Automotive

The automotive industry is no stranger to composites. In addition to enabling groundbreaking vehicle designs, composites are also being used to reduce vehicle weight and cut CO2 emissions.

Magna Wins Big at SPE for Automotive Composite Innovation

This month, Magna collected three first-place awards at the 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Automotive Awards gala in Dusseldorf, Germany. In recognition of its innovative lightweighting efforts...

Hexcel and Secar Technologie GmbH Develop Audi R8 Carbon Fiber Engine Bay X-Brace

Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has been used in a novel overmolding process to produce a hybrid structure combining Secar pullwound carbon fiber sections and Hexcel’s highly...

Thermwood Installs World’s Largest Composite 3-D Printer at Local Motors

Last week, Thermwood completed installation of what is believed to be the world’s largest composite material 3-D printer at digital OEM Local Motors. The 10'x40' printer is going to be used to produce the...

All-electric Vans Deliver the Goods

There are a handful of all-electric cars on the road, from the Chevrolet Bolt to the Tesla Model S – the best-selling, all-electric model in the U.S. in 2017. The environmental benefits of plug-in electric...

Composites Help Volvo Cut 500 Pounds from Polestar 1

Last week, Polestar, Volvo's new stand-alone brand for high-performance electrified models, called the extensive use of CFRP composites “one of the key components in creating a responsive and agile driving...

BMW Introduces 2019 8 Series Coupe with CFRP Components

For the first time in nearly 20 years, BMW has updated the 8 Series coupe. BMW’s numerical car line had maxed out at the 7 Series, a CFRP-intensive model which only sold 9,276 units last year. BMW’s press...