News for February 2011

This section contains the latest news from the composites industry around the world. A selection of this news is also published in Reinforced Plastics magazine and in the Reinforced Plastics Newsletter

If you have a story you'd like us to cover please e-mail the Editor at RP@elsevier.com


 

 

News Archive

Ashland showcases CompositeBuild initiative

Ashland will discuss composite building materials at a Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) conference in April.

Kaman wins Learjet 85 composite door contract Kaman wins Learjet 85 composite door contract

Kaman Corporation's Composites Division has been awarded a contract to manufacture composite passenger entry and over-wing exit doors for the Bombardier Learjet 85 aircraft.

Danish 2050 energy strategy focuses on wind and bioenergy

The Energy Strategy 2050 looks at how Denmark could become independent from coal, oil and gas by 2050 and significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, using more renewable energy.

Last week's top 3 stories Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Audi and Voith form composites partnership

German car maker Audi AG and industrial group Voith GmbH have signed a letter of intent regarding a development partnership to promote industrialisation of fibre reinforced plastic composites.

UK investigates impact of tidal energy devices

The UK Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) is developing a model of the UK’s tidal energy resources to look at interactions between extraction systems and the effect energy availability.

Gamesa’s 2010 hit by financial crisis

Gamesa saw a 54% dip in net profits to €50 million in 2010 compared to 2009, as the financial crisis impacted demand.

Owens Corning sells Brazil glass reinforcements plant to CPIC

Owens Corning has reached a definitive agreement to sell its glass fibre reinforcements plant in Capivari, Brazil, to Chongqing Polycomp International Corporation (CPIC) of China.

DSM joint venture to build €50 million composite resins facility in China

DSM joint venture Jinling DSM Resins Co Ltd (JDR) is investing approximately €50 million in a new production facility for composite resins in Nanjing, China.

Toho Tenax exhibits carbon composites at ICERP 2011, India

Toho Tenax Co Ltd will showcase a range of carbon fibre composite products at the ICERP exhibition in India.

Borkum Riffgrund 1 offshore wind farm confirmed

DONG Energy has confirmed the development of its 320 MW offshore wind farm Borkum Riffgrund 1 off the coast of Germany, representing an investment of around €1.25 billion.

MVP infusion demonstrations at ICERP 2011, India MVP infusion demonstrations at ICERP 2011, India

At the ICERP exhibition in India, Magnum Venus Plastech (MVP) will be giving Flex Molding Process demonstrations, using Scott Bader resin.

Ragasco wins CNG fuel tank contract from European car maker

Ragasco AS has been awarded a contract from a large European car manufacturer to supply fuel tanks for compressed natural gas (CNG) for one of its new passenger cars.

Gamesa to supply E.ON with offshore wind technology

The wind turbine manufacturer will install its specialist offshore wind equipment in 2012.

North Coast Composites to produce G250 rudder for Israel Aerospace Industries

North Coast Composites has been chosen by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to produce the Gulfstream G250 aircraft rudder using the resin transfer moulding (RTM) process.

Permit granted for first Finnish offshore wind farm

Finnish authorities grant a water permit to the Suurhiekka wind farm, the country’s first offshore wind project.

Location announced for 900 MW offshore wind farm Location announced for 900 MW offshore wind farm

Eneco will builds a 900 MW offshore wind farm off the Dorset and Hampshire coasts, UK.

Good response to EU funding call for renewable projects

The UK Energy Minister has seen a strong interest in marine energy technology for the European fund.

Investor confidence in cleantech and renewable energy still high

Governent attitudes to renewable energy are the most important investment driver, according to a survey by London Bridge Capital.

AOC announces price increase for India, Asia and Middle East

AOC LLC has announced a price increase for all resins sold in India, Asia and the Middle East from 1 March 2011.

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

People

Richard Morrison receives Lifetime Achievement Award from American Composites Manufacturers Association.

Polyurethane composite used in timber trailer Polyurethane composite used in timber trailer

A group of companies comprising FPInnovation, Bayer MaterialScience LLC, Mat-Comp, Pultrall Inc and Deloupe Inc have developed a lightweight forestry trailer using pultruded polyurethane parts in place of steel.

Ashland launches Derakane resin for premium infrastructure market

Ashland Performance Materials is introducing a new Derakane epoxy vinyl ester resin that provides added fire resistance for infrastructure applications.

Updated: Vestas joins floating offshore wind turbine project Updated: Vestas joins floating offshore wind turbine project

Vestas has joined the WindFloat Project for floating offshore wind turbine platforms using a semi-submersible structure.

AOC announces price increase for Europe

AOC LLC has announced a price increase for all resins sold in Europe from 1 March 2011.

Michelman forms Fibers and Composites business unit

Michelman has formally organised its growing chemical sales into the fibres and composites markets under a new business unit.

Vehicle manufacturer bonds steel to composite with Plexus adhesive Vehicle manufacturer bonds steel to composite with Plexus adhesive

Italian light vehicle manufacturer Casalini is now using an ITW Plexus methacrylate adhesive to bond a steel reinforcing frame to the composite cabin interiors of its new M10 micro car, Kerry MPV and Pickup truck.

