Northrop Grumman's has been awarded a six-month cost-sharing study contract that will support the system definition phase (Phase I) of the joint DARPA/Air Force Application and Launch from the Continental ... Read More

The Sikorsky Aircraft Company has awarded GKN Aerospace Services a contract to develop and manufacture advanced, lightweight, high strength side panel skins for the RAH-66 Comanche reconnaissance and attack helicopter. ... Read More

The third protoype of India's light combat aircraft (LCA) has completed its first test flight. The Tejas PV-1, as the aircraft is called, is built with composites comprising 40 percent ... Read More

Military helmets and body armor are getting lighter, while providing increased ballistic protection and other enhanced capabilities. Lightweight boron-carbide ceramic plates and new M-5 fibers are beginning to replace Kevlar. ... Read More

Boeing has announced that it will build the vertical tail for its planned 7E7 airliner at its Pierce County plant in Frederickson, Washington, U.S.A. The Toray Composites America plant, located ... Read More

The competition for the U.S. FAA's newest Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials closed this Monday. A decision on the location is due no later than December 1. Wichita State ... Read More

UK-based Euro-Projects has developed a thermoplastic composite lamppost. The material is environmentally friendly and more durable than current lampposts. It is also designed to crumble or hinge when hit by ... Read More

Morgan Marine, a Welsh composites firm, has been purchased by its management team after its previous owner decided to sell. Morgan makes housings and enclosures for sectors that include telecoms, ... Read More

The Forum this week features some short questions asking about test methods for polymer characterization, boron fibers for sporting goods, and a new adhesive. In response to an older question, ... Read More

I am highlighting two positions posted on the Jobs Forum. The first is a director level position at a company in Dayton, Ohio. It would be a good match for ... Read More

Boeing is considering forming an alliance in Spain to make carbon fiber composites for its proposed 7E7 Dreamliner plane. Spain has "significant technological manufacturing ability for composite materials," Boeing's Chief ... Read More

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that adding carbon nanotubes to plastics increases the thermal conductivity of the composite by a factor of two or three over the unreinforced ... Read More

Hardcore Composites won a 2003 Americas Fabricator Excellence Award from Dow Chemical for its work on large composite wind fairings for the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. The fairings replaced 7,400 ft of ... Read More

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) whiskers have been used as a new, biocompatible reinforcement for orthopedic biomaterials. In an experiment, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was reinforced with either synthesized HA whiskers or commercially ... Read More

Designers are increasingly using composites in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Trends toward larger wafers, more caustic etching solutions, and faster throughput are stretching the limits of traditional metal and ceramic components. ... Read More

The way tall buildings are constructed changed forever after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Construction professionals are looking at a number of new methods, including the use of polymer matrix composites ... Read More

In an earlier post, I commented on excessive optimism at the Second Annual International Conference on the Space Elevator. Now columnist Dave Barry points out some of the other problems ... Read More

Honeywell has developed a process to make polymer-nanoclay composites in a single step using conventional extrusion equipment. Almost any thermoplastic can be used in the process. The technology is available ... Read More

A group at Winona State University is trying to raise funds for a Plastic Composites Heritage display for the new WSU science building. Winona is one of the birthplaces of ... Read More

Mercedes-Benz will unveil its F500 research vehicle at the 37th Tokyo Motor Show. Among many innovations, Mercedes-Benz has partnered with McLaren to develop a body consisting almost entirely of carbon ... Read More

A new market study predicts strong growth in the use of advanced composites over the next five years. While total volume is predicted to increase by 29 percent, carbon fiber ... Read More

The Bayer Group is forming a new company from Bayer Chemicals and parts of Bayer Polymers. While the spin-off is intended to allow Bayer to focus on its core businesses, ... Read More

Boeing has said the new 7E7 aircraft will be 50 percent composite by weight, while the use of aluminum will drop to 15 percent. Boeing expects the high use of ... Read More

Martin Marietta Materials announced its 2003 third quarter results. Sales, earnings and cash flow all showed strong increases over 2002. In the structural composites division, the company is beginning to ... Read More

Metapoint Partners, a private investment firm, has acquired the assets and properties of the Laminate Division of Spaulding Composites Company. Metapoint will operate the division as a new company called ... Read More

Two new topics this week related to plastic material selection. One reader is having trouble painting a rotationally cast, polyurethane part and is looking for an alternate paint or polyurethane. ... Read More

Steve Fossett will attempt to fly non-stop around the world in a solo flight next year. His plane, called GlobalFlyer, is being designed and built by Burt Rutan of Scaled ... Read More

To build its carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, the Renault F1 manufacturing team starts by curing a master pattern in an autoclave. The patterns are machined on a five-axis mill, and hand ... Read More

Steve Fossett will attempt to fly non-stop around the world in a solo flight next year. His plane, called GlobalFlyer, is being designed and built by Burt Rutan of Scaled ... Read More

Alcan Aluminum reported reported increased 2003 third quarter earnings and cash flow over 2002, but a drop in net income. The successful integration of the Baltek acquisition helped boost profit ... Read More

Hexcel reported higher sales for the third quarter of 2003, helped in part by exchange rates. Net loss, before one-time expenses related to preferred stocks, was slightly less than the ... Read More