For global automakers, removing weight from their vehicles remains the top priority as they seek ways to meet a stringent federal fuel economy mandate by 2025 and other new pollution-control regulations.
From Boeing 787s to new Navy destroyers, fiber-reinforced composites are gaining in use. As production scales up, more-efficient manufacturing remains a focus. One key to that efficiency is tooling for composites. These molds and forms give the final shape to a part, and are often integral to their final curing.
Altair and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) have announced the winners of the 5th annual Altair Enlighten Award, which strives to promote and celebrate innovation in automotive lightweighting.
Nanodiamond material specialist Carbodeon of Finland has worked with metal finishing specialist CCT Plating of Germany, to develop a new electroless nickel, PTFE and nanodiamond composite coating.
It is common sense—a vehicle that weighs less requires less fuel to move it. A number of studies show that reducing the mass of a vehicle by 10% results in anywhere from 4.5 to 6% better fuel economy—well worth the effort.
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly proved challenging to the manufacturing industry in myriad ways. Now, as nations and industries begin to navigate their way forward as restrictions are lifted, manufacturers have an opportunity to put into practice some lessons learned.
Reverse engineering is becoming multifaceted and complex. The key drivers: new metrology sensors and more capable software, enabled by ever more powerful and cheaper computing.
Applications for flexible hybrid electronics in aerospace and defense exist in environmental monitoring, biomedical assessment, security, communications, energy generation and storage, computation, supply chain management and asset sustainment.
CyManII brings manufacturers and research institutions together to drive digital infrastructure and security for advanced manufacturing, supply chains and workforce development.
As aerospace ramps up its use of advanced composites, robots and automated manufacturing systems will assume ever larger roles in building and machining these challenging materials.