This Month in Carbon Fiber: February 2014

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Be sure to check out our carbon fiber store, where our specialty is in lifestlyle products.

Industry News

We’ve partnered with the folks at Composites World to bring you monthly updates in the more technical world of carbon fiber.  Here’s what’s new this month:

Toray expands U.S. prepreg capacity

Toray Composites (America) Inc. will expand capacity of TORAYCA prepreg at its Tacoma, Wash., USA, location to meet demand for anticipated rate production increase of the Boeing 787 aircraft.

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Dow Automotive reveals adhesive role in BMW i3 manufacture

Dow Automotive says its BETAFORCE structural adhesives were optimized by BMW for the manufacture of the carbon fiber passenger cell of the recently commercialized i3 all-electric car.

BMW i3 carbon fiber frame

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DowAksa, the Nanotechnology Center of Composites sign agreement

The investment agreement, worth $4.3 million, allows cooperation and joint projects for DowAksa’s carbon and the NCC’s nano materials for industrial projects.

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Quickstep delivers first C-130J wing flaps

The C-130J wing flaps delivery is the first shipset of 24 going to Lockheed Martin for the C-130J military airlifer. Lockheed has also ordered 12 additional shipsets for $9.8 million.

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Dieffenbacher installs preform technology at Fraunhofer facility

The Dieffenbacher Preform Center will be installed at the Canada-based Fraunhofer Project Center and used to help develop carbon fiber composite structures manufactured using high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM).

Dieffenbacher installs preform technology

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Formax to open automotive production unit

A new facility adjacent to its existing manufacturing site will allow Formax to manufacture carbon fiber multiaxial fabrics for automotive applications.

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Fossil and mineral resources: Composites expand

Attention-grabbing applications in these challenging, corrosive environments are positioning fiber-reinforced polymers for continued growth.

Carbon fiber trademarked m-pipe

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Evaluation report confirms Altus Group’s CarbonCast panels meet code requirements

The report from ICC Evaluation Service shows that carbon grid-reinforced insulated precast building panels meet acceptance criteria and makes it easier for building contractors and architects to specify the product.

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WMG adopts Surface Generation technology for automotive development

WMG, a firm based at the University of Warwick in the U.K., will use Surface Generation’s Production to Functional Specifications process to develop manufacturing techniques for carbon fiber composite vehicle body architectures.

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Vectorply expands carbon fiber multiaxial capacity

Vectorply’s new LIba Max 5 knitting machine will be used to manufacture multiaxial, spread-tow carbon fiber reinforcements.

Liba Max 5 manufactures carbon fiber

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Hybrid carbon fiber/glass fiber reinforcement

Quantum Composites has introduced its first hybrid carbon fiber/glass fiber material, suitable for compression molding in automotive, heavy truck, medical, sporting goods and industrial applications.

Hybrid carbon fiberglass fiber

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Toray land acquisition in South Carolina portends of carbon fiber expansion

Toray Industries has purchased 400 acres of commercial land in Spartanburg County, S.C., USA, where it is expected to build a new carbon fiber and prepreg manufacturing facility.

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Nexcelle provides first nacelle for LEAP-1C engine

France-based Nexcelle has delivered the first composite O-Duct nacelle to equip CFM International’s LEAP-1C engines for the China-made COMAC C919 jetliner.

Composite O-Duct nacelle

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KraussMaffei reveals equipment role in BMW i3 production

KraussMaffei reveals that its injection molding and high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) equipment is being used to mold thermoplastic body panels and carbon fiber composite structural members.

BMW i3 production

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SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers reportedly expanding Moses Lake capacity

BMW says the joint SGL-BMW Moses Lake facility will double in size, and that carbon fiber’s role at the carmaker is expanding to other models, beyond the i3 and i8.

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Crawford Composites launches carbon fiber paddleshift system

Auto racing and composites specialist Crawford Composites has launched the Crawford Composites PaddleShift System for sequential gearboxes.

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Juggling Carbon Fiber supply and demand

Two recent and apparently unrelated news events in the composites industry may have long-term implications for the supply and demand of aerospace-grade carbon fiber and carbon fiber prepreg.

Juggling carbon fiber supply and demand

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Walmart uses CFRP to boost efficiency

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Bentonville, Ark., USA), branded as Walmart, revealed its Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience (WAVE) concept truck at its Sustainability Milestone Meeting last week.

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A composite wing giant is born

As Boeing announced today that manufacture of the carbon fiber wings for the 777X will be located in Everet, Wash., that sound you heard was every automated tape layer (ATL) and automated fiber placement (AFP) machinery manufacturer packing up his or her wares and heading to Washington in the hope of placing a few million dollars worth of equipment in the soon-to-be built plant.

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Aeroindustryjobs: Jobs of the month, February, 2014

Week of Feb 4:  Aerospace industry job opportunities at Aurora Flight Sciences, Amtech, Cytec and Boeing.

Week of Feb 11: Aerospace industry job opportunities at AC Catalysts, Harper International, Hexcel, ITT Exelis and Toray Composites (America) Inc.

Week of Feb 18:  Aerospace industry job opportunities at TenCate Advanced Composites, Cytec Aerospace Materials, Hexcel and Sikorsky.

Week of Feb 25: Aerospace industry job opportunities at GE Aviation, Aurora Flight Sciences, Hexcel, and Boeing.

Be sure to check out our carbon fiber store, where our specialty is in lifestlyle products.