Carbon Fiber Knowledge
The latest from the world of advanced composites and carbon fiber technology.
Automated layup is the bottleneck that decides whether aerospace composite production scales. From automated tape laying (ATL) heads that deposit 150-millimeter tapes, to automated fiber placement (AFP) systems placing 3.2-12.7 millimeter tows, to robotic pick-and-place cells that kitti
Australia produces less carbon fiber domestically than it consumes, yet it is one of the most dynamic procurement markets in Asia-Pacific for engineered composite hardware. The reason is not volume but program intensity: the country has committed to the SSN-AUKUS submarine alliance, ope
When a composite part comes out of the mold, it is rarely the exact shape of the tool. Corners open up, flat panels bow, and flanges rotate away from the designed angle — a family of dimensional changes known collectively as warpage and spring-in. These distortions are not accidents. Th
An eVTOL battery pack sits at the center of a new kind of safety equation. The pack is the heaviest removable mass on the aircraft, it stores enough energy to power a climb, and it must survive crash scenarios that automotive packs are not designed for — including steep descent rates an
Nigeria is West Africa's largest economy and its largest carbon fiber demand center, though the local market is almost entirely import-driven. The demand base splits into two heavy users — oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta and offshore fields, and telecommunications networks
When a carbon fiber laminate fails in service, the initiating event is usually a delamination — a crack that grows between plies rather than through the fibers. Impact damage, machining, and out-of-plane loading all create interlaminar cracks, and once a delamination starts it can grow
Thailand has spent the past decade repositioning itself from a low-cost manufacturing base into a mid-tier industrial hub for electric vehicles, electronics and premium consumer goods. The country already built the largest automobile production complex in Southeast Asia and the global c
Carbon fiber racing wheelchairs sit at the sharp end of adaptive sports engineering. A Paralympic racing chair must be light enough to accelerate hard, stiff enough to transfer every push of the arm through the wheels, and tailored to the exact body geometry of a single athlete. No stan
Induction welding of thermoplastic composites is gaining ground as a fast, repeatable joining method for carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) structures. Unlike thermoset composites, which are normally bonded with adhesives or fastened with bolts and rivets, thermoplastic compo