News for January 2012

News Archive

SPE launches 12th automotive composites conference

The call for papers for this year's Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE) has been announced.

Siemens supplies 100 MW of wind turbines to Morocco

Siemens Energy has secured its first wind turbine orders in Africa, with a total of 100 MW to Nareva Holding for the Haouma and Foum El Oued Wind Power Plants in Morocco.

AVK launches Innovation Awards 2012

The German Federation of Reinforced Plastics, AVK, is inviting submissions for its annual awards in the area of fibre reinforced plastics (FRP).

Gamesa enters electric vehicle market

Gamesa is entering the electric vehicle and energy efficiency market, taking a stake in N2S, a Spanish start-up specialising in intelligent energy services management.

SP-High Modulus exhibits at Seatec 2012

SP-High Modulus, the marine business of Gurit, is exhibiting at the Seatec boat technology exhibition for the first time.

Thermoplastic composites research centre welcomes four new partners

DTC, Instron, Pinette Emidecau Industries and Italmatic have joined the ThermoPlastic Composites Research Centre (TPRC) in The Netherlands.

Caterham Composites partners with Altair Engineering

Composites design specialist Caterham Composites and software provider Altair Engineering GmbH have signed a partnership to help both companies streamline the critical exchange between design and simulation data.

Composites One presents closed moulding demos at COMPOSITES 2012

North American distributor Composites One, the Closed Mold Alliance and over 15 industry partners, will host demonstrations of closed mould technology during the COMPOSITES 2012 trade show in Las Vegas next month.

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.

Slowdown in global Q4 renewable energy developments Slowdown in global Q4 renewable energy developments

The fourth quarter of 2011 saw a drop in the number of new global energy and renewable energy development proposals compared to both the same period in 2010, and the third quarter of 2011, according to the latest EIC Monitor quarterly report.

REpower installs 3.4 MW onshore wind turbine in the UK

The first REpower 3.4M104 onshore wind turbine has been sold in the UK for phase one of a repowering project at Blyth Harbour.

Wind power passes 6 GW in the UK

The UK has reached 6 GW of installed wind power capacity, according to trade association RenewableUK.

American Colors appoints thermoset composites sales agent

American Colors Inc, a custom colour house serving the plastics and coatings industries, has appointed North Coast Chemical Sales as sales agent for thermoset composites.

CTAL facility to develop composite aircraft engine components CTAL facility to develop composite aircraft engine components

Rolls-Royce / GKN Aerospace joint venture CTAL has opened a £14.8 million facility on the Isle of Wight, UK, to develop manufacturing processes for aircraft engine fan blades and fan cases made of composite materials.

General Dynamics awarded composite winglet contract from Spirit AeroSystems

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been awarded a US$23 million contract by Spirit AeroSystems to produce composite winglets for commercial business aircraft.

EU offshore wind installations 'stable' in 2011

New offshore wind installations in Europe remained relative stable in 2011 with 866 MW, compared to 883 MW in 2010, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

HOBAS tank secures potable water supply HOBAS tank secures potable water supply

A HOBAS composite potable water tank has helped the Austrian town of Karlstetten avoid water shortages each year.

AVK invites conference presentations

AVK is inviting presentations for its annual conference, which is once again co-located with the COMPOSITES EUROPE trade fair in Germany.

XBoards introduces snowboard made from flax fibre composite

XBoards Inc has developed a limited edition snowboard, called BioBoard™, made from flax fibre reinforced composite.

Umeco companies exhibit at Seatec/Compotec 2012

Advanced Composites Group (ACG) Ltd and Richmond Aerovac will be co-exhibiting under the Umeco banner at the Seatec/Compotec 2012 shows in Italy this February.

Mecca clock tower features Gurit composites Mecca clock tower features Gurit composites

The huge clock tower at the centre of the Abraj-Al Arab development in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was constructed using composite materials from Gurit.

Last week's top 3 stories

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

PrivatAir orders up to 10 Bombardier CSeries aircraft PrivatAir orders up to 10 Bombardier CSeries aircraft

Bombardier Aerospace has announced that Geneva-based PrivatAir has placed a firm order for five CS100 aircraft and has taken options on an additional five.

Scott Bader Europe expands gel-coats and adhesives production Scott Bader Europe expands gel-coats and adhesives production

The Scott Bader Europe Composites Division has expanded the Crystic gel-coats and Crestabond structural adhesives mixer capacity of its plants in the UK and France.

Mainstream raises €40m for renewable energy projects

Mainstream Renewable Power has raised €40 million in loan notes to finance its domestic and international renewable energy plans.

Custom Composites launches marine products Custom Composites launches marine products

Custom Composites has launched a range of products for the marine sector, including masts, tiller extensions and safety rails.

Suzlon to develop 3 GW of wind power in Andhra Pradesh, India

Suzlon Energy Ltd has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the development of 3 GW of wind capacity in the state between 2012 and 2016.

