AIM

In the world of composite reinforcement broadgoods, unidirectional and woven fabrics tend to receive the most attention.  However, non-crimp fabrics (or NCFs) are quietly being utilized in a wide variety of applications, from swimming pools and wind turbine blades to automotive chassis and commercial aircraft wings.  It is the structure and versatility of these fabrics ... Read more

The motivation to achieve a ‘proper cure’ seems obvious/intuitive but what really happens if we don’t cure a thermoset composite properly? How does the degree of cure affect the fracture properties of the material? How does the degree of cure affect the material’s ability to stand up to ‘hot’ conditions and/or ‘wet’ conditions? In the ... Read more

Fiber-reinforced polymers and polymer-based materials are increasingly used in demanding applications due to their favorable strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility. However, their long-term performance is strongly influenced by aging processes that occur during service. Exposure to environmental and mechanical stressors can progressively alter material structure and properties, ultimately affecting reliability, durability, and safety. ... Read more

Light resin transfer moulding (LRTM) is a closed mould infusion process that shares commonalities with resin transfer moulding (RTM) and vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM) with some key differences.  The LRTM process can increase productivity, reduce emissions, and improve quality compared to traditional wet layup.  Understanding the scientific theory behind this process and the ... Read more

While prepreg composites manufacturing processes rely on fundamentally similar principles, implementation varies significantly from industry to industry. Currently, many of these processes remain heavily manual, presenting a major opportunity to reduce costs and cycle times through strategic automation. This webinar will provide a practical overview of the modern composites factory—from small-scale workshops to high-volume greenfield ... Read more

Thermoplastic composites are increasingly adopted across a wide range of applications due to their high impact resistance and fracture toughness, rapid processing cycles, and potential for recyclability. A key advantage of these materials is their ability to be joined through thermoplastic welding, offering an efficient alternative to adhesive bonding or mechanical fastening. Welding is a ... Read more

Sheet molding compound (SMC) has been widely used in industry since the 1970’s. The material consists of a thermoset matrix and discontinuous fiber reinforcement. SMC can include a wide variety of resin, filler, additive, and reinforcing fibers, which allows engineers to tailor the SMC material to the application. The material has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, ... Read more

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