Bpreg Composites, Fibionic Form Synergy to Intersect Natural Fibers with Bionically Optimized Architectures
Fibionic, an Austrian deep‑tech startup, and Turkey’s Bpreg Composites have teamed up to fuse tailored fiber placement (TFP) with natural‑fiber composite architectures. Early trials using Bpreg’s unidirectional flax and hemp tapes on Fibionic’s bionically optimized fiber placement system demonstrated precise load‑path reinforcement and the creation of localized inserts for injection molding. The partnership promises high‑performance, lightweight components that marry affordability with sustainability. Both firms see the collaboration as a gateway to broader eco‑friendly mobility and hybrid‑structure applications.
RVmagnetics, Testia Launch Project to Embed MicroWire Sensors in Composite Pressurized Tanks
New Generation Tanks (NGT) and Spanish startup Hydros Power have launched HyDDIM, a Eurostars‑funded R&D project to develop interchangeable hydrogen capsules. The capsules are 15 L composite pressure vessels operating at 350 bar, storing about 340 g of hydrogen and weighing roughly 20%...
TS Conductor Opens $134 Million South Carolina Facility for AECC Conductor Cores
TS Conductor opened its new aluminum‑encapsulated carbon core (AECC) production facility in Hardeeville, South Carolina, investing $42 million in phase one of a $134 million, three‑phase project. The plant will boost AECC output up to ten times the capacity of its first...
Zenix Announces Deployable On-Orbit Solar Array Using Smart Composite Materials
Suzhou Zenix Composites announced a deployable on‑orbit solar array built from smart composite materials that can self‑deploy, self‑lock, and stiffen after release. The flexible system delivers up to 30% power conversion efficiency and a power‑to‑mass ratio two to three times...
Evaluating Drape and Impact Performance of 2D and 3D Woven Composites
A National Composites Centre (NCC) study funded by the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory compared 2D and three 3D woven glass‑fiber composites under low‑velocity impact. While all architectures absorbed similar energy, the 3D weaves—especially orthogonal and layer‑to‑layer designs—showed far...
Far-UK Successfully Develops, Supplies rGF Cab Support Brackets for Mercedes Testing
Far-UK Ltd. in Nottingham supplied recyclable glass‑fiber (rGF) composite cab support brackets for Mercedes Trucks’ fatigue testing, demonstrating that a lighter part can meet rigorous strength demands. The brackets were produced using Arkema’s Elium thermoplastic resin, which offers a clear...
ANAV 3D Startup Delivers Large-Scale LFAM Ecosystem to India
Advanced New Age Ventures 3D (ANAV 3D) launched in Mumbai to build India’s largest large‑format additive manufacturing ecosystem, offering turnkey LFAM machines, robotic integration, and full‑service support. Backed by CEAD’s composite printers, the company targets aerospace, defense, marine, automotive and...
Aerospace Tooling, Seaglider Mock-Up Projects Illustrate Caracol Heron AM Platform Production Agility
Caracol’s Heron large‑format additive manufacturing (LFAM) platform powered two high‑profile projects—a 2.2 m aerospace composite tooling job for France’s Formes et Volumes and a 16‑meter seaglider mock‑up for Dubai’s Proto21. By merging robotic LFAM, CNC machining and autoclave post‑processing, the tooling...
Rocket Lab Awarded $30 Million Contract by Anduril for HASTE Hypersonic Rocket Launches
Rocket Lab has secured a $30 million contract from defense tech firm Anduril to conduct three HASTE hypersonic test flights from its Virginia launch complex, with the first launch targeted for no earlier than November 2026. The agreement also includes a purchase...
Do228 NXT STOL Demonstrator Completes Maiden Flight
On May 2, General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA‑ATS) completed the maiden flight of its Do228 NXT composite demonstrator, a modernized version of the 45‑year‑old Do228 turboprop. The aircraft will undergo a series of production test flights over the next weeks to...
Rolls-Royce, easyJet Complete Successful 100% H2 Aeroengine Test for Future Narrowbodies
Rolls‑Royce and easyJet have completed the first full‑power test of a modified Pearl 15 turbofan running on 100% hydrogen at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The engine achieved takeoff thrust and completed a simulated flight cycle—including startup, cruise and landing—demonstrating hydrogen can...
Cevotec Advances Robotic Lamination to Close Automation Gap in Complex Composite Aerostructures
Cevotec GmbH unveiled its Samba robotic lamination platform and the new Samba Step Retrofit Kit, extending fiber patch placement (FPP) technology to complex aerospace composite parts that have traditionally required manual layup. The system uses direct‑push, rolling and multi‑push‑roll strategies...
