ACMA President Lori Luchak on "green jobs" and composites.

It’s the latest buzz phrase, green jobs! But what is considered a green job? What’s more confusing is that I hear the phrase everywhere but the definition is always different. When I was appointed to Governor Kitzhaber’s Transition Team to Grow Green Jobs in Oregon, the first question I asked was, “What’s a green job?” I was told that since my company employs wind turbine repair technicians, we’re categorized as a “green job” employer. Then I asked, “When the same employee returns from the field and works on an RV part, is it considered a green job?” This stirred quite a lot of conversation.

From this incident I realized I could make a good case that composite fabricators were performing green jobs. Most of what we make is in some way making or replacing another material that is more energy consuming or being used in some sustainable way. For example, our company makes composite component parts for various transportation products, which reduces weight thus saving energy. We also make air scrubbers to clean the air and wastewater treatment tanks as well as lubrication pit systems.

Since I convinced the Oregon Workforce Investment Board, composites manufacturers have been listed as a green job in the state. This listing is beneficial in many ways, including making us eligible for workforce training grants and being asked to present at sustainability summits to address more productive and efficient green workforce to training employees in green jobs. In my presentations I focus on implementing lean manufacturing practices, airless spray guns, low styrene resins, the use of soybean resin and other natural materials. I also mention ACMA’s Green Composite Committee and the progress they are making with the Life Cycle Assessment tool.

I am amazed at how interested people are about what our industry is doing, especially the importance of reducing weight as gas prices climb. They also see the importance of sustainable products like scrubbers, mass transportation, etc., being built.

Last month I attended the 1^st Annual Pacific Northwest Clean Technology Defense Symposium. As you may know, the Department of Defense has put in place a number of policies and goals to make all of its installations more sustainable. The focus of the symposium was for stakeholders in the clean technology industry to meet and engage on their efforts and products to the Department of Defense (DOD). The DOD is looking for small businesses and clean technology firms to make its local installations more sustainable. It needs our help to introduce composite products, materials and ideas.

This is a great time for composites. There is more focus in the U.S. now than ever before on energy efficiency—and composites are the answer. There are a lot of training dollars targeted at green jobs within each state, I encourage you to get your state to consider composite jobs as “green jobs” so you can take advantage of valuable training dollars. These funds can be used for CCT training, lean manufacturing training, updating your building to be more energy efficient. Keep this in mind as you are networking, especially with government agencies. Sell yourself and composites—it really is not hard to do.

Larry Dickinson is CEO of is CEO of 3F

Larry C. Dickinson is CEO of 3F, a bio-composite startup, in Raleigh, N.C., which is developing kenaf-fiber bio-composites.

Why incorporate Kenaf fiber into bio-composites?

Our company is a young company — we’re trying to commercialize structural fiber and I think so far we have solved two of the big problems. When it comes to natural fiber-form composites, you want the fiber to reinforce the plastic resin, and the reinforcement for the fiber carries the load, the main strand maintains stiffness, and the plastic holds it all together and transfers load from one fiber to another. Natural fibers are pretty strong and stiff, and if you look at their properties — they look pretty good compared to fiberglass, especially on a weight basis — it really has a lot of potential, except that people have not been able to translate these fiber properties into very good composite-material properties.

What are the challenges?

You always have the weak interface issue, and that weak interface issue is even worse once you get the fiber wet. If you don’t have a good connection — that good interface — then you don’t have a good composite material. What we’re doing is using a chemistry approach we call a sticky-polymer coating. We can’t talk much about it. We’re still pursuing our strategy, but essentially we treat the fiber so we solve that moisture issue, and also enhance the biometrics interface strand. And, we believe, once we fully develop this thing, it will enable natural fibers to replace fiberglass.

Why did you choose Kenaf fiber over other bast fibers?

Kenaf, in particular, is very good for the soil. It has been used in the past for soil mediation. It doesn’t take fertilizer as well as corn, or other plants like cotton. They require large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides. Meanwhile we want to build a business case for a new product that doesn’t require tons of outside products. Kenaf grows 12 to 15 feet tall in a three or four month growing season. It also soaks up three times as much carbon dioxide as a rain forest … the problem is you can make nice fiber-reinforced flake composites, as they’re called, but they’re not that strong, especially compared to fiberglass, so why is anybody going to switch? Right now the fiberglass composites industry is trying to get the automotive industry to make cars out of composites instead of metal — for example, instead of steel fenders, we’re trying to get companies to use fiber composite fiberglass fenders. The main driver for our products is that they can reduce weight. Every pound you can save on the car translates to fuel savings. Another interesting bio fiber is jute. Jute and Kenaf are cousins, but jute grows in swamps. There’s not that much swampland in the United States. We think Kenaf is a better product.

