CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/882089
COLUMNS 4 From the Editor CW editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan, at SPE ACCE 2017, hears about the biggest hurdle for composites in the auto industry. 6 Past, Present and Future CW guest columnist David Schofield opines on the future prospects for graphene and carbon nanotubes. 8 Perspectives & Provocations CW columnist Dale Brosius, fresh from his encounter with the recent solar eclipse, muses on space as our final frontier. 10 Design & Testing CW's testing regular, Dan Adams, asks, "Can flexure testing provide estimates of composite strength properties?" 12 Gardner Business Index Gardner's chief economist Michael Guckes says the US Composites Business Index hit a 2017 high for growth in August. » DEPARTMENTS 14 Trends 41 Calendar 42 Marketplace 42 Ad Index 43 Showcase » ON THE COVER This massive automated press system provided by Dieffenbacher (Eppingen, Germany) and resident at the Fraunhofer ICT facilities in Pfinztal, Germany, is emblematic of the productive partnerships ICT has entered into with industry to solve developmental problems and advance industrial design and increase production efficiency with the greatest possible dispatch. See the story on p. 34. Source / Fraunhofer ICT FOCUS ON DESIGN 44 Lightweighting speed into CNC machining Drawing on a long history in composites manufacturing and CNC machining, this innovator turns to carbon fiber composites to reduce gantry component weight and increase shaping efficiency. By Jeff Sloan CompositesWorld (ISSN 2376-5232) is published monthly and copyright © 2017 by Gardner Business Media Inc. 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244- 3029. Telephone: (513) 527-8800. Printed in U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH and additional mailing offices. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CompositesWorld Magazine, 6915 MEMBERSHIPS: Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3029. If undeliverable, send Form 3579. CANADA POST: Canada Returns to be sent to IMEX Global Solutions, PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2 Canada. Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. The information presented in this edition of CompositesWorld is believed to be accurate. In applying recommendations, however, you should exercise care and normal precautions to prevent personal injury and damage to facilities or products. In no case can the authors or the publisher accept responsibility for personal injury or damages which may occur in working with methods and/or materials presented herein, nor can the publisher assume responsibility for the validity of claims or performance of items appearing in editorial presentations or advertisements in this publication. Contact information is provided to enable interested parties to conduct further inquiry into specific products or services. FE ATURES 30 Work in Progress Rotomold Cores: New Options for Sandwich Composites Italian plastic machinery OEM Persico SpA's (Nembro, Italy) new rotomolded core technology, now in trials with several European automakers, produces symmetrical and asymmetrical hollow cores in a variety of smooth or textured finishes from a range of thermoplastics for use in sandwich-panel constructions. Permanent or removable, these hollow thermoplastic cores are broadening current industry offerings. By Peggy Malnati 34 Plant Tour: Fraunhofer ICT, Pfinztal, Germany Fraunhofer Institut für Chemische (Institute for Chemical Technology or ICT) employs more than 500 people and has a yearly turnover of €36.5 million (US$40 million). But the numbers aren't the story. Its research results are. This wide-ranging and much-chronicled research center works with both government and industry to develop the best of polymer composite processing, across a range of technologies. By Sara Black 30 14 34 CompositesWorld.com 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS OCTOBER 2017 / Vol: 3 N o – : 10