New Generation Tanks Launches HyDDIM Project to Democratize H2 Distribution
New Generation Tanks (NGT), a Swiss firm specializing in recyclable thermoplastic composite (TPC) pressure vessels, has launched the HyDDIM project with Spanish startup Hydros Power under the Eurostars program. The initiative develops interchangeable hydrogen capsules—15‑liter, 350‑bar cartridges that store about...
TeXtreme 360° Is Featured in Lynk & Co GT Concept Vehicle with Custom Colored Finish
TeXtreme 360° – a tape‑based discontinuous fiber composite – is featured in Lynk & Co’s first GT concept, “Time to Shine,” unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. The material appears in a custom blue patterned finish on interior trim,...
Mesoscale Carbon Fiber Lattice Development Attains Aluminum-Level Performance at 1/100 the Weight
Seoul National University researchers unveiled a mesoscale carbon‑fiber lattice that delivers aluminum‑level strength‑to‑weight performance while weighing just 1 % of aluminum. Using a 3D node‑winding technique, the continuous‑fiber lattice eliminates traditional layer interfaces, achieving compressive strengths of 10‑30 MPa. A drone prototype...
Shenyang Institute of Automation Proposes Carbon Fiber/PEEK 3D Printing and Welding for On-Orbit Structures
China’s Shenyang Institute of Automation (SIA CAS) announced a new on‑orbit manufacturing method that merges pultrusion molding with laser transmission welding of carbon‑fiber reinforced PEEK composites. The technique produces high‑strength, lightweight tubular units and 3D‑printed PEEK joints that can be...
Boeing Debuts First Successful MQ-25A Stingray Flight
Boeing and the U.S. Navy completed the first operational flight of the MQ‑25A Stingray, a two‑hour autonomous test that demonstrated taxi, takeoff, flight, landing and command response via the carrier mission control system. The flight validated the aircraft’s flight controls,...
NASA, Boeing Advance TTBW Research in Wind Tunnel Test
NASA and Boeing have finished a wind‑tunnel test of the truss‑braced wing (TTBW) configuration, a key element of Boeing’s Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) concept. The test, conducted in December 2025 at QinetiQ’s 5‑meter tunnel, used a semispan model...
EATC Releases Comprehensive Thermoplastic Composites Market Study
The European Alliance for Thermoplastic Composites (EATC) has released a detailed market study on long‑fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (TPC) in Europe, pricing the report at $190 for members and $447 for non‑members. The study quantifies the current market size, highlights...
LOCO3 Project Advances Recycling of Long Carbon Fiber/Nylon Waste for Automotive
The Thermoplastic Composites Application Center (TPAC) is steering the Low‑CO2 Composite Components (LOCO3) project from 2025 to 2027 to prove industrial‑scale recycling of long‑fiber carbon‑fiber/nylon waste for automotive use. Partnering with Turkey’s BaX Composites and the Dutch firm Spiral RTC,...
Swiss Funding Ramps up Verretex Project on Short rGF Upcycling
Verretex SA, a Swiss recycled glass‑fiber upcycler, secured CHF 800,000 (≈$1 million) from Innosuisse to develop reinforcement‑grade thermoplastic composites from short rGF, targeting a scale‑up to 5,000 tonnes per year and TRL 6 by 2028 in partnership with EPFL and OST. Concurrently, the Airbus‑led...
Albany Receives Pratt & Whitney Engine Component Contract Through 2036
Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) won a long‑term contract through 2036 from Pratt & Whitney to produce composite structural components for the GTF engine, its first high‑volume program with the RTX unit. Airbus completed the industry‑largest composite main‑deck cargo door for...
Carbon ThreeSixty TFP-Developed Aerodynamic Wheel Covers Are Ready to Support Road Vehicles
Carbon ThreeSixty announced that its latest tailor‑fiber‑placement (TFP) carbon‑fiber aerodynamic wheel covers have cleared quality control and are now shipping for integration into hypercars, supercars and other road vehicles. The covers target the wheel’s contribution to drag—up to 20% of...
NeMo.bil Project Integrates Type 4 Tanks Into Mobility System Storage Rack
The NeMo.bil consortium, funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, has integrated five Type 4 thermoplastic‑composite hydrogen tanks from Avanco Composites into a dedicated storage rack co‑designed with Poppe + Potthoff. The rack also houses the electronic high‑pressure regulation unit,...