How did you approach solving some of the problems associated with using bio-composites?

With natural fibers, we’re talking around the order of using 1.4 grams per centimeter, whereas fiberglass is 2.5 to 2.6 grams — roughly 40 percent less dense. So, there are drivers for that, but nobody’s been able to solve the two big issues, and there’s a lot of other issues — such as consistency, quality, weather — all those kind of problems. The one material showstopper nobody’s been able to solve for is the moisture absorbing properties. So, if you get a crack, or a cut edge, even though it’s encased in plastic, it doesn’t solve the problem, because there’s always going to be a cut edge, or a manufacturing cut-apart, or you damage it slightly, or crack the surface, or scratch it. Until we can say that they don’t suck up moisture and don’t lose the interface strength, and get a better translation of the potential of the strength of the fibers, then nobody’s going to be interested in making real structures out of them.

What is unique about kenaf fiber?

Kenaf is originally a native of Africa. The ancient Egyptians used it to make rope and sail cloth, and I believe it will be the future fiber crop for structural materials in North America because it has two potential products. The main plant the farmers grow could be made into natural products to sell: plant fiber as well as the pithy core. The core of the pith is one of the most absorbent materials on the planet.

They are naturally resistant to microbes and termites so they’ll make a fabulous construction material, but nobody is going to mill the fibers if they’re going to get wet and fall apart.

You say you are on the path to solving two major bio-composite issues. Can you elaborate?

The automotive industry is investing in natural fibers and putting them into cars, and they make them into headliners, or door panels, where they don’t carry a load — all they do is hold the shape. And, that’s great. There will be a niche for that. But, we believe that niche is not anywhere near big enough to get the niche to take off. We believe that we are on the path to solve those two issues — moisture absorption and low fiber-to-matrix interface strength — that has really held back growing the composites market.

What’s your vision in developing kenaf for composite use?

If there’s a bio-content version and it’s certified by a simple test, then the government buys it. If you combine a partially bio-based resin with a bio-based reinforcement and throw it in, even if you do not throw in the filler, which is pretty common in a lot of these composites that are bio-based, you can get a final composite part that has a lot of bio content. And, that is the vision — particularly with the USDA bio-based program as an incentive. We think we’re going to develop a product and we’re not there yet — we’re still in the very early development stages, so we’ve got a good ways to go — but we’re excited about our preliminary results. We’ve been developing our stuff under federal funding as well.

What obstacles have you faced in pursuing Kenaf bio-composites?

It’s exciting, but it’s also frustrating, because we don’t have the resources to do this quickly. It takes time to grow. We are excited about the potential down the road. From our assessment we saw there wasn’t anyone that looked like they were on track to solve the moisture problem in the interface, except for potentially some folks at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We think we are on track to solve it. Until we actually have something that works, with data to prove that it works, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for people to invest in it, except for those ready for a lot of high risk, and the government.

What’s the timeline for getting a Kenaf bio composite to market?

Depending on a number of factors, we could be in the market in two years. We have a business strategy wherein we can get the fiber in the right form and break open the market, and we think we can do the manufacturing very quickly, because our process treats the fiber in a similar kind of fashion that you would dye nylon a color. There’s a lot of dye and finishing capacity in the U.S., and where we are in North Carolina, there’s an under-capacity. We think we can revive some either mothballed, or underutilized, dyeing and finishing capacity — chemical factories, basically — that are used in working with textiles — and adapt that process and equipment to our natural fiber, and then we could be in large-scale production pretty quickly.

What’s your business strategy?

Our goal is to develop a product that comes close in costs on dollars-per-volume basis. You’ve got to be careful. Dollar per pound is a misleading number. A pound of fiberglass is a lot heavier than a pound of kenaf fiber. We believe that there’s not a market pull quite yet — there’s the teasing of a market pull, with all the green interest from the commodity side, but when it comes down to the real business of business — the large scale stuff — there’s not a real emphasis to go that route to a large degree. It’s growing, but with USDA BioPreferred, and other legislative programs, we believe there will be a big market pull. We think that once the product is proven and we can get the data in place, we’ll exercise that pull. So, in as little as two years, we think we can be in production. But, if we don’t keep our funding enough to keep pushing it quickly, we won’t be able to do it that fast, and we’ll have to go a little slower.

