Automotive
Composites in the News Last Week
The week was full of exciting announcements from universities. Researchers at Imperial College London are developing a new nanoscale material, a mix of carbon fiber and polymer resin, which could eventually act as both the battery and body of electric cars. Meanwhile, another U.K.-based university is teaming up with Airbus and GKN to research... »
Australian Composites Explores Brazilian Auto Market
Composites raw materials manufacturer, Australian Composites Pty Ltd, signed an exclusive supply agreement with Brazil’s automotive, petrochemical and building fiberglass materials supplier Vivian Regina Brasil Ltda, to distribute the Company’s rapid UV curing pre-impregnated fiberglass materials (Prepregs) into Brazil’s massive automotive and transport parts assembly market. »
Q&A: Why Can’t Composites Get Traction in Automotive?
Hamid Kia is the author of more than 40 published papers and has more than 25 patents to his name. He is a participant at the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), a joint venture company formed by Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company (GM) to support and... »
Q&A: Composite Consultant’s Tips to Optimize the Market Upswing
In 2007 Ray MacNeil, a COMPOSITES 2010 general session speaker, left his job at PPG Industries, where he’d worked for 35 years, and began consulting. With a background in sales and marketing, strategic planning and business analysis, MacNeil does market research and development for a variety of companies within the composites industry. This experience... »
Composites in the News Last Week
Some U.S. operations took a hit this week. Construction parts manufacturer Martin Marietta Composites shut down its Sparta plant, eliminating 40 jobs. The company cited decreased product demand as a key factor in the decision. Meanwhile, truck parts maker Core Molding Technologies Inc. is moving 90 jobs from its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio to... »
Composites in the News Last Week
Some companies are defying the winter weather blanketing much of the Northern Hemisphere by gearing up for summer recreation. Zipp Speed Weaponry, which manufactures high-end bicycle components, invested $12.4 million in a new manufacturing center in Indianapolis, which will create 105 jobs by 2013. Hermes Sport is now distributing carbon fiber bicycle components. The... »
Key to Composites Expansion is Availability
Educating people on what composites are is a very important step toward acceptance and usage. The industry in general has a very large scope, including in some that you don’t think of very often. According to Abaris Direct Services, a direct service company designed to help individuals understand and overcome difficulties in a wide... »
K-Factor is the New Composite X-Factor
A plethora of companies are pushing the nanotechnology market to new heights. But individuals such as Darren Boyce are finding their own ways toward innovation. Boyce has single-handedly developed the K-Factor, a customizable process designed to use carbon nanotubes to create a heating enhancement for resin. »
Composites in the News Last Week
A look at the news this week: The Danish National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy announced a breakthrough in efficient energy generation—lasers. A laser-based anemometer built into the spinner will predict how the wind blows. Hyundai is showcasing its first plug-in hybrid, Blue-Will. Composite experts at NASA Langley are testing the new all-composite space capsule... »
Government Continues to Invest in Composites Research
The U.S. government is investing heavily in the composites industry. Whether through federal stimulus money or a specific grant, it is clear that in the future, composites are getting an opportunity to shine. Several companies, including Angstron Materials Inc., PPG Industries, Kenway Corporation and others, recently received grant funding, which they plan to use... »
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