Syensqo Signs Long-Term Space Materials Agreement with Avio
AOC announced an additional price increase of up to £250 per ton (approximately $320) for its unsaturated polyester, vinyl ester and Neoxil resin lines sold across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, effective May 1 2026. This hike adds to earlier...
Connova Supplies High-Precision CFRP Components for the Giant Magellan Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope, slated for first light in 2030, will deliver ten‑times Hubble’s resolution and rely on the ultra‑stable G‑CLEF spectrograph. Connova AG supplied carbon‑fiber‑reinforced polymer (CFRP) holding frames that keep optical components perfectly aligned in vacuum and extreme...
Pilatus Breaks Ground on PC-12, PC-24 Aircraft Facility in Colorado
Bell Textron’s MV‑75 tilt‑rotor, now named Cheyenne II, has been officially designated by the U.S. Army under the Future Long‑Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The aircraft will replace the UH‑60 Black Hawk, offering speeds over 280 knots and a combat range of...
Saildrone’s Largest USV Integrates Composite Wing, Multi-Mission Defense Capabilities
Saildrone unveiled Spectre, its largest unmanned surface vessel, measuring 52 meters, weighing 250 tonnes and capable of 30 knots. The USV features a 43‑meter composite wing, hybrid electric‑diesel propulsion and a modular deck that can host vertical launch systems, sonar arrays and electronic‑warfare...
Aerospace and Defense Startup Hybron Closes $25 Million Seed Round
Hybron, an aerospace and defense manufacturing startup, announced the close of an oversubscribed $25 million seed round led by Marque Ventures. Founded by Stanford and UC Berkeley alumni, the company unveiled the world’s first carbon‑fiber compressor blade that operates at full power...
CEAD, AIC International Drive LFAM Efforts to North America, Latin America Composites
CEAD B.V., a Dutch large‑format additive manufacturing (LFAM) specialist, has entered a strategic partnership with U.S. distributor AIC International to accelerate LFAM adoption across North America and Latin America. The collaboration will expand access to 3D‑printed tooling, shorten production lead...
Uavos Supplies Rotor Blades to DARPA Lift Challenge Teams
Uavos Inc. is providing carbon‑fiber rotor blades to U.S. aerospace startups competing in DARPA’s Lift Challenge, a program that demands unmanned helicopters lift four times their own weight. The blades employ Uavos’s multi‑cross‑layer carbon‑fiber construction, a NACA 23012 airfoil and optimized...
Continuous Composites Expands Manufacturing Footprint to Support Production-Relevant CF3D Systems
Continuous Composites has moved to a new 17,000 sq ft facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, more than doubling its manufacturing footprint and enabling a five‑fold increase in component output for aerospace and defense programs such as the AFWERX contract. The expanded plant...
Biwi SA Acquires 9T Labs Assets, Makes Plans to Open Materials Tech Center by 2027
Swiss composites specialist Biwi SA announced the acquisition of all assets and patents from 9T Labs, a Zurich‑based continuous carbon‑fiber additive‑manufacturing startup. The deal enables Biwi to launch a new technology center near its Jura headquarters, housing 40 machines and...
RWE on Track to Construct Thor Wind Farm with CO2-Reduced Steel, RecyclableBlades
RWE announced that its Thor offshore wind farm will use Siemens Gamesa’s GreenTower steel towers, which emit 63% less CO₂, and recyclable composite rotor blades. The 1.1‑GW project off Denmark’s west coast will install 72 turbines—up to 15 MW each—by the...
Crashworthy Fuselage, Tail Designs for H2 Aircraft Using Thermoplastic Composites
The EU‑funded FASTER‑H2 project, led by Airbus with DLR, NLR and ONERA, is demonstrating a crash‑worthy integrated fuselage and empennage for hydrogen‑powered aircraft. NLR’s research showed that fiber‑optic acoustic‑emission sensors can spot microcracks in liquid‑hydrogen tanks at 20 K, and a...
SHD Composites Bio-Based Composite Plays Role in EcoSuite Aircraft Interiors
SHD Composites is supplying its bio‑based FR308 resin to the EcoSuite aircraft‑seating programme, a UK‑led consortium that includes Safran Seats and has secured ATI funding to meet the Destination Zero net‑zero goal. FR308, derived from cane‑sugar waste, eliminates formaldehyde and phenol,...
Sora Aviation Secures Funding to Pursue RACES rCF Project
Sora Aviation, a Bristol‑based eVTOL startup, received Innovate UK funding for its RACES research project, which will explore recycled carbon‑fiber (rCF) composites to create lighter, lower‑impact aircraft structures. The company previously secured £2.1 million (≈$2.6 million) from the UK’s ATI Programme for...