Rocktron collaborates with Ford

'Eco-minerals' company RockTron has been collaborating with Ford and materials manufacturers to develop new compounds incorporating RockTron’s 100% recycled, low carbon footprint functional fillers for interior, exterior and under bonnet applications.

ACG exhibits at ICERP 2011, India

Advanced Composites Group Ltd (ACG) will be exhibiting at the ICERP 2011 composites exhibition which takes place in India in March.

SMC preheater cuts cure time SMC preheater cuts cure time

A new preheating system for sheet moulding compound (SMC) is being introduced by Radio Frequency Company Inc.

DSM Composite Resins announces price increase

DSM Composite Resins is increasing the prices of its unsaturated polyester resins and Neoxil® sizings and binders from 1 March.

Scott Bader Europe increases prices

Scott Bader has announced a March price increase for its Crystic® unsaturated polyester, DCPD, Crestapol® and vinyl ester resins, gel-coats, pigments, bonding pastes and Crystic Crestomer® structural adhesive products.

Entropy Resins delivers sustainable composites

Entropy Resins reports that is Super Sap™ line of bio-derived epoxy systems is enabling companies to create a new generation of environmentally friendly, high performance composite products.

UK wind industry windfall to communities

The UK wind industry has agreed on a protocol on payments from wind farms to community benefit funds specifying a £1000 minimum payment per year per MW of installed power over the lifetime of a wind farm, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne will announce today.

Gamesa develops 600 MW of wind in China

Gamesa will develop 600 MW of wind projects in the Jilin province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China with two Chinese partners.

AOC announces price increase for North America

AOC LLC will increase prices of all polyester resins, gel-coats, pigments and additive products in the USA and Canada from 7 March.

COMPOSITES EUROPE 2011 – exhibitor profiles

Dieffenbacher, KraussMaffei, and RUCKS Maschinenbau GmbH.

IDI Composites International acquires Jet Moulding Compounds

US company IDI Composites International (IDI) has acquired Jet Moulding Compounds Inc of Canada, a manufacturer of thermoset moulding compounds for the electrical, automotive, military, and heavy equipment markets.

£5m to UK small wind project

Wind turbine manufacturer quietrevolution receives £5 million in project financing from Hazel Capital for the deployment of its qr5 wind turbine.

DoE 2012 Budget: US$3.2bn for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

As part of President Barack Obama’s US$29.5 billion fiscal year 2012 budget for the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department is set to spend US$3.2bn on energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.

Disposable surgical tool based on reinforced thermoplastic Disposable surgical tool based on reinforced thermoplastic

Compounder RTP Company helped Wright Medical Technology design a surgical tool using a glass reinforced polycarbonate in place of metal.

Quickstep signs long-term manufacturing agreement for F-35 JSF components

Australian advanced materials company Quickstep Holdings Ltd has signed a Long Term Agreement (LTA) with Northrop Grumman Corp to manufacture parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme over the next 20 years.

Reducing manufacturing cost key to growth of composites in cars

Although replacing steel with composites can reduce vehicle weight and overall fuel consumption, cost savings will be the primary driver for using composites in cars, according to Lux Research.

GE Buys Wind Turbine Tower Technology

GE has acquired technology from Wind Tower Systems LLC (WTS) that could enable taller wind turbine towers as blade lengths increase.

Composite braiding company formed

US company Revolution Composites will supply custom braided fabrics, net shaped preforms and finished moulded components.

People

New appointments at Euroresins and FORMAX.

CAD Cut opens facility in Texas

CAD Cut, a provider of cutting and kitting services to the composites industry, has opened a facility in Denton, Texas, USA.

Last week's top 3 stories Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

HALO Maritime Defense Systems exhibits HALO Sea Barrier at NAVDEX 2011 HALO Maritime Defense Systems exhibits HALO Sea Barrier at NAVDEX 2011

The HALO™ barrier is a waterborne security system which is made from composite materials and designed to provide stable floating walls in the water capable of withstanding impacts from vessels.

ACMA announces composites award winners ACMA announces composites award winners

The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) announced the winners of the Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE) at its COMPOSITES 2011 trade show on 3 February.

Gamesa Opens Offshore Wind Technology Center in VA

Gamesa Technology Corp and Northrop Gunman Corp have launched the Offshore Wind Technology Center to develop offshore wind turbines for the US and the rest of the world in Chesapeake, VA.

VISTAGY and Siemens PLM Software offer composites engineering solutions

VISTAGY Inc and Siemens PLM Software have announced an upgrade and long-term extension to their partnership designed to meet the growing composite engineering and product lifecycle management (PLM) needs of their customers.

Vestas confirms 200 MW Arise Windpower talks

Vestas has issued a statement confirming rumours that it is in talks with Swedish Arise Windpower for a 200 MW wind power project in Sweden.

Owens Corning announces winners of Composite App Challenge

Glass fibre reinforcements producer Owens Corning has announced the winners of its Composite App Challenge, a global competition to find new applications for composite materials.

