- Wind turbine blade production – new products keep pace as scale increases The wind energy industry is one of the fastest-growing consumers of composites in the world. Production challenges are compounded as the scale of wind turbines continues to climb. Blades now exceed 80 m in length and are getting longer. We report on new products and processes developed to meet the needs of utility-scale blade producers.
- Automotive composites – reducing weight to meet fuel economy demands Automotive OEMs facing the challenge of stricter fuel efficiency targets are looking for new ways to shave weight from their vehicles to minimise fuel consumption. In many cases, polymer composites – both thermoplastic and thermosetting materials – offer the best solutions as alternatives to steel and aluminium.
- Australia’s first carbon fibre monocoque sports car cockpit chassis The Australian designed and built FR-1 has become a reality after nine years and over A$1 million invested to produce this hand-built, one-off, high performance concept sports car.
- Aero engines lose weight thanks to composites (Part 1) Aircraft engines have traditionally been the domain of metal but aero engine manufacturers are now saving substantial weight by using composites in the fan blades and containment case. We review the latest developments in this area.
- Automotive companies select their composites partners Automotive companies need composites to help reduce the weight of their vehicles. Composites suppliers want to get more of their products into new cars. Here's how they've teamed up.
