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Manned Systems

Sinonus Carbon-Fiber Structural Batteries Would Reduce Weight While Adding Range

Carbon-fiber structural batteries are not entirely new, but now Sinonus, a company spun out of Chalmers Technical University in Gothenburg, Sweden, is...

Articles

Materials

Finding the Perfect Aluminum for Additive Manufacturing

Make aluminum work for you (and your 3D-printing applications).

News

Materials

Weaving a New Future for Composites

The advantages of composites are rarely debated. Born mostly from aerospace research, incredibly light but strong creations such as carbon fiber have upended mass-to-strength formulas, changing the...

News

Materials

New Composites Target EV Applications

Lightweighting solutions that are financially viable, reliable and sustainable for conventionally powered vehicles are arguably even more important for electric vehicles (EVs). Range anxiety remains...

News

Energy

Constellium Develops New Alloys for EV Battery Enclosures

Aluminum is the dominant material for electric vehicle (EV) battery enclosures for one simple but significant factor: lightweighting capability. All currently available...

News

Energy

NAWA Aims for 5-Minute EV Charge

A French nanomaterials company has developed a technology that it claims can significantly increase the storage efficiency of electric vehicle batteries. NAWA Technologies’ Ultra-Fast Carbon Electrode...

News

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Venting for EV Battery Packs

Batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) need protection from harsh external conditions. Generally located on the underside of the vehicle, EV battery enclosures protect the cells from exposure to water, dust,...

News

Materials

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...

Supplier Eye

Unmanned Systems

Understanding the Competitive Dynamic

As summer passes, the industry still is gritting its teeth amidst the restart from months of COVID-driven paralysis. OEMs and suppliers are bracing for a potential second wave, along with the impact...

Technical Innovation

Power

Partnering to Produce Fuel-Cell-Electric Trucks

A first-of-its-kind propulsion alternative for transporting products between ports, warehouses and distribution centers is on the horizon. “The Class 6 fuel-cell-electric vehicle (FCEV)...

News

Materials

ALLEGRO Project Seeks to Boost Lightweight-Materials Durability

First define the lightweight material that best complements electric vehicle (EV) and automated-vehicle (AV) range efficiency – then optimize it for increased durability...

News

Test & Measurement

Does EV Material Testing Need to Get Physical?

As the CEO of the ZwickRoell Group, Dr. Jan Stefan Roell oversees a multi-industry, materials-testing business. The family-owned company’s history of invention includes the first...

News

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Getting a Grip on EV Fasteners

It may not get much R&D fanfare, but fastenings and their coatings will play an essential engineering role in electrified vehicles (EVs). There is an increasing demand from the auto industry for...

Application Briefs

Aerospace

Metal-Plated, High-Temperature Plastics

Imagine a material that lightens fuel loads and cuts costs every time a rocket blasts off from the launch pad.

News

RF & Microwave Electronics

Orbex Debuts Innovative Smallsat Launch Vehicle

Orbex, a developer of small satellite (smallsat) launch vehicles based in Forres, Scotland, has unveiled its “Prime” launch vehicle. The rocket is the second stage of a two-stage...

News

Power

Meritor Pursues Lightweighting Strategies for Drivelines

As with passenger vehicles, reducing the weight of systems and components in commercial vehicles is a key strategy to improve fuel efficiency. In the commercial-vehicle sector, the...

News

Aerospace

Zwick Roell Provides Flexible Materials Testing over a Wide Temperature Range

Materials research and development frequently require materials to be tested at different temperatures, in line with their eventual area of use. For aerospace...

News

Materials

Top Mass-Cutting Innovations Receive Altair Enlighten Awards

Employing a mixed-material strategy that includes the latest advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) and shedding 450 lb (205 kg) compared to its predecessor are major reasons why...

News

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Lockheed Martin and Arconic Collaborate on 3D Printing and Advanced Aerospace Materials

As part of an initiative to develop next-generation advanced materials and manufacturing processes, Lockheed Martin Corporation, based out of...

News

Electronics & Computers

The Next Material Disruption

In a recent joint paper by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at the University of Manchester, researchers outlined the disruptive impact potential of graphene...

Articles

Materials

Designing With Plastics for Military Equipment

U.S. soldiers carry loads of equipment and protective gear that can weigh anywhere from 45 to 130 pounds. This is more than enough to quickly tire even the most well-conditioned personnel,...

Technology Update

Defense

MTU Develops New Turbine Blade Material in Record Time

MTU Aero Engines announced in March that its internal experts and industry partners have jointly developed a new class of intermetallic, high-temperature materials for highly stressed...

News

Materials

Making Strides in Sustainable Transportation

A material scientist by training working on processing, manufacturing, and characterization development for advanced energy storage systems, Claus Daniel, Ph.D., organized the Lightweighting...

Q&A

Materials

Accelerating Racecar Innovation

Prior to this year’s Indianapolis 500, the 48th annual BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award was awarded for innovation and engineering excellence in race car design. Claiming the award, for the second time,...

Application Briefs

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Fastener Inserts

Fastener Inserts Designed for Lightweight Aerospace Materials Reduce Risks, Costs

Ongoing efforts to increase fuel efficiency, tactical mobility, and payload capacity in aerospace design have driven engineers to find...

Articles

Aerospace

Minimizing Thermal Resistance with Direct Attach Heat Spreaders

As commercial and military electronics applications continue to “push the envelope” with higher powers and smaller packaging requirements, it is becoming more critical to...

Articles

Electronics & Computers

When the Going Gets Tough...

The theaters of operation for marine, air and land vehicles continue to redefine the term “rugged environment.” No longer bound by on-board human operators, autonomous and unmanned military vehicles are now...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Functionalized Silk Materials

T he goal of this work was to exploit the novel structural, physical, and biological features of silk proteins towards functionalization of materials systems generated from this family of protein. A new generation of functional silk systems is sought to provide novel materials with precise control of material...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Experiments in Vacuum Brazing of Titanium

An experimental study of vacuum brazing of titanium and of the effects of changes in brazing alloys and brazing process conditions has been performed. [As used here, “titanium” signifies both...