MVP conducts Flex Molding training in Australia MVP conducts Flex Molding training in Australia

Magnum Venus Plastech (MVP) recently conducted a Flex Molding Process™ training event for its distributors located in the Pacific Rim.

Resintex Technology promotes Scott Bader's Crystic® products at SEATEC 2011

Resintex Technology will promote Scott Bader's Crystic® specialty products for boat builders at the SEATEC exhibition in Italy on 16-18 February.

Humber Gateway 230 MW offshore wind farm go-ahead

The 230 MW Humber Gateway offshore wind farm off Yorkshire, UK, has been given planning approval by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Vestas profit up 25% despite tough 2010

Vestas saw a 25% increase in profits to €156 million in 2010 despite having a “tough year”.

RheTech establishes thermoplastics compounding facility in South Carolina

RheTech Inc is investing US$2 million to create a new engineered thermoplastic compounding facility in Blacksburg, South Carolina, USA. The plant will compound a range of products, including RheLon® filled and reinforced polyamide compounds.

Step forward for Argentinean wind industry

International renewable energy consultancy Natural Power has signed an agreement with Argentinean renewable company Nowa Energía.

Reichhold announces resin price increase for North America

On 7 March, Reichhold Inc will increase prices of all unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester resins sold in North America for the composites industry.

AOC announces price increase for Mexico

AOC LLC has announced a 24 February 2011 price increase for Mexico for all polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, gel-coats and pigments.

VISTAGY partners Lotus Renault GP VISTAGY partners Lotus Renault GP

VISTAGY Inc has renewed its status as a technical partner to Lotus Renault GP, which will be using VISTAGY's FiberSIM® software and consulting services to design and manufacture composite parts for its R31 race car during the 2011 Formula One season.

LM Wind Power develops blade for Alstom offshore turbine LM Wind Power develops blade for Alstom offshore turbine

LM Wind Power is developing what it calls “the world’s longest wind turbine blade every produced” for Alstom’s 6 MW offshore wind turbine.

US Speeds Up Offshore Wind Development

The Departments of the Interior (DoI) and Energy (DoE) are announcing US$50.5 million for offshore wind energy deployment as well as several high priority Wind Energy Areas in the mid-Atlantic to spur offshore wind developments in the US.

Teijin reorganises carbon fibre business

Teijin Ltd is integrating its carbon fibre and composite materials business units into a new Carbon Fibres and Composites Business Group, with the aim of accelerating the growth of its advanced composite materials business.

Large wind turbines test site opens in the Netherlands Large wind turbines test site opens in the Netherlands

A wind turbine test site for prototyping and certificaion, said to be the largest in Europe, has opened in the Netherlands.

Cray Valley signs European distribution agreement with Grolman Group

The Hydrocarbon Specialty Chemical division of Cray Valley has signed a distribution contract with Grolman Group to offer all of Cray Valley’s materials to the plastics market in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Benelux.

Iberdrola secures half of Hungary’s wind energy market

Three wind farms in Hungary have been sold to Spanish company Iberdrola Renovables.

GThurm energy efficient windows feature polyurethane composite

Graham Architectural Products, of York, Pennsylvania, has launched GThurm, a line of windows that use pultruded polyurethane composites for the lineals.

UK invests £2.5m in wave and tidal research

Three wave and tidal research projects have received £2.5 million funding from the UK Government.

Last week's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website last week.

Risø improves wind turbine blade testing Risø improves wind turbine blade testing

Risø DTU is looking into ways of improving wind turbine blade testing with partners from the across the industry with the aim of improving wind turbine blade structures and design.

GA Telesis acquires composite MRO facility

GA Telesis LLC has announced conclusion of the acquisition of assets and certain liabilities of Ultimate Aircraft Composites LLC, a Florida based component maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company.

REpower sees net profit fall in 9M period

REpower saw its net profit fall 18.4% to €26.2 million for the first 9 months of the fiscal year ending March 2011.

Global renewable energy vision for 2050

An international renewable energy system will be possible by 2050, according to a report by Ecofys and WWF.

Delta Composites wins MIA Small Business of the Year 2010 award

Delta Composites Ltd picked up the Small Business of the Year 2010 prize at the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA)'s Business Excellence Awards Dinner in January.

Asia leads global wind power growth Asia leads global wind power growth

Asia leads the growth in global wind power, which grew 35.8 GW in 2010 bringing total global capacity to 194.4 GW – up 22.5% from 2009, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) says.

Gamesa India strengthens local wind turbine supply chain

Gamesa India has met with 52 of its wind turbine component suppliers “to make progress on standards for quality, response capability and the development of efficiency improvement solutions.”

3A Composites Core Materials launches AIREX T92.200 3A Composites Core Materials launches AIREX T92.200

3A Composites is launching its new AIREX® T92.200 PET foam core material.

UK wind energy employment rises 91%

The number of people employed in the wind energy industry in the UK has risen by 91%, according to a study by RenewableUK.

Suzlon in 1 GW wind power deal in India

Suzlon will deliver 1 GW of wind turbines to Caparo Energy (India) Ltd (CEIL) for wind power projects to be developed in India by March 2013.

Last month's top 3 stories

The following stories were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website during the month of January.