Carbon Fiber Knowledge
The latest from the world of advanced composites and carbon fiber technology.
Industry analysts project a significant shortage of large-tow carbon fiber by 2028 as wind turbine blade demand outpaces production capacity. This article examines the supply-demand dynamics, capacity expansion timelines, and risk mitigation strategies for wind energy manufacturers.
Automated fiber placement (AFP) is transforming small wind turbine blade manufacturing, enabling higher production rates and more consistent quality than manual layup. This article examines AFP technology adaptation for blades in the 10-50 meter range, process parameters, and economic analysis.
A wind turbine blade is the most awkward object in modern industrial logistics. It is long, hollow, fragile in bending and growing without pause: the largest blades in commercial service now pass 107 meters, and every generation of turbines since has required the supply chain to handle
A modern wind turbine blade is, in structural terms, a sandwich construction wrapped around two load-carrying spar caps: thin, stiff outer skins separated by a low-density core that stabilizes them against buckling and carries shear. The skin is carbon or glass fiber laminate; the core
Most conversations about carbon fiber demand begin with China, Germany or the United States, and for good reason: those markets consume volume. New Zealand consumes almost none by comparison, yet it offers a market profile that B2B composite suppliers increasingly covet — low volume, hi
On a crewed spacecraft, the quiet component is often the one that can end the mission fastest. Composite overwrapped pressure vessels — the carbon-fiber-wrapped metal tanks that store helium and pressurizing gas — sit in that category. They are not the largest systems on the vehicle, bu
Certifying a wind turbine blade built with a new material or a new manufacturing process hinges on evidence that certification bodies can trust — and most of that evidence starts with coupons. A coupon is a small, standardized test specimen cut or manufactured from the same material and
Croatia sits at the junction of three demand streams that together make it one of the more interesting small composite markets in Southeast Europe. The Adriatic coast and its islands host a shipbuilding industry with deep history, an onshore wind sector growing on the back of EU recover
Every eVTOL program in development leans heavily on carbon fiber. Airframes, rotors, drive structures, and battery enclosures are designed around aerospace-grade composites because the entire vehicle concept depends on weight. Yet casting composite-intensive aircraft is not the hard par