CTC Global's ACCC conductor, featuring a hybrid carbon and glass fibre core, was used to refurbish a 20 kV overhead power line in Slovenia's Julian Alps without modifying existing support structures.
SGL Carbon has sold its former Moses Lake plant for $70 million. The transaction divests the company's site in Moses Lake, with the $70 million figure as the stated sale value.
RACE Composite Repair@RACECompRepairPulse Score1515The SolidSail Mast Factory (SMAF) in Lanester, inaugurated on 12 February 2026, has begun series production of 65–70 metre carbon masts for cargo ships, with draping now 90% robotised from 95% manual in the prototype.
Manufacturing & Process Note: The shift to robotised draping and towpreg placement reduces manual layup variability, but prepreg tack and out-life still govern scrap rates and autoclave cycle reliability; thermoplastic LMPAEK foils require higher processing temperatures and dedicated tooling, which will affect line changeover and energy cost.
Hexcel published an article framing carbon fiber as a strategic capability America cannot afford to lose. The piece appeared via marketscreener.com and centers on the company's carbon fiber position. No additional technical metrics, capacities, or financial figures were disclosed in the source text.
Researchers investigated a bipolar electrode electrical treatment (BPE-ET) system that separates resin from CFRP without direct wiring, allowing entire batches of irregularly shaped waste to be submerged at once.
Fraunhofer IWU has advanced its industrial-scale pultrusion line to process thermosets, thermoplastics, glass, carbon and natural fibers, producing profiles from less than 1 to 5,800 square millimeters in cross-section.
Manufacturing & Process Note: The shift toward thermoplastic pultrusion and reactive processing requires careful management of resin viscosity and cure kinetics to avoid scrap and ensure consistent line yield. Supply chain planning must account for the higher cost and limited availability of carbon fiber and natural fiber reinforcements compared to established glass/polyester systems.
SGL Carbon has sold its former carbon fiber facility in Moses Lake, USA. The company divested the site, which previously produced carbon fiber. No financial terms or buyer details were disclosed in the source text.
A recent study using a transparent polycarbonate blend and red letdown pigment found that processing temperature, screw speed, and feed rate significantly affect final color consistency by altering melt viscosity and pigment dispersion.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Color consistency in polycarbonate compounding hinges on tight control of melt temperature, screw speed, and feed rate; processors should establish a validated operating window rather than chase formulation adjustments, as excessive thermal exposure can degrade the polymer and pigment system, increasing scrap and rework.
Japanese carbon fiber manufacturers are expanding into robotaxi and space applications, according to a Yomiuri report cited by MarketWatch. The report names no specific companies, materials, or volume figures.
L&L Products launched InsituCore, a heat-activated expandable foam core that conforms and consolidates reinforcing layers into 3D net-shape parts using closed-cavity tooling, eliminating foam machining and secondary adhesives. The company also introduced Toughened T-Link F-620, a 1-millimeter thermoplastic film that enables faster bonding to metals, composites, and hybrid materials, and when used as an interleaf layer in carbon fiber/epoxy laminates, testing showed improved ductility and a 66% increase in compression-after-impact.
Extec Corp.@ExtecCorpPulse Score1515The Trump Administration expanded its Section 338 tariff actions against Canada, bringing finished composites into scope while carbon fiber, glass fiber, and the most common composites resin systems remain outside the tariffs.
The SBA has proposed raising small-business size standards for 436 of the 1,037 industries it reviewed, expanding eligibility for SBA-backed loans, guarantees, lower taxes, and certain compliance exemptions.
Dr. Nagesh Ramaswamy and a University of Houston research team designed, validated, and constructed a full-scale overhead highway sign structure using retired GE37 wind turbine blade sections supplied by Carbon Rivers as primary columns and horizontal members.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Repurposing retired blade spar caps with tensile strengths near 90 ksi shifts the cost burden from raw material procurement to inspection and connection engineering; plant managers should budget for non-destructive testing of legacy laminates and for specialized load-transfer hardware before committing to structural reuse programs.
Volkswagen and supplier Magna are producing rear spoilers, wingflaps and pillar trims for the ID. Buzz using Röhm's PLEXIGLAS® PMMA molding compound in Piano Black via a mold-in-color process that removes the need for coating.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Mold-in-color PMMA eliminates coating energy and VOC emissions, but the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive entering into force in 2026 will require a documented recycling route for every plastic component, so material selection must now be paired with end-of-life planning.
RACE Composite Repair@RACECompRepairPulse Score1212RACE Composite Repair@RACECompRepairPulse Score1818
