Manufacturing Sectors
Carbon fiber prepregs, fiberglass weaves, automotive interior leather, microfiber, and acoustic composite materials.
15 Curated Insights12 in last 30d94 total indexed
International Leather Maker published an analysis arguing that definitions matter in a crisis. The source provides no further technical details, metrics, companies, materials, or equipment specifications.
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.
Extec Corp.@ExtecCorpPulse Score1515ATC 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.
Stamford-based Hexcel has hired about 525 workers worldwide this year, the company said. The hiring figure covers its global operations and was reported by the Hartford Business Journal.
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.
Forvia and Great Wall Motor have broadened their global collaboration, according to Yahoo Finance. The report gives no further detail on the scope, terms, or specific programs covered by the expanded partnership.
Forvia will support GWM's overseas growth, according to China Daily. The report links the automotive supplier to the Chinese automaker's expansion outside its home market. No further technical, capacity, or financial details were provided in the source text.
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.
Hexcel is equipped to meet rising demand in its composite aerostructures and materials niche, according to Morningstar. The assessment centers on the company's composite aerostructures and materials business, though no specific capacity, financial, or technical figures were disclosed in the source text.
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.
The COP31 Leather Manifesto campaign is calling on the leather industry to spread its message, according to International Leather Maker. The source provides no further details on the manifesto's content, backers, or specific targets.
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.
Yanfeng International and TONLY Technology have formed a joint venture partnership, according to Gasgoo. The source provides no further details on the venture's scope, structure, or financial terms.
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.