Seifert and Skinner & Associates offers composite pressure vessel testing

Seifert and Skinner & Associates (SSA) has expanded its composites laboratory and opened a new testing facility and office in Hasselt, Belgium, enabling it to perform prototype fabrication and testing of composite pressure vessels.

METYX Composites invests in MAX 5 multiaxial machine METYX Composites invests in MAX 5 multiaxial machine

METYX Composites has invested in a state-of-the-art MAX 5 multiaxial machine to produce carbon fibre reinforcements.

AOC announces price increase for Europe

Resin supplier AOC LLC has announced a February price increase for all products sold in Europe.

AWEA comments on Vestas' possible cuts in the US

Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, is commenting on Vestas' job cuts and possible US layoffs depending on the extension of the US Production Tax Credit for wind energy.

Scott Bader Composites Europe increases prices

Scott Bader Europe is increasing the prices of its Crystic® polyester, DCPD based and vinyl ester resins, Crystic® gel-coats, Crestapol® resins and Crestomer® adhesives.

Reichhold announces price increase for European composites industry

Reichhold will increase prices for all polyester and vinyl ester resins, gel-coats and bonding paste resins in February.

Vestas slashes 2335 jobs – with further cuts possible

Vestas is cutting 2335 jobs around the world in an effort to streamline the business and cut costs, and warns an additional 1600 jobs could go in the USA if the production tax credit (PTC) is not extended beyond 2012.

AOC announces resin price increase for United States and Canada

AOC LLC has announced price increases for vinyl ester and unsaturated polyester resins, gel-coats and pigments in the United States and Canada.

Automotive carbon fibre project launched

A Danish project has been granted DKr1.6 million by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation for research on a mass production method for high quality automotive composite components.

Gurit launches G-PET core range Gurit launches G-PET core range

Gurit has launched a new range of G-PET structural foam core material mainly designed for the wind turbine blade manufacturing and marine markets.

REpower acquires remaining shares of PowerBlades

Wind turbine manufacturer REpower Systems SE has purchased the remaining 49% stake in wind turbine blade producer PowerBlades GmbH from SGL Rotec GmbH & Co KG.

Large interest in French 3 GW offshore wind tender

There has been large interest in France's 3 GW offshore wind tender with four consortia competing for five sites off the coasts of Normandy and Brittany.

Last week's top 3 stories

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

Devold AMT plans to move production to Lithuania

Hexagon Composites subsidiary Devold AMT is intending to move the remaining production of multiaxial reinforcements from its plant in Langevåg, Norway, to the company's factory in Lithuania. Up to 26 employees will be affected by this move.

AOC introduces vinyl ester resins for cured-in-place pipe

AOC's new Vipel® L085-PPA epoxy novolac vinyl ester resin range is designed for cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) applications that need resistance to aggressive chemicals and high temperatures.

Elmira launches bio-based prepregs

UK company Elmira has developed a range of bio-based prepregs.

Ill wind for China's turbines industry

Chinese wind turbine manufacturers are facing tough times with factors such as safety, quality, reliability and after-sale service possibly tilting the scales in favour of Western companies, says analyst Frost & Sullivan.

Suzlon delivers 174 MW of wind to Americas

Suzlon will deliver 24 MW of wind turbines to a project in Brazil, and its subsidiary REpower, is set to deliver 150 of wind turbines to Oklahoma, USA.

Quatro Composites wins Boeing 787 Dreamliner contract

Quatro Composites has been awarded a contract to certify and produce Boeing 787 Dreamliner composite stowage bin fittings for the 787-9 model.

Gamesa opens wind turbine blade factory in India Gamesa opens wind turbine blade factory in India

Gamesa has opened a wind turbine blades factory in India to supply the G5X-850 kW and G9X-2.0 MW wind turbines.

Chinese group takes control of yacht manufacturer Ferretti

Shandong Heavy Industry Group (SHIG)-Weichai Group has reached agreements with the major creditors of luxury yacht maker Ferretti to acquire a controlling interest in Ferretti by participating in Ferretti’s debt restructuring.

Vestas could deliver 310 MW of wind turbines to Kenya

Vestas has signed a conditional wind turbine order for the 310 MW Lake Turkana Power project in Kenya.

PlastiComp acquires new facility

PlastiComp Inc, a compounder of long fibre reinforced thermoplastics (LFT), has purchased the Winona airport campus facility from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU).

Toray buys remaining shares in French carbon fibre subsidiary SOFICAR

Japanese group Toray Industries Inc has purchased the remaining shares in carbon fibre manufacturer Société des Fibres de Carbone SA (SOFICAR) in France from Arkema, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Toray.

Vestas' 2011 revenues hit €6bn

Vestas has reported a preliminary revenue estimate of €6 billion for 2011 with an EBIT margin of 0%, due to deferred revenue and earnings, as well as higher-than-expected costs.

