News

JEC Americas 2013 to focus on top innovations in the Americas’ vibrant composites sector

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:23:26 +0000

JEC highlights automotive, automation, aeronautics and building & construction industries at the much-anticipated JEC Americas composites conference & show this October in Boston.

Composites industry leaders from around the globe will return this fall to the second edition of the JEC Americas Composites Show & Conferences at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Oct. 2 – 4, 2013.

Event:

JEC Americas 2013

Company:

JEC COMPOSITES

GE Aviation to build a new composite facility in U.K. to support A350XWB production

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:02:15 +0000

The company has begun the development of a 9,000-square-meter composites production facility at its Hamble, U.K. site as part of a five-year, $50 million-plus investment at the site to support the company's manufacture of wing components for the Airbus A350 XWB jetliner family.

This facility will enable GE Aviation, Hamble to ramp-up the output of wing fixed trailing edge components for the A350-800, A350-900 and A350-1000 aircraft, reaching the capacity to deliver up to 13 shipsets per month. The A350 XWB package is the largest production contract awarded in GE Aviation Hamble's 75-year history, comprising more than 3,000 components that include structural composite panels and complex machined assemblies.

Surface Generation licences processing technology to TenCate to lower the cost of composite fabrication

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:43:28 +0000

TenCate Advanced Composites has selected Surface Generation’s composite processing technology for faster and more efficient production of fibre reinforced composites for the company’s clients in the aerospace and industrial sectors.

By integrating Surface Generation’s patented “Production to Functional Specifications” (PtFS) processing technology into its capabilities, TenCate is able to reduce the cycle time to process composite materials to mere minutes. This step change in performance significantly reduces the time and ultimate cost of manufacturing high-performance composites.

As leaders in their respective fields, the companies will collaborate to further reduce cycle times by developing new innovative materials and processing solutions.

Boeing forecasts demand for more than 35,000 new airplanes

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:33:15 +0000

The company projects a demand for more than 35,000 new airplanes over the next 20 years, valued at $4.8 trillion.

The company released its annual Current Market Outlook (CMO) in Paris, forecasting the world fleet to double over the next two decades. Both passenger traffic and cargo traffic are expected to grow 5 percent annually.

"This forecast gives us confidence as we increase our production rates and invest in new products like the 777X and 787-10X," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of Marketing, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Airlines are demanding more efficiency and that is exactly what we'll be giving them."

CLS joins network of composite materials researchers

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:22:22 +0000

Shining synchrotron light on questions facing the composites industry is the goal of an agreement signed in Vancouver between the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and the Composites Research Network (CRN).

The CRN is an initiative of the University of British Columbia (UBC) in collaboration with academia and industry partners, which supports the composites industry in Western Canada and beyond. It was launched in January 2012 with a $9.8 million investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada.

Clustered into geographical nodes, CRN lead participants include UBC-Vancouver and Okanagan, the University of Victoria, the Composites Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, and now the CLS in Saskatoon.

Northrop Grumman complete backbone of NASA's James Webb space telescope

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:55:58 +0000

Northrop Grumman Corporation and teammate ATK have completed manufacturing of the backplane support frame (BSF) for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Northrop Grumman is under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for the design and development of the Webb Telescope's optics, sunshield and spacecraft.

When combined with the center section and wings, the BSF will form the primary mirror backplane support structure (PMBSS). In March 2013, the backplane's two wings were completed. The center section was completed in April 2012. The BSF is now being integrated with the previously completed center section to form the complete backplane.

Fibrelite expands its product portofolio with customized covers

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:29:06 +0000

Fibrelite now offers company logos and other brand markings on its composite covers.

Any style logo or other marking can be permanently molded into the upper surface of the cover in single or multiple colors. For additional brand or product identification, or to blend in with the color or layout of a facility, Fibrelite can mold its composite covers in nearly any color or combination of colors.

Saint-Gobain to supply nose radome for Pilatus PC-24 Twin Jet

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:57:51 +0000

The radomes will be manufactured with advanced Norton Armor materials from Saint-Gobain that provide superior radar transparency and in-flight durability.

"Saint-Gobain has been the radome supplier to the PC-12 for more than 20 years and we are excited to join with Pilatus on the new PC-24 business jet program", says Eric Evennou, Sales Manager, Europe, for Saint-Gobain Aerospace.
Saint Gobain engineers work closely with Pilatus to provide the hightest transparnecy radome and the lightest weight structure for the PC-24 business jet.