CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/450689
TRENDS MONTH IN REVIEW Notes on newsworthy events recently covered at the CW Web site. For more information about an item, key its link into your browser. For up-to-the minute news, go to www.compositesworld.com/news/list. Wind industry policy uncertainty afects global supply chain 01/14/15: Report discusses industry trends and wind blade outlook, including manufacturing move out of Europe and new innovations to reduce cost of energy. short.compositesworld.com/FTIWind15 Local Motors teams with ARPA-E for lightweight future vehicle design 01/12/15: $150,000 prize for conceptual design that lowers vehicle curb weight while meeting or exceeding current US automotive safety standards. short.compositesworld.com/LocalARPA Ford introduces composites-intensive Ford GT carbon fber supercar 01/12/15: The all-new GT ultrahigh-performance supercar features a carbon fber passenger cell and carbon fber body panels hung on aluminum subframes. short.compositesworld.com/NewFordGT Recaro to introduce new composites-intensive automotive seat 01/12/15: The new modular seat design uses a carbon fber sandwich construction and is expected to begin series production in 2016. short.compositesworld.com/RecaroSeat Mitsubishi to integrate PAN- and pitch-based carbon fber businesses 01/12/15: With the integration, Mitsubishi will create a new organization by April 1 and hopes to enhance its position in the carbon fber industrial market. short.compositesworld.com/MitsuPandP STIGA Sports to apply carbon fiber fabric to table tennis paddles STIGA Sports AB (Eskilstuna, Sweden), a market-leading brand in table tennis, reports that it has turned to Oxeon's (Borås, Sweden) TeXtreme spread-tow carbon fber rein- forcements to help maximize performance of its blades (paddles). "We are thrilled to have entered this partnership with STIGA and to move into another area where the unique benefts of TeXtreme technology come to use," says Henrik Blycker, CEO of Oxeon AB. "With our knowledge and fex- ibility in producing the best possible carbon fber rein- forcements, and STIGA's expertise in table tennis, we have set up a fruitful cooperation, hopefully leading to impor- tant victories in the future." "The partnership with TeXtreme is a major step for us in the constant search for bringing the most innovative products in the sport," says Mats Bandstigen, CEO of STIGA Sports AB, adding, "The profciency of STIGA's R&D; department, combined with state-of-the-art manufactur- ing procedures, makes it possible for STIGA to constantly provide new, innovative and unsurpassed products. The combination of the fnest wood, high-end TeXtreme mate- rial and craftsmanship make STIGA's blades the best that nature and science can ofer." The retail launch of the new blades was set for early 2015. RECREATION Ford, DowAksa accelerate automotive carbon 01/10/15: The companies are working to overcome the high cost of carbon fber, while developing a viable, high-volume manufacturing process for automotive applications. short.compositesworld.com/FD-autoCF Janicki Industries to get SeaSport Commander product line back into production 01/06/15: Laser scanners and CAD software help rebuild legacy tooling lost in fre. short.compositesworld.com/SeaSport NASA selects four commercial space partners 01/05/15: ATK Space Systems, SpaceX, ULA and Final Frontier Design are selected for an unfunded partnership to develop new space travel capabilities over the next fve years. short.compositesworld.com/NASA-4 XCOR Lynx suborbital spacecraft nears fnal assembly 12/23/14: US-based XCOR Aerospace's Lynx suborbital spacecraft is nearing fnal assembly as shop crews set up to bond the carry-through spar on the rear of the fuselage. short.compositesworld.com/XcorLynx Toyota fuel-cell vehicle to use Toray carbon fber 12/23/14: Carbon fber thermoplastic composites will be used in the vehicle foor, and carbon fber thermoset composites will be used in the high-pressure hydrogen tank of the forthcoming Toyota Mirai. short.compositesworld.com/FCV-Mirai Boeing breaks ground on St. Louis composites facility 12/22/14: The 3,345m 2 plant in St. Louis, MO, US, will fabricate wing and empennage parts for the Boeing 777X commercial aircraft, starting in 2017. short.compositesworld.com/BoeingStL Composite commercial fishing boat rebuild: Third time's the charm A 35m fshing boat was recently rebuilt by Mundal Boat (Sæbøvågen, Norway). Not unusual. But what's newsworthy is that it wasn't the frst time, but the third. The M/S Bluefn, owned by Nye Bluefn AS, in Nekkøy, was built in 2000 and then expanded twice, in 2005 and 2006. In 2013 a decision was made to further extend the boat's length, adding 7.8m, amidship, to increase the capacity of its hold. A specialist in large vessels of sandwich composites, Mundal Boat handled the original construction and rebuilds with materials from DIAB International (Laholm, Sweden). A purse seiner, the craft bears a net (the seine) that is cast in a circle around a school of fsh, then drawn to a close like a purse. The original was cored with DIAB's Divinycell foam to withstand sea weather and have the strength to tow/hoist the catch economically. More durable than a wooden or steel- clad counterpart, the boat also is lighter, enabling greater speed and fuel economy with a comparable engine. The third extension, designed again by Maritime Engineering AS (Isdalstø, Norway), involved adding three new cargo holds that increase capacity to 300m 3 . In addi- tion, Mundal added a new deckhouse on the port side and an extended dayroom that now accommodates a crew of 11. Read an expanded version of this article online | short.compositesworld.com/Bluefn MARINE FEBRUARY 2015 18 CompositesWorld