Momentive increases prices for epoxy resin products in Europe

Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc is increasing the prices for epoxy resin products in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

Reichhold opens new plant in China

Reichhold has opened a new facility for manufacturing resins in Tianjin, China.

FARR 400 wins awards from two sailing magazines FARR 400 wins awards from two sailing magazines

The FARR 400 carbon composite one-design racing yacht designed by FARR Yacht Design and built by Premier Composite Technologies has won awards from two sailing magazines.

Global R&D spending to reach US$1.4trn in 2012

Global R&D spending is set to grow 5.2% to US$1.4 trillion in 2012, according to the Battelle R&D Magazine Global R&D Funding Forecast.

Spirit AeroSystems delivers first A350 XWB centre fuselage section to Airbus Spirit AeroSystems delivers first A350 XWB centre fuselage section to Airbus

Spirit AeroSystems Inc has delivered its first composite centre fuselage section for the Airbus A350 XWB programme.

Renewable energy outpaces fossil fuel and nuclear growth

Renewable energy sources continue to expand rapidly while substantially outpacing the growth rates of fossil fuels and nuclear power, according to the Monthly Energy Review by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

AkzoNobel and DSM sign agreement on cobalt-free composite curing technology

AkzoNobel and DSM have announced the signing of a cross-license agreement on cobalt-free technologies for the curing of thermoset resins.

Renewable energy accounted for 12.4% of European energy consumption Renewable energy accounted for 12.4% of European energy consumption

The renewable energy share accounted for 12.4% of overall gross final energy consumption in 2010, as against 11.5% in 2009, according to EurObserv’ER's figures for all European Union Member States (EU-27) for 2010.

Last week's top 3 stories

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

Aurora delivers composite structures for US Navy UAS programme Aurora delivers composite structures for US Navy UAS programme

Aurora Flight Sciences has delivered the first complete ship set of composite structures to Northrop Grumman Corporation for the US Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS) programme.

Boeing to close Wichita facility by the end of 2013

Boeing has announced that the Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) facility in Wichita will close by the end of 2013. The facility currently employs more than 2160 people.

Pewano team usesTeXtreme carbon reinforcements in Dakar Rally car Pewano team usesTeXtreme carbon reinforcements in Dakar Rally car

The Pewano team from Sweden entered the 2012 Dakar Rally in a Volvo XC60 RR car with a composite body built using TeXtreme® spread tow carbon fabrics manufactured by Oxeon AB.

Norco GRP and mouldCAM produce an Olympic challenger for RS Sailing Norco GRP and mouldCAM produce an Olympic challenger for RS Sailing

Composites moulder Norco GRP and CNC specialist mouldCAM Europe have produced temperature stable direct tooling and a prototype dinghy for UK sailboat manufacturer RS Sailing.

Germany approves Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind farm

The German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has approved the 97-turbine Borkum Riffgrund 2 offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.

FORMAX joins defence technology alliance FORMAX joins defence technology alliance

FORMAX, a manufacturer of carbon fibre and speciality composite reinforcements, has been granted membership to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Materials and Structures Technology Science and Technology Centre (MAST STC).

The top 5 Reinforced Plastics news stories of 2011

The following 5 news articles published in 2011 were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website during the year.

First A350 XWB parts arrive at Toulouse final assembly line First A350 XWB parts arrive at Toulouse final assembly line

Airbus has delivered the first major airframe section to the A350 XWB Final Assembly Line in Toulouse, France.

China connected 45 GW of wind to the grid in 2011

China is believed to have connected 45 GW of wind power to the grid in 2011, up 45% from 2010.

Pakistan could install 1 GW of wind in 2013

Pakistan could have 12 wind projects totalling 1 GW in the pipeline for installation in 2013, according to media reports.

The top 5 Reinforced Plastics feature stories of 2011

The following 5 feature articles published in 2011 were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website during the year.

Gamesa delivers 200 MW of wind turbines to Egypt

Gamesa will deliver 100 of its G80-2.0 MW wind turbines to the New & Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) for a total of 200 MW of wind projects in the Gulf of El-Zayt on Egypt’s Red Sea coast.

Hammerfest Strøm installs tidal power turbine in Orkney

Hammerfest Strøm has installed its 1 MW HS1000 tidal turbine 100 ft under water at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, UK.

Renewable energy boosts UK economy by £2.5bn

Figures from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that companies have announced plans for almost £2.5 billion worth of renewable energy investment in the UK, with the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs, so far in the financial year 2011/12.

Fanatic Snowboards selects TeXtreme carbon fabrics for latest models Fanatic Snowboards selects TeXtreme carbon fabrics for latest models

Snowboard manufacturer Fanatic Snowboards has built its new premium boards using TeXtreme® spread tow carbon fabrics from Oxeon.