measures to prevent three contractors working on a roof from falling. Alcan’s balsa plantation in Ecuador received FSC certification. And fire crews contained a fire at Hexcel Composites, after a block of resin caught fire inside an industrial oven.
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