EDITORIAL

Wind/Energy

How composites have become a necessity

Composites used to be one of many material options across industries and applications, but that's not the case anymore.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

As 2023 begins, a look back at trending CW topics in 2022

With 2022 now behind us, CW’s editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan takes a look at the CW stories last year that received the most reader attention.

Aerospace

Reading the Boeing tea leaves

Boeing CEO David Calhoun says not to expect a new aircraft before 2035. What are aerocomposites fabricators supposed to make of that?

Carbon Fibers

The future of carbon fiber manufacture

Later this month, CW’s 25th anniversary Carbon Fiber Conference promises to be among the most important as dynamic market forces are putting unusual pressure on the carbon fiber supply chain.

CAMX Expo

CAMX 2022: 10 reasons to attend

Looking for a good reason to attend CAMX 2022? Look no further.

Automotive

The human race has a long history of developing materials, each one a little better than the one before it. Composites are among the latest in a long line, and proving highly adaptable to new opportunities.

Urban Air Mobility

We're going to need a lot of propeller blades

As advanced air mobility expands and annual shipsets get into the thousands, the demand for composite propeller blades is expected to skyrocket. What are the implications for the composites supply chain?

The return of trade show season

SAMPE Seattle, JEC World and the Paris Air Show are approaching fast, and they signal the real emergence of a post-pandemic world.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Construction

Why aren't composites synonymous with infrastructure?

The U.S. seems poised to invest heavily in infrastructure. Can the composites industry rise to the occasion?

Sustainability has come to composites and it's here to stay

It might be tempting to think of sustainability as a buzzword, but there are structural changes taking place in the composites industry that signal its permanence.

What to make of the first JEC World in three years

CW went to JEC World 2022 not sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised, and learned much about where and how new composites technologies are being developed.

Wind/Energy

CompositesWorld is on the road again

Since CW’s infancy, its editors have strived to imbue its coverage with a sense of place, whether that’s through plant tours, facility visits or trade shows. After a pandemic, this has never seemed more important.

Urban Air Mobility

Rational exuberance for emerging markets

Advanced air mobility and hydrogen storage represent a huge opportunity for the composites industry. They will also be hugely challenging.

Additive Manufacturing

Predicting and mitigating failure in composite parts

Understanding the complexity of composites manufacturing resides in studying the design challenges inherent to fabrication, as much as the physics aspect. To serve this effort, CW introduces a new column, “Predicting Failure.”

Testing

Remembering Don Adams

When one thinks of composites test methods, one thinks of Don Adams. Don passed away at the end of 2022. We remember him here.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Clogging the brain drain: Growing the composites workforce in a pandemic era

As Baby Boomers retire and high school and college graduates forestall their entry into the workforce, composites fabricators need to get creative to close the gap.

Aerospace

What CW's analytics have to say about 2021 composites trends

A look back on the most-read CW stories in 2021 tells us much about what to expect in 2022.

Carbon Fibers

The outlook for carbon fiber supply and demand

The picture painted at Carbon Fiber 2021 concerning the current supply and demand for carbon fiber indicates an in-flux, rapidly changing environment across a majority of end markets.

Carbon Fibers

What makes a CW Top Shop?

With three years of surveys accumulated, the CW Top Shops data tell us much about the strengths of high-performing composites fabricators.

CAMX Expo

With CAMX, the composites industry takes a step back toward normal

The symbolism of CAMX is important for an industry and its members who are eager to reconnect on a personal and professional level.

Energy Storage

Ready or not, here come flying taxis and hydrogen

Composites are ripe for entry into a variety of markets, but advanced air mobility and hydrogen storage are poised to put unprecedented pressure on the supply chain.

The real value of CompositesWorld

Will CW editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan soon be replaced by ChatGPT? Probably not before he retires, but it’s fun to consider the possibility.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Aerospace

Composites in aircraft fuselage — now and in the future

What do some of the challenges of composites use on the 787 teach us about composites use on next-generation aircraft?

Additive Manufacturing

Composites manufacturing is additive manufacturing

As the additive manufacturing space continues to expand, it might be the technology that catapults composites fabrication itself.

The democratization of composites is reconfiguring supply chains

New robotic and digital technologies are enabling advanced in-house capabilities for small companies and innovative suppliers willing to embrace the move toward more affordable, sustainable composites.

Wind/Energy

175 composites editorials and counting

This is my 175th CW editorial. That’s 104,322 words. I created a word cloud to celebrate.

Epoxies

Assessing a composites supply chain in flux

The global pandemic, shipping woes and winter storms have wreaked havoc on the composites supply chain. CW attempts to find out how widespread the problem is.

Shooting trouble

CW launches The Troubleshooter, a new column designed to help you identify, assess and correct the technical challenges that can plague composites manufacturing operations.

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