News for May 2009

News Archive

Dow increases prices of epoxy resins in in Europe

Dow Epoxy will increase prices for its epoxy resins in Europe (including Turkey) from 1 June, or as contracts allow.

Huntsman Advanced Materials announces global management team

Advanced Materials, a division of Huntsman Corporation, has unveiled a new leadership team, effective immediately.

McConaghy partners with SP on Lutra 80 yacht McConaghy partners with SP on Lutra 80 yacht

Composite yacht builder McConaghy Boats is currently working on the Lutra 80, a high performance carbon composite yacht designed for use in the Mediterranean. Its construction will employ SP's composite materials.

How much would a Mantide cost? How much would a Mantide cost?

$2 million is the answer. It's a carbon composite supercar based on the Corvette ZR1.

TenCate launches prepreg for satellite structures

Tencate Advanced Composites USA has developed a cyanate resin prepreg system designed to meet the needs of manufacturers of satellite structures.

Celanese Emulsion Polymers updates website

Celanese Emulsion Polymers, a producer of products for glass fibre sizing, unveils its new website.

Composite Insights publishes report on composites industry in India

The future of the Indian composites industry looks prosperous through 2014 and beyond, study says.

Industrial equipment markets hit by varying GDP growth

The developing world will outpace the developed world in purchases of industrial equipment in 2009, as most developed countries experience declines in gross domestic product (GDP) while a number of developing countries show growth.

Reichhold announces price increase for Europe

Resin supplier Reichhold is increasing prices on all products for the European composites industry.

SAMPE 2009 attracts 3300 visitors

The SAMPE 2009 conference and exhibition attracted 250 exhibiting companies and 3300 attendees to Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on 18-21 May.

Ahlstrom announces further layoffs at Karhula plant

Ahlstrom has issued a proposal to start negotiations on temporary layoffs at its glass fibre plant in Karhula, Finland. The Karhula plant produces speciality reinforcements for the composites industry and glass fibre tissue.

Aircraft recycling symposium

A Global Aircraft Recycling Symposium will take place at this year’s Aero & Defense Test 09/ITEA Annual Symposium.

Siemens to produce wind turbine parts in China

Siemens is building a €60 million wind turbine rotor blade and nacelle production facility in Lingang New City, Shanghai, China.

Aberdeen offshore windfarm scaled down

Aberdeen’s proposed offshore windfarm is likely to be scaled down in terms of numbers of turbines, but still capable of becoming a demonstrator centre, participants at the renewable energy conference and exhibition, All-Energy in Aberdeen, Scotland, was told this week.

Scott Bader offers Crystic® Rapide gel-coat service Scott Bader offers Crystic® Rapide gel-coat service

Scott Bader UK’s new automated dispensing and mixing system can rapidly produce a 25 kg keg of gel-coat in any RAL, BS or colour-matched colour, offering a faster delivery service to customers.

Gulfstream tests composite aircraft wing Gulfstream tests composite aircraft wing

Gulfstream Aerospace has completed testing on its first all-composite structural wing assembly.

Shell Eco-marathon car uses Oxeon carbon fabric Shell Eco-marathon car uses Oxeon carbon fabric

A hybrid vehicle constructed using Swedish company Oxeon’s TeXtreme spread carbon tow fabric took part in Shell’s Eco-marathon competition this year.

Spatial Composite Solutions builds cabin service trainer for Etihad Airways Spatial Composite Solutions builds cabin service trainer for Etihad Airways

Spatial Composite Solutions has been commissioned to design, build and install an Airbus A320 Cabin Service Trainer (CST) for UAE airline company Etihad Airways.

Closed Mold Alliance launches website

The Closed Mold Alliance has launched a website aimed at companies looking to convert to closed mould composites manufacturing.

Europe’s largest onshore windfarm switched on

The 322 MW Whitelee windfarm outside Glasgow, Scotland, which could be Europe’s largest onshore windfarm, was switched on this week.

Boat built using carbon nanotube-enhanced prepreg Boat built using carbon nanotube-enhanced prepreg

Zyvex Performance Materials (ZPM) has unveiled a new boat which will be built by Strategic Composites and made with ZPM’s carbon nanotube (CNT) enhanced prepreg, Arovex®.

Future Pipe Industries becomes approved supplier to British Royal Navy

Future Pipe Industries Group (FPI) has obtained the Shock Test Certificate for its glass fibre reinforced epoxy pipe systems in order to become a qualified and approved supplier to the British Royal Navy.

Siemens provides 175 wind turbines for London Array

Siemens Energy will supply 175 of its SWT-3.6-107 (3.6 MW) wind turbines to the 1 GW London Array offshore windfarm owned by DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar.

Pays de St Seine 50 MW windfarm commissioned

The 50 MW Pays de St Seine windfarm in France, developed by RES Group’s French subsidiary EOLE-RES3, has been commissioned.

Owens Corning sells European composites distribution business to Gazechim

Owens Corning is selling its European composites distribution business to the Gazechim Groupe of France.

METYX organises composites conference in Turkey

METYX Composites is organising its Second Biennial Composites Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, on 1-6 June.

Composite Integration wins Business of the Year award Composite Integration wins Business of the Year award

Composite Integration Ltd has won two categories in the 2009 Cornwall Business Awards.

Firehole Technologies and AeroMorphology take composites to UAV industry

Firehole Technologies Inc, a provider of composite analysis and simulation software, is partnering with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) specialist AeroMorphology LLC to take Firehole’s solutions to the UAV industry.

High Modulus launches pre-fabricated composite panel

High Modulus is launching a lightweight, pre-fabricated composite panel designed for use in a range of applications, including boats, bridges, roofing, flooring, holding tanks and flatbeds.

