AIM

Selecting and using the right tooling material plays an important role in manufacturing high-quality composite parts. It directly influences manufacturing outcomes such as cycle time, surface finish, and dimensional accuracy as well as cost/profitability. Tools composed of composite materials are a common option. This AIM event webinar will provide an overview of composite tooling construction, providing ... Read more

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a family of several joining processes that enables the layer-by-layer fabrication of structures featuring complex geometries that usually cannot be achieved using conventional manufacturing methods (e.g., injection molding, machining). AM offers numerous benefits and drives innovation through design freedom, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. It enables the rapid, tool-free fabrication of high-performance, multifunctional, ... Read more

Fibre reinforced composites are increasingly used across aerospace, marine, civil, and transport industries for their high strength-to-weight ratio and design flexibility. However, their performance under fire and flammability conditions presents critical challenges for safety and regulatory compliance. A wide range of industry-specific test methods have been developed and standardised to assess fire behaviour, including ignition ... Read more

Prepreg materials are known for producing high performance composite materials and are considered the gold standard in many demanding applications. One of the drawbacks of prepregs is the need to process them in an autoclave, which can increase cost and complexity compared to alternative methods. To address this, ‘Out of Autoclave’ prepregs have been developed ... Read more

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a powerful tool to help design composite structures, optimize performance, and improve the quality and efficiency of manufacturing processes.  FEA results can provide important insights but can also lead to false conclusions if appropriate methods are not employed. This AIM Event webinar will provide an introduction to FEA of composite ... Read more

Virtually every composite part goes through some sort of post processing step such as machining before it is put into service. Machining composites can be much more challenging than metals and is a potential source of defects. Some of the challenges include poor heat conduction, dissimilar and abrasive materials, and a laminated structure. This AIM ... Read more

Thermoset composites are challenging materials to recycle. This field has been researched for over half a century. This webinar will cover recent developments in emerging technologies, advancements in certain areas of the composite material value chain, and the ongoing challenges associated with the physical processing of recycling composites. In addition, Nick Bigeau, Chief Technology Officer ... Read more

Effective thermal management to control cure during manufacturing of thermoset composite parts is one of the critical activities to achieve the required outcomes in terms of part quality, mechanical properties and dimensional conformity. Although the fundamental heat transfer mechanisms remain the same, different manufacturing processes and equipment have specific considerations that must be taken into ... Read more

Quality control in composites manufacturing is more than just defect detection—it is a strategic approach to ensuring consistency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Unlike metals, composite properties are manufactured with the structure, making robust quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) practices even more critical to maintain consistency. This session will explore aspects of QA/QC in composites, ... Read more

This presentation will start with a review of typical composite bicycle design, as is common in the bicycle industry now. This includes general frame manufacturing processes, key design criteria and parameters and materials used (matrix and reinforcement). Further, a high level review of the bicycle industry supply chain will be done, using this to highlight ... Read more

Manufacturing defects are a complex and often expensive problem in carbon fiber composites. Understanding the underlying causes of various defects requires accurate characterization and, ideally, quantification. Characterizing fiber-level defects can be very difficult, as they cannot typically be resolved by conventional x-ray or ultrasonic imaging. While 2D sectioning methods can be used to study such ... Read more

The majority of parts composed of composite materials are joined with other parts before becoming the final product. In addition to adhesive bonding, bolted joints are a common method of joining composites. They can be strong, and reliable, while allowing for disassembly if required. In a previous AIM Event webinar, “Introduction to Bolted Joints in ... Read more