| Composites
vs. Metals If composites are so great, why aren't they replacing metals at a faster pace? Everyone in the industry has heard it all before. For years, maybe decades, optimistic market forecasters have proclaimed that we are on the verge of a wholesale replacement of metals by plastics and composites for a wide array of applications--automobiles, trains, planes, busses, trucks, mobile homes, home appliances, and just about everything that moves or requires a complex design. Well, its been 38 years since that overused the future is plastics line in the Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft movie, The Graduate. Where does the industry stand in its competition with its chief rival material--steel? A progress report. By Brent Strong and Michael Miles |
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Aluminum Tooling for Closed Molding
Falling somewhere between mass cast tooling and machined steel or nickel
shell tooling, aluminum tooling is both less expensive but less durable
than its steel or nickel counterparts. It also is more durable and expensive
than cast polymer tooling. Where exactly does aluminum tooling fall when
analyzing cost efficient production of composites?
By Hank Yeagely
Process and Estimation Software Prepares Northrup Grumman for Integrated
Joint Strike Fighter Program
In the prodigious effort to coordinate and manufacture 3,000 joint strike
fighter aircraft for the U.S. military, engineers for tier one partner Northrup
Grumman implemented comprehensive standardized software tools to perform cost
trade-off analysis, forecast, set job targets and standards, and many other
tasks. A case study.
Composites Plus Piezoelectric Fibers Equals Smart Technology for
Infrastructure Applications
New piezoelectric fiber composite technology is about to offer exciting options
for improving applications like bridge monitoring, lighting, and vibration
dampening without the need for an outside energy source.
By Ela Kos
Hybrid Resins: Are They Ready for a Comeback?
New and unexpected benefits have sparked a revival in hybrid resins in the
composites industry. With today's regulatory climate and the need to reduce
emissions, the industry-wide move to closed molding, and the proliferation
of high performance applications, hybrids are, since their inception and eventual
demise in the 80s and 90s, making a serious comeback.
By Hank Yeagley
Follow the Bondline: How to Achieve Joint Strength in Composites
Burt Rutan, the innovator behind Scaled Composites, once told a COMPOSITES
conference crowd that there are no fasteners in nature. Mechanical fasteners
can create a slew of challenges in composites design, so many engineers and
manufacturers have looked to adhesives to achieve joint strength.
By Steve McNally
FRP Hybrid Construction Offers Affordable Housing
In downtown Yonkers, N.Y., in an aged neighborhood with early 1900s
vintage brick and wood homes, a revolution in FRP affordable housing is taking
place. The Westchester affiliate for Habitat for Humanity is leading the charge.
By John Busel
Columns
ACMA UpFront - ACMA Executive Director and CM Publisher Missy Henriksen lauds the message of innovation COMPOSITES 2005 attendees will hear from Robert Tucker, this year's luncheon keynote speaker
Regulatory Perspectives - ACMA's Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs John Schweitzer breaks down a proposed EPA rule expected to limit paints and adhesives used by small composites manufacturers.
Reinforced People - Miles Fiberglass & Composites President and CM contributor Lori Luchak outlines the grassroots effort to make COMPOSITES 2005 in Ohio the most attended ACMA show ever.
Communicate to Win - CM contributor and Ole Miss Associate Professor Jeanette Martin elaborates on the dangers of "communication by osmosis" in the workplace.
Reinforced Lessons - 2Phase Technologies R&D Director and CM contributor Linda Clemements pics a tale from the family tree to illustrate that just because something happens when you are there doesn't mean it happened because you were there.
Pulling Strings - CM's Rebecca D'Amico interviews Meridian Automotive Systems Composites Group President and ACMA Board member Steve McKenzie.