Composites in the News Last Week

In business news, composite manufacturers have until July 1 to submit forms as part of the EPA’s toxic release reporting. The Labor Department stated the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 9.7 percent in May, with employers adding 431,000 jobs to the market and a spike in manufacturing. An Amarillo Economic Development Corporation grant may help Owens Corning rehire some of its furloughed workers. Also, a researcher says the composite materials industry has the potential to contribute to the growth of South Africa’s economy.

Another group of analysts say that while composites are growing in automotive and carbon fiber costs are going down, the lack of wider implementation in mainstream vehicles is a main inhibitor. Nevertheless, the sector was full of news this week. McLaren placed the world’s largest order for carbon monocoque production with Carbo Tech to be used in the automaker’s 2011 vehicles. A consortium including the University of Tokyo, Toray Industries Inc., and Mitsubishi Rayon Co. has developed a new automotive carbon fiber material which they hope will have the same automation time as metal. Composite RV manufacturer Livin’ Lite Corporation plans to expand its operations and create up to 25 new jobs by 2011.

Elsewhere, recyclability and the environment were the main theme in infrastructure. Composite sheets could be used in coastal protection walls and other preservation projects to aid oil spill recovery in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite some businesses shutting down, demand for plastic composite lumber remains high. Cavco Industries is implementing recyclable composite decks in a new line of environmentally-friendly tourist cabins. Fort Eustis held a demonstration of its newly-installed recycled structural composite railroad bridges.

Although the biggest air polluter, China led global spending on renewable energy last year as it aims to reduce reliance on coal and imported oil. This boom is also leading to increased sales for Goldwind, China’s largest turbine maker, which says it may raise as much as $1.2 billion in public share sales. Growth is happening in the U.S. too, as Composites One and 3M’s Renewable Energy Division formed an alliance that will allow both companies to further penetrate the emerging wind turbine manufacturing market. Alstrom began construction on a new wind turbine nacelle assembly facility in Texas which is scheduled to open in 2011. On a down note, wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon Energy fell to seven-month low after unexpected losses and Canada is at risk of losing its lone large wind turbine manufacturer after the sale of AAER to U.S.-based Pioneer Power Solutions.

Though short-term growth remains uncertain, demand for recreation boating is expected to grow over nine percent annually to $10 billion by 2014. Many composite surfboard manufacturers want to make their product greener, but face challenges both with finding materials and dealing with reluctance from their customers. Students at the University of New Mexico are learning how to work with carbon fiber as they manufacture a racecar to enter the Formula SAE competition.

A Lockheed Martin subsidiary and Owens Corning formed an agreement to develop next-generation carbon-enhanced composites for aerospace. Boeing launched a new composites research and development consortium with the Canadian government and industry partners. An MIT team released a design for a new aircraft that would use 70 percent less fuel, while aircraft manufacturer Alubat Aviation Composites Philippines announced it will invest $15 million to build prototype aircraft interiors. Meanwhile, ATK canceled plans to add 600 jobs to its Mississippi facility, citing the lagging economy and need to consolidate employees on the Airbus program.