Materials

Thermoplastics

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Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Lighter, Recyclable Body Seal from Cooper Standard Wins SAA Award

A lighter, colorable and fully recyclable thermoplastic body seal from Cooper Standard won the annual Innovations in Lightweighting Award given by the Society for Automotive...

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Briefs
Materials

Using Artificial Intelligence to Find the Polymers of the Future

Finding the next groundbreaking polymer is always a challenge, but now Georgia Tech researchers are using AI to shape and transform the future of the field. Rampi Ramprasad’s group develops and adapts AI algorithms to accelerate materials discovery. Read on to learn more.

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Briefs
Green Design & Manufacturing

Towards Sustainable Recycling of Epoxy-Based Polymers: Approaches and Challenges of Epoxy Biodegradation

Epoxy polymers are widely used in various industries. However, the disposal of epoxy polymers and composites thereof has become a significant concern due to their recalcitrant nature and the adverse environmental effects caused by traditional recycling methods.

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News
Materials

Hyundai Bears down on EV Charging, Sustainability

Inoperative public charging stations are a major irritant to both EV owners and to Hyundai Motor North America, asserts Olabisi Boyle, the company’s VP of product planning and mobility...

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Briefs
Green Design & Manufacturing

Biobased Carbon Fibers and Thermosetting Resins for Use in DOD Composites Applications

The aim was to use renewable resources derived from plants and other sources to prepare high-performance carbon fiber and thermosetting matrix resins with high strength and high thermal resistance.

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Articles
Test & Measurement

Advancing Metrology at Mach Speed

Drone-mounted inspection tools are breaking barriers for the F-35.

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Articles
Energy

Developing Thermoplastic Composites for Use in Commercial Aircraft

Thermoplastic composite materials (TPC) are gaining momentum for use in commercial airplanes and other aerospace applications, including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

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Briefs
Materials

Biobased Carbon Fibers and Thermosetting Resins for Use in DOD Composites Applications

Advanced bio-based fibers and high-performance thermosetting resins will help reduce the dependence of military composites on high-cost petroleum.

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News
Electronics & Computers

Carbon Fiber Research Eyes Roof Frames, Doors

It’s not just for exotic “supercars” and motorcycles anymore. The performance-enhancing attributes of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics continue to be explored by global automakers as they seek...

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News
Weapons Systems

Air Force Begins 3D Printing Nonstructural Aircraft Parts

The 60th Maintenance Squadron (60th MXS) at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, is the first field unit in the United States Air Force to produce approved nonstructural...

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Articles
Materials

Thermoplastic Composites to Play Enhanced Role in Next-Generation Aerospace Applications

Advanced thermoplastic composites-and their emergence as prominent materials for future aerospace applications–are sparking a flurry of activity from...

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites

Reinforcing polymers with strong/stiff fibers is nothing new. Such materials have been used pretty much since aircraft were first created. In those pioneering days, wings were reinforced with woven...

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Application Briefs
Defense

3D Printed Spacecraft Parts

Stratasys Ltd.Eden Prairie, MN952-937-3000www.stratasys.com/aerospace Phoenix Analysis and DesignTechnologies (PADT) Tempe, AZ1-800-293-PADTwww.padtinc.com Stratasys Ltd., a company that specializes in applied...

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Articles
Aerospace

Using Thermoplastics in Aerospace Applications

In August 2017, Qantas Airlines laid down the challenge to both Boeing and Airbus to offer an aircraft that can cross one of aviation's “last frontiers.” That “last frontier” was an...

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What We’re Driving
Materials

Citroen C4 Cactus

Its birth may have been way back in 1955, but any mention among auto-industry technology aficionados of Citroën’s then startlingly radical DS will generate a sigh of admiration that echoes the sighs of the car's radical...

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News
Robotics, Automation & Control

Stratasys Unveils High-Production Additive Manufacturing Spin-Off

Traditional manufacturers have long sought to combine the benefits of additive manufacturing with the material, quality, and economics of traditional production processes....

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News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

BAAM Gets Bigger

At the end of 2017, Additive Engineering Solutions (AES) took delivery of a second “big area additive manufacturing” (BAAM) machine and two CNC machining centers: a large-format, Thermwood 5-axis router and a...

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News
Materials

Faster, Lighter, Stronger: Aerospace Composites Join Together Advanced Materials

Boeing and Airbus forecast a worldwide demand for up to 40,000 new aircraft over the next two decades. With a 10-year production backlog and new aircraft...

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Articles
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Using Thermoplastic Composites for Aerospace Applications

Recent advancements in composite production and processing are making thermoplastics a viable option in a wider array of aerospace applications.

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Briefs
Materials

High Temperature Graphene-Peek Adhesive

Joining of composites can be a challenging issue. If adhesives are used, the joints are permanent and cannot be undone. If they need to be undone, inserts are often used and these inserts increase cost...

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Application Briefs
Defense

Thermoplastic Fuselage Demonstrator

Porcher IndustriesBadinières, France+33 (0)4 74 43 10 10www.porcher-ind.com Porcher Industries, a company that specializes in technical textiles and thermoplastic composite solutions, announced that they...

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Product Briefs
Electronics & Computers

Maintenance-Free Bearings

Aurora Bearing offers maintenance-free PTFE lined alternatives to fractured race and light series spherical bearings used in hydraulic cylinders in both metric and inch dimension series. The bearings are best used in...

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Briefs
Materials

Thermo-Elastic Nondestructive Evaluation of Fatigue Damage in PMR-15 Resin

New aircraft are expected to use more composite materials. This drives the need for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of composite materials. Current aircraft are flown...

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Briefs
Materials

High Strain Rate Mechanical Properties of Glassy Polymers

Arange of experimental data has been generated describing the response of glassy polymers to high strain rate loading in compression. Recently, research programs that study the combined effects of temperature and strain rate have made significant steps in providing better understanding of...

Briefs
Materials

Investigation of Basalt Woven Fabrics for Military Applications

Basalt rock is a black or gray fine-grained rock in the family of igneous rocks, formed by cooling of molten lava. It is commonly found in the Earth’s crust, is abundant...

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Briefs
Materials

Temperature Effect on Drop-Weight Impact of Hybrid Woven Composites

The main idea of composite material is to combine different materials to produce a new material with performance unattainable by the individual constituents. It gives...

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Articles
Aerospace

Advances in High-Frequency PCB Materials

Traditionally, RF/microwave printed circuit board applications were developed based on the needs that came out of the military market. Applications like radar and guidance systems were operating at...

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Briefs
Materials

Multifunctional Properties of Structural Gel Electrolytes

Due to the demand for more advanced and lightweight systems, multifunctional composite structures that can function as electrochemical energy converters, while bearing mechanical load, are in development. This research involves a materials-based approach in which each component of the system...

Briefs
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Fabricating Biologically Inspired Artificial Haircell Sensors

As electronics packaging and equipment have decreased in size and weight, so have the potential dimensions of unmanned aircraft. Specifically, a classification of micro air vehicles...

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