Siemens opens European headquarters for wind energy

Siemens has established European headquarters for wind power sales and project execution in Hamburg, Germany.

US demand for reinforced plastics to reach 3.6bn lbs in 2013

US demand for reinforced plastics is forecast to grow 2.8% annually to reach 3.6 billion lbs in 2013, giving a market value of US$7.4 billion.

Ashland brings European Modar resin production in-house

Ashland Performance Materials will transfer the European production of its Modar® modified acrylic resins into its wholly-owned manufacturing facility in Sauveterre, France.

Ashland begins production of polyester resins in India

Ashland Performance Materials has begun production of polyester resins and gel-coats in India and has started customer deliveries in the country and surrounding areas.

DoE: US$8.5m for on wind energy-focused projects and US$25m for wind testing centre

The US Department of Energy (DoE) has selected 53 projects focusing on wind energy for up to US$8.5 million in DoE funding and has announced US$25m for the Massachusetts Wind Technology Testing Center.

Kockums licenses composites technology to Japanese shipyard Kockums licenses composites technology to Japanese shipyard

Swedish shipyard Kockums has signed a licensing agreement with the Japanese shipyard Universal Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) giving USC the right to use Kockums’ composite sandwich technology in the production of hull structures for mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs).

AGY reports first quarter sales down

US glass fibre reinforcements company AGY reports net sales of US$39.6 million for the first quarter of 2009, 31.7% down on the first quarter of 2008.

London Array offshore windfarm given go-ahead

DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar will invest €2.2 billion in building the first 630 MW phase of the London Array offshore windfarm in the Thames Estuary, UK.

Marine Renewable Energy Promotion Act introduced in US Congress

The Marine Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2009 looking at the development of marine and hydrokinetic energy resources has been introduced in the US House of Representatives and the companion legislation has been introduced in the US Senate.

Global small wind market grew 53% in 2008

Global sales in the small wind (<100kW) market grew 53% to 38.7 MW in 2008 representing 19,000 units and US$156 million.

Making wind turbines more efficient and reducing noise

A wind turbine at Tjæreborg Enge, 10 km south of Esbjerg in Denmark, has been fitted with a test blade with advanced measuring equipment to gather data on how to make wind turbines more efficient and less noisy.

AOC announces price increase for Europe and Asia

Resin supplier AOC LLC will increase prices on all products in Europe and Asia from 1 June.

AOC announces price increase for USA and Canada

AOC LLC will increase prices on all resin and gel-coat products in the USA and Canada from 1 June.

Ashland, Amtech and Endurance collaborate on wind turbine blades

Ashland Performance Materials has announced a partnership with Amtech LLC and Endurance Wind Power to produce wind turbine blades at Amtech's North American manufacturing facility in Washington state.

Core Molding Technologies reports net loss for first quarter

Core Molding Technologies, a US manufacturer of composite materials and products, reports a net loss for the first quarter of 2009 of US$660,000, compared with net income of $864,000 in the first quarter of 2008.

Quatro Composites displays optimisation technology for carbon composites

Quatro Composites will highlight its proprietary methodology designed to optimise the structural performance of carbon fibre composite components at the SAMPE show in Baltimore later this month.

Bayer builds production plant for carbon nanotubes

Bayer MaterialScience AG has started construction of a facility for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in Chempark Leverkusen, Germany. The plant will have a capacity of 200 tons/year.

ASTM works on new composites standards

Standards organisation ASTM is working on proposed new standards that involve fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composites.

Exel Composites’ sales down 11% in first quarter

Pultruder Exel Composites reports net sales of €18.5 million for the three months 1 January-31 March 2009, 11.4% down on the 2008 first quarter.

DSM Composite Resins announces price increase

DSM Composite Resins is increasing prices across its entire product range by 3-5%.

Siemens builds wind turbine nacelle facility in USA

Siemens plans to build a wind turbine nacelle production facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, USA, to meet the “strong demand for wind turbine equipment in North and South America in the future.”

ATK composites key in Delta II rocket launch ATK composites key in Delta II rocket launch

Alliant Techsystems (ATK) composites technologies paid a key role in the successful launch of United Launch Alliance's Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 5 May.

EU passes €5bn Economic Recovery Plan – includes renewables and energy infrastructure

The European Parliament passed the €5 billion European Union (EU) Economic Recovery Plan on 6 May 2009, which will see investment in energy projects, broadband internet infrastructure and rural development.

Boeing 787 moves closer to first flight Boeing 787 moves closer to first flight

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner scheduled to fly later this quarter has moved to the flight line. The aircraft's construction is 50% composite materials.

Siemens to supply 21 wind turbines for Baltic 1 offshore windfarm

Siemens Energy and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG have signed a contract for the supply of 21 SWT 2.3-93 wind turbines for Germany’s first commercial offshore windfarm, the 48.3 MW Baltic 1.

High Modulus reports revenue growth

High Modulus, a supplier of composite technology and structural engineering solutions, reports significant revenue growth for the year ending 31 March 2009.

Potential for wave and tidal power in England and Wales

A study will look into the potential for wave, tidal stream and tidal range technologies around the English and Welsh coastlines, according to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Premix wins award for composite HVAC component

A composite blower housing for the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry has earned Premix Inc the 2008 Thermoset Durability Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

Owens Corning reports composites sales down in first quarter

For the first quarter of 2009, Owens Corning reports consolidated net sales of US$1.1 billion, down 21% from the first quarter of 2008. Sales in its Composites business declined, mainly as a result of the global economic slowdown.