Hexcel will supply advanced composites to the US bobsleigh and skeleton teams, according to JEC. The announcement names Hexcel as the composites supplier for both national teams. No further technical specifications, volumes, or timelines were disclosed in the source text.
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.
Northern Light Composites (nlcomp) has launched the rTurbine project to design, build and install a demonstration vertical-axis wind turbine using its proprietary recyclable thermoplastic composite, rComposite, and photovoltaic panels.
AVK, the German Federation of Reinforced Plastics, awarded first prizes in three categories at the 2026 AVK Innovation Awards, presented at JEC Composites Talks DACH in Cologne on October 20th.
Manufacturing & Process Note: The shift toward thermoplastic composite bodies and mould-free robotic forming reduces scrap and tooling lead times, but shop floors must validate thermal stability and fibre alignment before scaling these processes beyond prototype runs.
CCP Gransden leads Project OPTIMA, a two-year UK composites supply chain initiative supported by the ATI SME Programme, to accelerate industrial adoption of thermoplastic materials in aerospace.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Thermoplastic composite aerospace programs demand tight control of tape impregnation consistency and fabric forming parameters; inline monitoring and digital product passports add traceability overhead that must be balanced against production rates.
AVK announced the 2026 Innovation Awards on 20 October at JEC Composites Talks DACH in Cologne, recognizing Anybrid's thermoplastic PP-CF drill bit with a 70% weight reduction versus steel and Renewpoly's bio-based FlexFuran fire-retardant resin system.
Eve Reverse and TRPD Consulting & Engineering developed and flight-tested a bio-based composite sandwich structure for a widebody aircraft raised cargo platform, achieving more than 90% bio-based content by weight.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Flax-fiber bio-based sandwich panels cured out-of-autoclave reduce energy costs but require tight control of resin impregnation and oven cycle consistency to meet load-bearing tolerances; the aluminum wear facing adds a secondary bonding step that must be validated for long-term durability under repeated cargo handling.
USA Bobsled is looking to aerospace technology as it prepares for Salt Lake City 2034, according to Inside The Games. The report links the team's preparations to aerospace composites suppliers including Hexcel, Teijin, SGL and Syensqo. No specific materials, equipment specifications or performance metrics were disclosed in the source text.
The 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.
JEC Group reports that Taiwan is integrating its semiconductor fabrication and AI capabilities with polymer composites expertise to compress R&D lifecycles for advanced materials.
ST Composites launched the LINNOV project to industrialise flax-fibre bicycle frame production at around 5,000 units per year, targeting prototypes by summer 2027. The frames use 100% flax reinforcement and epoxy resins with 30–50% bio-based content from European suppliers, with the company investigating a 100% biomass-based and recyclable resin. The project aims to replace imported aluminium frames and reduce frame weight by almost half while supporting French flax supply chains.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Flax-fibre bicycle frame development depends on securing consistent French flax supply and qualifying bio-based epoxy systems at 30–50% bio content; plant managers should validate resin lot consistency and cure cycles before scaling to 5,000 frames per year.
USA Bobsled has struck deals to develop higher-tech sleds as it targets the 2034 Salt Lake City Games. The agreements aim to upgrade sled technology for the team's Olympic campaign.
USA Bobsled/Skeleton has teamed with Utah aerospace leaders to build the next generation of USA bobsleds. The partnership pairs the national team program with aerospace manufacturing expertise for the sled development effort.
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.
ATC Manufacturing has announced a large-scale expansion of its Post Falls, Idaho facility to increase capacity for thermoplastic composite (TPC) parts, aiming to replace legacy metal and thermoset components. The expansion follows the company's 2021 forecast of rapid TPC growth and builds on its custom-built facility established in 2015. Two videos produced by ThermoForged provide a closer look at ATC's recent developments and how TPC materials and processes serve its customers.
William Smith will host three Cheetah Pit Stop events in November in Barnard Castle, Bristol, and Glasgow to train UK installers in colour change PPF following the Cheetah range's September launch. Each event combines seminars, live demonstrations, and hands-on practical sessions led by Training and Application Manager John Raine and PPF specialist Kris Owen. The Cheetah range offers 63 colours and finishes on a 200 micron TPU construction with a patent-pending dry-apply system featuring built-in air release channels.
ReForm Composites has commercialized a thermoplastic pultrusion process that uses off-the-shelf thermoplastic prepreg tapes instead of dry rovings, eliminating in-line impregnation and enabling continuous fiber TPC profiles to be produced many times faster than traditional thermoset pultrusion for simple sections.
Manufacturing & Process Note: Thermoplastic pultrusion using pre-impregnated tapes eliminates in-line impregnation, but the higher melt viscosity of thermoplastics still constrains line speed and achievable profile thickness compared with thermoset systems. Commercial viability in cost-sensitive construction depends on tape supply pricing and demonstrated joint-deflection performance against steel dowels.
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.
A cluster of venture-backed aerospace and composites companies in El Segundo, California, including Cambium, Varda Space Industries, Hybron, and Roboze, is reconfiguring a 70-year-old aerospace ecosystem around rapid iteration and vertical integration.
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.
Oldroyd AS has developed the BasaBolt system, a hybrid basalt/glass fiber composite bolt and rebar mesh using Olin's Litestone 3000 epoxy, to replace steel in tunnel membrane installation. The system reduces weight by up to 70%, extends service life to 120 years, and cuts concrete use by 12% per 500 meters of tunnel, with delivery targeted for 2027 pending certification.
Aditya Birla has launched a thermoformable and recyclable epoxy system based on its Recyclamine platform, enabling cured composites to be reshaped and repaired under heat while retaining mechanical performance.
Manufacturing & Process Note: The thermoformable epoxy system enables repair and reshaping of cured composite parts at 180°C, reducing scrap and extending service life; however, solvolysis-based chemical recycling requires dedicated infrastructure and partner coordination, which may limit near-term adoption for cost-sensitive programs.
Kevin Wyss, director of graphene applications at Avadain Graphene, told Composites Manufacturing that graphene performance in FRP composites depends on lateral flake size, thickness, defect density, dispersion quality, and resin compatibility rather than the generic label.
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.
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