CAMX Connection

Infusion of large, primary aerostructures In the Irkut MS-21 infused and co-cured wings, the aerocomposites industry is getting a glimpse of how out-of-autoclave technologies might be applied to next-generation primary aircraft structures. More. The CAMX Awards – One Winner’s Journey The CAMX Awards are widely considered as the pinnacle in recognition for excellence and innovation for the composites industry. With …

The future of styrene in composites It’s been seven years since the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) listed styrene in its “12th Report on Carcinogens (RoC)” as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” What’s happened in the North American composites industry since then? More. CAMX 2018 Details Announced Want to quickly scan more details on the education, exhibits and …

Rethinking Aerocomposites Manufacturing Composites machinery specialist MTorres is trying to change the way aircraft OEMs fabricate and assemble large aircraft fuselage structures. Might this new method be the tool to fabricate next-generation aircraft? More. Biocomposites On the Rise In the composites and advanced materials industry, the most common reinforcing fibers are glass and carbon. However, in a marketplace that demands …

The Spread of Spread Tow Advancing from “lighter and thinner” to boosting strength, stiffness, impact resistance and productivity, spread tow unlocks new applications and markets. This story looks at how fibers are spread, who is supplying spread tow materials, the properties of the material and how it is being used. More. Composites in the Age of Social Media During the …

Wind blade repair strategies As wind turbines and wind farms proliferate, so does the need for repair, particularly of composite blades that suffer damage from lightning, erosion, impacts and fatigue. In order to minimize turbine downtime, damage detection must be fast and accurate. New technologies are proliferating to make this possible. More. Composites and Advanced Materials Boost U.S. Armed Forces …

Automated, Inline Inspection Comes of Age One of the great bottlenecks in hand-layup or machine-layup is the chore of manually checking for gaps, overlaps, wrinkles and debris. Automated, in-situ inspection promises to bypass such manual labor and is already at work in several high-profile operations. More. International Innovation Could Have Game Changing Implications According to market research firm Lucintel, the …

Consolidating Thermoplastic Composite Aerostructures in Place After more than 30 years of development, in-situ consolidation is nearing its promise to eliminate fasteners and the autoclave, and enable an integrated, multifunctional airframe. With next-generation commercial aircraft on the horizon, in-situ consolidation might be maturing just in time. More. CAMX 2017 Award Winners: Where Are They Now? During CAMX 2017, the global …

Thermoplastic tapes: Here to stay? Thermoplastic tapes are not new to composites, but they soon will join the primary aerostructures material palette and could be their future. For that to happen, however, a quantum leap in quality and consistency is required — the same kind of quantum leap that, 20 years ago, helped make thermoset tapes an industry staple. More. …

CAMX 2017: All the reports CAMX 2017 was postponed by Hurricane Irma, but no worse for the delay. The largest composites event in the world’s largest composites market featured a variety of noteworthy materials, technologies and products that reinforced the strength and dynamism of the composites industry. More. CAMX Celebrates Industry Growth and Innovation Thank you to everyone who participated …

Next-generation SMC for automotive Honda made a splash in 2005 when it introduced the Ridgeline pickup with an innovative sheet molded compound (SMC) bed and storage trunk. For the Ridgeline redesign, the company went back to the drawing board and emerged with a creative, efficient, multi-material design that takes SMC to the next level. More. Register Now for CAMX 2017 …