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Composite ortho at UD Center for Composite Materials Research. Photo by Dawn Fiore.

Headline: New Fuel Efficient Demonstrator Humvee for the U.S. Army displayed at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress in Detroit.

Sub-Headline A: DARPA is supporting the development of rapid production of composite ankle-foot orthoses for wounded soldiers at the University of Delaware Center for Composite Material Designs for Action.

Sub-Headline B: Magna Exteriors and Interiors partners with The Centre for Research and Innovation to investigate the use of wood fibers in automotive applications.

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Aerospace:

Bigelow Aerospace in Las Vegas announced a new partnership to help promote the SpaceX Dragon reusable spacecraft and space tourism.

Boeing C-130 program to update the Air Force ships may get a reprieve from the proposed federal budget cut.

In honor of the space shuttle retirements, National Geographic recognized the achievements of the Challenger Spaceship program in a two part article series.

Automotive:

Automotive designer Carroll Shelby died at age 89.

Wikispeed team builds functional 100 mpg supercar in three months.

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster will sport a carbon fiber targa-style roof.

Chinese automotive company saves defunct U.S. electric-hybrid car company, Aptera. The car will be available for purchase as early as 2013.

These four eco-friendly supercars made an appearance at the 2012 EcoVelocity Green Motor Show.

Aston Martin unveiled its new sports car, the DBS Ultimate.

The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette will be the pace car for the Indianapolis 500. To learn more about American supercars, read the “Top 8 American Supercars of All-Time.”

Business:

U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney promises manufacturing revival to audience at Lansing Community College in Lansing, Mich.

Teijin reports net loss in March due to a slowing demand for chemical products in the electronics industry.

Sikorsky Aircraft President Jeff Pino announced his early retirement.

Unitech Composites and Structures expands its services to include nondestructive inspection solutions.

Energy:

Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing gains support as industry confronts anti-competitive trade practices from Chinese solar industry.

Umeco will showcase its Sea-Spider vertical axis tidal energy device at the All-Energy Show in Aberdeen.

Biobent Polymers, soybean bio composite company featured in the May/June issue of CM, showcased its technology on NBC 4.

Infrastructure:

Axion International receives its first order for composite railroad ties in New Zealand.

Marine:

Turanor PlanetSolar, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, completes its journey around the world.

Check out this underwater composite repair completed by a crew in Abu Dhabi.

Military:

Joint Assault Bridge program produced by General Dynamics Land Systems may replace the Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge.

U.S. military is using robots! And, according to The Chicago Tribune, the trend is expected to continue.

Sports & Rec:

According to the company, the Nike Elite series are the best basketball shoes in the world. The design substitutes plastic parts for carbon fiber and Kevlar.

University:

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers elected University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Professor Pradeep Rohatgi to the SME Class of Fellows.

For daily composites updates, subscribe to CM Twitter.

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According to the company, the research will be devoted to substituting glass fiber for wood fiber for high-volume parts to offer a cheaper and lighter alternative to traditional composite parts.  Eventually the center would like to apply the bio composite to other consumer and industrial products.

Source: Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy

Photo of FED Bravo courtesy of U.S. Army.

U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) certainly attracted attention with its Fuel Efficient Demonstrator (FED) Bravo at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Conference in Detroit.

The concept of a fuel efficient light armored vehicle is certainly not new to the military scene. Plenty of other designs, including TARDEC’s own FED Alpha completed in 2010, prove that the military is interested in investing in new fuel efficient concepts.

Regardless, FED Bravo garnered attention from SAE attendees and it offers unique solutions for the military. It runs at approximately 8.2 mpg in the city and 14 mpg on the highway using a parallel hybrid drive system, and it can generate and export electric power to soldiers. The lightweight carbon fiber panels offer a higher rigidity-to-weight ratio as well as better production from blasts.

Source: TARDEC

1)      Register for Lobby Day on the ACMA website.

2)      Invite. Download and send an invitation to your Member of Congress for the Congressional Composites Caucus Reception. (Don’t know who your Representative is? Find out here.)

