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Highlighting U.K.’s composites industry reliance on textiles
April 24th, 2025
Fibre and fabric production technologies—especially in the area of composite reinforcements—have played an as-yet largely unheralded role in the development of the U.K.’s Formula One industry, but the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) aims to change that. “With the exception of the engine, virtually every part of a Formula One racing car now starts from […]
Hidden and essential
April 24th, 2025
Web Industries’ multi-layer insulation (MLI) blanket with grounding wire to prevent electrical charging. Photo: Marie O’Mahony. Is there a role for textiles in today's composites industry? The answer is not just yes, it is a resounding affirmative. In March, the composite industry’s JEC show in Paris confirmed this with a strong showing of textiles ranging from […]
NASA heat shield features a new design architecture
December 13th, 2021
NASA's ADEPT heat shield features a 3D seamless woven material from Bally Ribbon Mills. Photo: NASA. by Debra Cobb Heat shields are a critical part of vehicles for space exploration, enabling science payloads to safely pass through the atmosphere of distant worlds. NASA’s deployable heat shield design called ADEPT (Adaptable, Deployable, Entry and Placement Technology) […]
Textiles’ role in a growing energy industry
June 14th, 2021
Vestas V100-2.8 MW compose a wind farm at South Plains, Texas. Photo: Vestas Wind Systems A/S. European collaborations lead the way in sustainable wind energy production. by Marie O’Mahony The Biden administration is wasting little time putting plans in place to achieve the goal of a carbon-free energy sector by 2035. Offshore wind energy is an […]
New interleaving veils improve carbon fiber toughness
May 20th, 2019
New Zealand company Revolution Fibres has collaborated with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc. to develop a next-generation nanofiber interleaving veil for improving the toughness of carbon fiber composites. According to the companies, the new material, Xantu.Layr® XLB, has particularly strong application possibilities in the aerospace sector. The product is an ultra-thin nonwoven web consisting of […]
SGL Group develops new carbon fiber for aerospace
March 14th, 2018
SGL Group has developed a new carbon fiber, SIGRAFIL C T50-4.8/280, which is characterized by a high Young’s modulus, making it ideal for aerospace applications. Pressure vessels, drive shafts, profiles and sheet molding compounds (SMCs) are other applications for the fiber, which has good mechanical properties due to high stiffness and strength. The high Young’s […]
Carbon fiber from America’s Cup yachts to be recycled
December 7th, 2017
An article in Inside Composites reports that ELG Carbon Fiber and Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) are working together to ensure that the team’s carbon fiber waste is recycled, to promote economical and environmentally efficient uses of the material. ELG will become a technical supplier to the team and will process all carbon fiber […]
Hexcel launches new carbon fiber fabrics project
October 6th, 2017
Hexcel will launch MAXIM, a new government-backed 7.4 million pound research and development project, and expand its manufacturing facility in Leicester. The Multi Axial Infused Materials (MAXIM) project will explore the manufacture of new, cost-effective carbon fiber fabric forms and resins that can be made into parts without the need for autoclaves. Hexcel is installing […]
Improved 3D knitted carbon fiber preforms developed
August 1st, 2017
A U.K.-based manufacturer of weft-knitted technical textiles has developed the ability to commercially manufacture 3D carbon fiber preforms for composites that require no post knitting fabrication or cutting. Inside Composites says that Preform Technologies completed a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project with the University of Derby to modify and adapt a Stoll CMS 822 HP […]
Keeping up with carbon
January 6th, 2017
A rapidly growing demand for carbon fiber is stressing market ability to provide. Although carbon fiber as a commodity has been around since the late 1960s, only in the past 10 years can there truly be considered a dynamic market of real substance with steady growth potential. A market report published in Reinforced Plastics Nov/Dec […]