Boeing will soon be generating enormous amounts of carbon fiber scrap and is looking for a way to use it. According to a fascinating story reported by Plastics Today, about two-thirds of the carbon fiber purchased by Boeing as an aircraft construction material ends up as waste. It wasn’t clear why the percentage is so high. Presumably, the ratio will decline as Boeing and its partners gain more experience using the material. Much of the body of the Dreamliner 787 is made from carbon composites.
The commercial launch of the Dreamliner has been delayed about two years, but testing results are increasingly positive and full-scale production will require huge amounts of carbon fiber. The aircraft was originally expected to become commercial in May 2008, but the best hope now is for the planes to enter service by the end of this year. Boeing hopes to expand production to 10 per month in 2013. Another source of older carbon fiber will be parts from other planes that are being retired.
According to the report by Tony Deligio, Boeing is working with compounder RTP to qualify compounds using the recovered carbon fiber. An RTP Company glass fiber-reinforced PEEK compound is already specified for the hinge bracket assemblies (see photo below) of overhead storage compartments in Boeing 767 airplanes.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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