3)      Educate yourself on the composite issues that will be addressed.

4)      Plan. Book a hotel and familiarize yourself with the area, including how to get around (you can even download a Metro app).

5)      Prepare. Bring business cards and a sample product for your Representative.

If you are unable to make it to Washington, D.C., for the Composites Build America Lobby Day you can still make a difference in the industry’s advocacy efforts. Invite your Member of Congress to the Lobby Day reception so they can meet with your fellow composites industry professionals and ACMA staff. Also, consider participating in one of the legislative fly-ins or hosting a congressional plant tour. For more information about ACMA’s advocacy programs, contact MJ Carrabba, ACMA’s Grassroots and PAC Coordinator, at 703-682-1668.

Randy Lewis, a professor of biology and spider-silk research with The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR), in Salt Lake City, is researching the varied uses of spider silk--including for composites.

The idea of spider silk may conjure images of Spider Man, but the promise of stronger, more elastic fibers is driving research into genetically engineered composites. Randy Lewis, a professor of biology and spider-silk research with The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR), in Salt Lake City, says “the reason there’s a lot of interest in spider silk is that one of the silks a spider produces has a tensile strength greater than Kevlar materials and elasticity greater than nylon.” USTAR has developed alternative methods to produce spider silk, he says.

The Orb-weaver spider produces different kinds of silk with various mechanical properties, Lewis says. “The silk itself is a protein, so we’ve cloned the genes for each of the proteins that make up the different spider silks.” Researchers then create new genes based on those proteins and place them in bacteria, silk worms, and goats, using those genetic pathways to produce engineered spider silk, he says.

“We then purified a protein, either from the bacteria, or, in the case of goats, they produced the spider-silk protein in the milk, and in the case of plants, they produced it in the leaves. So, we actually had to extract the protein, then spin fibers,” says Lewis.

With the silk worm, Lewis says researchers used a cloning kit to combine proteins, enabling the silk worm to spin the cocoon themselves to get fibers that combined super silk and spider silk.

Though still in the research phase, Lewis says researchers have already generated fibers with widely differing mechanical properties, depending upon which spider silk proteins are used. “We have ones that have very, very high elongations; we have ones that have very low elongations; we have ones that have high-tensile strengths; and we have ones that have much more moderate tensile strengths,” Lewis says.

“So far scientists have not yet been able to precisely match what spiders do with their very best silk,” Lewis says. “We’re about half way there and we are still, in some cases, developing ones that are better than Kevlar materials for specific composite applications.” So far a lot of focus has been within medical applications, such as artificial ligaments and tendons, and compressive bandages, but there are other possible outcomes of the research,” Lewis says. The team’s work has just begun moving in the direction of composites. They are meeting with various executives at commercial enterprises, who are interested in the possibilities for super fabrics within composite applications.

We’ve made composites with a bio-plastic that another group in Utah is producing,” he says. “We’re making composites of polyhydroxyuterine, and polyhydroxyvalorate (bacterially produced plastic), combined with our spider silk and strand fibers.” Scientists cloned the first spider silk gene 20 years ago, says Lewis. “We’ve been beating on this for a very long time, and we’re just now at the point where commercialization is a probability, not a possibility.”

Lewis says his team’s research effort will lead to new materials within two years and depending on how the silkworm work goes, he expects to have testing underway for a variety of different purposes in a year to 18 months. He is convinced that a number of different materials based on spider silk in some form or another will be commercially available within a decade.

To read more on this and other biocomposites, pick up the latest issue of Composites Manufacturing, available online now.

First and foremost, start at a basic level – understand your customer’s needs and how their target customers search for solutions online. “This is basic search engine optimization and, when done well, leads to very interesting revealing insights about customers and how they are looking to solve problems,” says Hockenberry. This can help your online presence and your business to better understand the marketplace needs.

Secondly, take care of your database. According to Hockenberry, it’s your most valuable asset. Use it to email your contacts regularly with valuable information; don’t send your contacts sales pitches. “Show your contacts that you are listening to them and are worth talking to about their needs. Email still has a very high return on investment if done properly with the right amount of information.”

Little changes can go a long way. Take a look around the web and investigate what types of web pages would help your customers the most, follow news sources in your market, and start writing down customer requests and questions to help give you ideas for blog posts. Inbound marketing takes time and effort, but it’s the most effective way to attract the right customers at any budget.

