Loading ...China has established its first national laboratory to focus on the application of polymers and composites in aerospace. German composites manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will design and manufacture more than 100 basic trainers for the Indian Air Force. In the U.S., Parkway Products plans to expand its Boone County, Kentucky aerospace and defense production facility. The expansion will increase production capacity to over 125,000 square feet. Australian manufacturer Quickstep Holdings established a base in Dayton, Ohio to target aerospace and defense contracts. Boeing announced that Kory Mathews will serve as program vice president of the F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs within Boeing’s Global Strike Systems division.
Composites consumption in automotive applications such as air intake manifolds, front end carriers and connectors are forecast to grow by four percent over the next five years. Yet, there is other growth happening right now. Magna Composites plans to create 327 jobs during the next four years at three plants in North Carolina. Ford is considering implementation of molded-in-color composites for exterior body panels on its cars. Auto manufacturer Riversimple and the Leicester City Council will cooperate to find test drivers and build refueling points for Riversimple’s composite hydrogen fuel-cell car.
The Riversimple car was but one of many notable renewable energy news items last week. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited the University of Maine’s composites center, where he emphasized the need to develop wind power and a national energy plan due to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Swedish energy company Vattenfall expects its new wind farm, which is designed to generate enough electricity for 240,000 homes, to be fully operational this autumn. The Canadian Wind Energy Association celebrated Wind Energy Day by continuing to push wind as a replacement for coal. The European Wind Energy Association expects 10 gigawatts (GW) of new wind power capacity to be installed in the EU during 2010, an increase of 13 percent.
The concepts of renewable technology permeated into infrastructure, where Pondicherry Engineering College has been testing the use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) waste to make bricks. Elsewhere in the sector, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno are measuring the role of glass and carbon composites in a bridge’s ability to withstand earthquakes. Workers in the Philippines used carbon fiber for retrofitting beams and columns of the Quirino Grandstand for the inauguration of its incoming president. The owner of a historic home in Troy, Michigan used FRPs to restore four Ionic columns to the front of the home. The Shanghai World Expo incorporated 172,000 square feet of translucent FRP roofing panels for the roof of its Theme Pavilion.
The recreation sector featured a wide range of highlighted applications. Williams F1 is applying its composite racing technology into manufacturing golf equipment. A harp manufacturer claims to be the only one making harps out of carbon fiber, and he’ll give a presentation on the process during Harp Week in Toledo. The Florida Marlins will incorporate fiberglass aquariums behind home plate when its new stadium opens in 2012.
We wrap things up by taking a look at general news items. Demand for cast polymer is forecast to increase 5.4 percent annually to 216 million square feet in 2014. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of the $787 billion in stimulus spending for the American Relief and Recovery Act is likely to affect composites. Naxcer Composites Group Inc. signed a lease for 32,000 square feet in the Colorado Technology Center, while Goodrich Corp. has expanded its carbon fiber capabilities by acquiring Crompton Technology Group.
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