Initial Flight Tests on Proteus Show Promise for DLR Morphing Wings
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) successfully flew its Proteus unmanned aircraft equipped with both a conventional reference wing and the HyTEM morphing wing, marking the first flight‑tested demonstration of the shape‑shifting concept. The tests, conducted at the Cochstedt test centre,...
Interested in Speaking at Carbon Fiber 2026?
CompositesWorld is calling for speakers at its Carbon Fiber 2026 conference, inviting industry leaders to submit abstracts by May 15, 2026. Submissions are reviewed by the CF2026 team, with selected speakers notified in June. The event will showcase advancements in carbon‑fiber technology across...
Hyke GFRP Electric Urban Ferry Demonstrates 8X Efficiency versus Diesel
Norwegian startup Hyke Electric Ferries completed a 14‑month pilot of its 50‑passenger F‑15 electric shuttle on Fredrikstad’s 225‑meter river crossing. The GFRP‑hull vessel, powered by a 196 kWh battery, logged over 41,000 passengers and demonstrated up to 88% lower energy consumption...
GWEC Global Wind Report 2026 Confirms Sustained Wind Power Momentum
The Global Wind Energy Council’s 2026 report shows wind power hitting a new record, with 165 GW of new capacity installed in 2025, pushing cumulative global capacity past 1,299 GW. Asia leads the surge, as China added over 120 GW and India grew...
Leitwind Adopts Recyclamine for LS20.X Wind Turbine Blade
Leitwind has selected Aditya Birla Advanced Materials' Recyclamine recyclable epoxy for its new LS20.X_MK2 wind turbine blade, with a pilot run of four blades slated for IEC 61400‑23 structural certification and lightning‑protection testing later in 2026. The company plans to expand...
Firefly Highlights Alpha Flight 8 Progress with AFP Composite Barrel Builds
Firefly Aerospace announced that its Alpha Flight 8 mission, slated for late Q2 2026, is in the integration and test phase, leveraging an automated‑fiber‑placement (AFP) machine from Ingersoll Machine Tools to produce four carbon‑fiber composite barrels. The Block II upgrade adds a 7‑foot...
Cygnet Texkimp to Deliver 3D Weaving Creels for Two Aerospace Contracts
Cygnet Texkimp of Northwich, U.K., has secured two aerospace contracts to supply its high‑volume 3D weaving creels. Each creel will accommodate 5,000 to 7,000 carbon‑fiber bobbins, feeding material into looms that produce lightweight engine components for next‑generation aircraft. The equipment...
TenneT Deploys Epsilon Cable Monitoring Method to Assess Composite Core Integrity
Dutch grid operator TenneT is rolling out Epsilon Cable’s CoreCheck system to verify the integrity of high‑voltage composite‑core (HVCRC) conductors on a 380‑kV transmission line. The method uses a rapid breakdown‑voltage test that can be performed in five minutes per...
CMC Body Flap for Space Rider TPS Passes Plasma Test After Hypervelocity Impact
ESA’s reusable Space Rider program advanced its thermal protection system testing at Italy’s CIRA facility, where a sub‑scale body flap made from the ISiComp carbon‑fiber‑reinforced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) endured a hypervelocity impact and subsequent plasma exposure. The 2.3 mm aluminum...
Australian Project to Develop Smart Composite Surfboard Fins Against Shark Attack Rise
Australian researchers, backed by the ACM CRC and led by Gowing Bros, UNSW and the University of Wollongong, are creating smart composite surfboard fins that embed sensors, electromagnetic shark‑deterrent systems and illumination while preserving hydrodynamic performance. The project aims to...
SMMT Urges EU to Amend Made in Europe Rules to Protect U.K. Auto Trade
On April 15, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) urged the EU to amend its draft Industrial Accelerator Act so that UK‑built vehicles, parts and batteries receive the same “Made in Europe” treatment as EU products. The SMMT...
The State of Composites: CW's JEC 2026 Recap
The JEC World 2026 exhibition in early March drew more than 45,000 visitors from 94 countries, featuring over 1,400 exhibitors—including 150 newcomers—and 100 sessions on composites technology. CompositesWorld highlighted breakthroughs in circularity, AFP‑RTM integration, and high‑rate manufacturing aimed at aerospace...
SPE ACCE 2026 Calls for Innovative Parts Nominations
The Society of Automotive Engineers’ ACCE 2026 conference now accepts global nominations for original‑equipment and aftermarket composite parts, with five awards covering materials and process innovation for both production and prototype components. Nominations close July 30, with final write‑ups due Aug. 30....