Looking for more marketing advice? Read pick up a copy of our May/June issue, available now!

Thom Johnson--Corrosion Industry Manager, Ashland

Thom Johnson began his career at the Dow Chemical Company as a Research Chemist nearly 30 years ago and has worked extensively in the field of corrosion in water treatment, industrial coatings and fiber-reinforced composites. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Central Michigan University and a MBA from DePaul University. He currently manages the corrosion resistant and fire retardant composites business for Ashland and is the committee chair for ACMA’s Chemical Processing Symposium, taking place May 23-24 in Houston.

How does your work apply to the composites industry?

My current focus is on corrosion resistant materials at Ashland, particularly composites and how they relate to corrosion resistant structures, which is a significant business at Ashland and the composites industry as a whole. When we look at corrosion resistant materials, we are mostly evaluating carbon steel and alloys like stainless steel, versus composites for economy and durability.

How do composites fit into the corrosion industry?

The rule of thumb within corrosion resistant structures is that when choosing materials, whether they be carbon steel, metal alloys or composites, if carbon steel is suitable, i.e. it’s not a demanding or highly corrosive environment (an environment with a lot of chlorine, hydrochloric acid or sea water), then by all means use it. Composites are rarely competitive against straight carbon steel. However, as you move from carbon steel to higher nickel alloys, cost climbs significantly and composites become much more competitive. They are really gaining a foothold in corrosive environments, mainly because FRP (fiber reinforced polymers) is inherently more resistant to many corrosive materials than is carbon steel or stainless steel. So, in environments where stainless or more corrosion resistant alloys are required, composites become a compelling economical alternative as they are half the price to build equally durable equipment such as piping, storage tanks, ducting and chemical scrubbers.

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

 We’re seeing a slow economic recovery in North American but certain markets are rebounding at a higher rate. One of the sectors rebounding strongly is chemical processing, much more than others because the affordable cost of natural gas is having a positive effect—low cost energy costs and low cost chemical feedstocks to make needed derivatives. Most of the major chemical processing players are investing in capacity and equipment upgrades because the business climate has improved significantly.

What solutions do composites offer to chemical processing applications?

The biggest advantages of composites are durability, longevity and cost relative to corrosion resistant alternatives. It’s not that composites are a panacea; they don’t fit into every application. There are some corrosive environments that are overly aggressive or too hot. For example, if the liquid temperature is above 200F or gaseous temperature is above 400F then it’s probably too hot for even high temperature FRP composites. Similarly, for more demanding corrosion applications, a dual laminate made with a chemically resistant thermoplastic inner liner and an FRP structural backing are often employed.

How do chemical companies learn about composites?

The most common way they find out is from symposiums and educational programs. Design engineers do get some training on composites in engineering schools but not really that much. They tend to learn from educational programs and societies like NACE and the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA).

What more would you like to see from composites?

I think composites have a good story to tell, but we need to see greater awareness and education of design engineers within the industry. Composites are one of the best kept secrets within chemical processing. There are a number of chemical companies that use them well and widely and others that have no idea about their properties or benefits.

Where do you see the most potential for composite growth?

The greatest room for growth for composites in chemical processing is within those aggressive environments where stainless steel is seriously challenged and FRP is a great fit, for example chlorine chemistry. Currently, fabricators and suppliers like Ashland will go out and do lunch-and-learn seminars with chemical producers to portray where FRP is a good fit. They’ll show case histories and consult with material specifiers and engineers within each chemical company to determine how best to solve corrosion problems in their facilities. We ask, “Where are your corrosion problems and how can we help you?”

What are the key issues keeping the industry from growing?

Corrosion companies largely deal with the engineering community. They are a conservative bunch; but hey, they’re paid to be that way. There is a lot of resistance to change. When they lack awareness on superior materials solutions, they cling to what they know best. The reluctance to change is probably the biggest challenge. That’s where we come in as an organization to educate these engineers and help them find better solutions. In essence, show them that they’re not blazing the trail on their own—but that composites have already been put into service in many of these applications and they’re working.

What’s next step in resin development?

A lot of resins developed for use in the corrosion industry actually come from the chemical processing industry. Companies like Dow, Shell and Oxychem developed some of the best resin technologies currently employed in chemical processing. Our lineage is from these same folks who continue to buy and use composite solutions. In the future, the industry is always looking for greater environmental compliance and better performance. There are a lot of innovations out there, for example resins with higher temperature tolerance, and new dual laminate technologies.

What is the main focus of the upcoming Chemical Processing Symposium?

Unlike many conferences that have fiberglass manufacturers talking about composites, this symposium has end users discussing how they use composites. We have a host of speakers from the chemical industry that will talk about best practices for corrosion applications within the chemical industry. It is a very credible group that will address the use of FRP, where it works well, when and why it’s used. They will be able to talk about equipment they have in their plants and how it’s working for them. The fact that the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) is sponsoring this event shows how valuable it will be. They are primarily a metals-based association so for them to step in and say composites are worth learning about, it says a lot and their members should pay attention.

What’s should attendees look forward to?

Along with bringing in end-users, we’re also bringing in design engineers and fabricators out of the corrosion industry to talk about how to design FRP for corrosive chemical applications. We want to give end-user attendees and design engineers more choices so they can be more successful in their facilities. Our goal is to enlighten them on best practices so they don’t have to go back to the same old metal-based solutions.

Make sure you get all the news you need online or in print, subscribe or renew for your free copy of Composites Manufacturing magazine.

Office under the trees in Madrid

Headline:

“Jetman” Yves Rossy, featured in CM flying from France to England, pushed boundaries once again on Wednesday by flying across Rio De Janeiro in his carbon composite jet pack.

Sub-Headline A:

University of Tokyo engineers designed a retractable sail system using aluminum and FRP to reduce pollution on cargo ships.

Sub-Headline B:

Employees at Madrid’s Selgascano architectural firm prefer to work in a pultruded office under the trees.

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Aerospace:

The James Webb Space Telescope is home to a composite PMBSS.

Spirit AeroSystems hires 200 mechanics and technicians to meet increased demand.

European Space Agency considers building reusable 8-passenger space planes.

Boeing debuts its first 787 Dreamliner from its new South Carolina plant.

GKN Aerospace opens new composite wing structures manufacturing facility in the UK.

Volta Volare GT4, the world’s first hybrid plane, will begin testing this spring.

Aero Vodochody, the largest aircraft manufacturer in Czech Republic, expands investment into composites.

Automotive:

Caterham Formula One team partners with GE – each will benefit from composite R&D.

Natural Composites, a bio composite recycling company, is working with Ford to turn coconut husks into trunk reinforcement.

The FR-1 concept roadster out-of autoclave chassis weighs 180 pounds.

Ferrari releases the Novitec Rosso 458 Spider with carbon fiber parts built using wind tunnel research at the University of Stuttgart.

Business:

World stocks get an extra boost thanks to unexpected growth in the U.S. manufacturing industry.

Turbo-Mach, LLC changes its name to North American Composites.

Creative Composites expands 40 percent to cover growing composite demand.

Edra Equipamentos unveils a composite ATM booth.

Kaman Aerospace and Kineco form an advanced composite structures manufacturing company in India.

New Chief Engineer Taleb Zeitouny will guide Blackhawk technology developments.

Energy:

Gamesa invests further into manufacturing plants in India, targeting 40% growth.

Infrastructure:

A German partnership including several high profile companies complete a composite enclosure designed to stabilize diesel train engines.

Chemical supplier BASF uses its own products to build a new headquarters in Florham Park, N.J., including some outdoor chairs made from recycled plastic bottles.

Marine:

American Boat and Yacht Council names John Adey the new president of boating standards.

$1.6 million three story GFRP cruise ship, Hefei Tourism I, made its maiden voyage at the Chaohu Lake International Tourism Festival.

Military:

Goodrich completes first composite sail cusp for Virginia Class Submarines.

Product:

Ultra high strength fiber company DSM Dyneema opened a new plant in Greenville, S.C.

Bio composite supplier RheTech won the Michigan Green Leaders Award for Medium Businesses.

Plastemart.com released a list of companies with developments in polymer composites.

Partnership develops new film ideal for high performance composite applications in aerospace.

Sports & Rec

Lincoln Canoe and Kayak are looking to advanced composites for the next generation of products.

Zyvex and ENVE Composites unveil first nano-enhanced carbon fiber downhill bike rim.

Brazil swim team unveils carbon fiber swimsuit designs.

University:

High school students competed in the Windstorm Challenge held by the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine.

For daily composites updates, subscribe to CM Twitter.

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