James Cropper Unveils an Industrial-Scale Platform for Next-Gen Composites
James Cropper Advanced Materials introduced Vectis, an industrial‑scale aligned fibre platform that produces Unimat, a non‑impregnated nonwoven mat with up to 95% fibre alignment. The system leverages existing nonwoven equipment to deliver widths of 1,200 mm and areal weights from 20‑200 g/m², handling recycled carbon, virgin carbon, glass and hybrid fibres. Unimat offers directional strength, high formability, and compatibility with standard composite processes such as prepreg lay‑up, RTM and autoclave. The company will showcase the technology at JEC World 2026.
Arkema Will Highlight Lighter, More Efficient, and Sustainable Innovations in Specialty Materials at JEC World 2026
Arkema will use JEC World 2026 to showcase a suite of sustainable specialty materials, including recyclable Elium® resins, biobased Rilsan® PA11, and high‑performance Kepstan® PEKK and Zenimid™ polyimides. Demonstrations feature a boat hull component and a record‑breaking speed board that...
Innovation Awards: Toray’s Process for Reusing the Secondary Structure of the A380 for the A320 NEO Wins in the Circularity...
The JEC Composites Innovation Awards recognized Toray Advanced Composites for its breakthrough process that reuses secondary‑structure components from retired A380 aircraft in new A320 NEO parts. By reshaping carbon‑fiber‑reinforced polyphenylene sulphide (C/PPS) pylon covers while preserving long fibres, the method maintains...
Sicomin to Highlight CMR-Free Technology and GreenPoxy at JEC World 2026
Sicomin will expand its JEC World 2026 presence with a flagship stand in Hall 6 and a dedicated GreenPoxy booth in the BioMaterials Village of Hall 5. The company is unveiling new CMR‑free epoxy systems, including SR GreenPoxy 550 and SR 8100 EVO, while highlighting that...
ESA Selects Venturi Space for a Study on Future Lunar Rover Technologies
The European Space Agency (ESA) has commissioned Venturi Space to lead a study on next‑generation lunar rover technologies, focusing on mobility, power supply, and thermal regulation. Using its MONA LUNA test platform, Venturi will evaluate hyper‑deformable wheels, high‑performance batteries, advanced...
Carbonova Advances C$13.6 Million Project in Canada with New Funding
Carbonova secured C$13.6 million to build its first commercial demonstration unit (CDU‑25) in Calgary, converting captured CO₂ and natural gas into 25 tonnes of carbon nanofibres per year. The financing blends a recent C$4.38 million grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta with strategic cash...
Discover the Latest JEC Composites Magazine Focused on JEC World 2026
JEC Composites Magazine’s latest issue serves as a comprehensive guide for JEC World 2026, highlighting key exhibitions, awards, and business initiatives. It features 20 Startup Booster winners, 11 Innovation Award recipients, and a renewed focus on SMC/BMC technologies, alongside demonstrations...
“The Curing Time Is Much Shorter than in the Autoclave Process”
Cidaut, a project partner in the r‑LightBioCom consortium, has unveiled two fast‑curing composite processes: an RTM line that uses frontal UV photopolymerisation of bio‑based resins, and a vacuum‑infusion system assisted by microwave heating. Both approaches dramatically shorten cure cycles compared...
Uavos Completes High-Efficiency Composite Curing Oven
Uavos has finalized a high‑efficiency composite curing oven that operates from ambient temperature up to 200 °C with a 2 kW heating element and touchscreen‑controlled ramp‑and‑soak profiles. Testing confirmed temperature uniformity of ±1.7 °C and rapid set‑point achievement, delivering repeatable curing cycles. The...
CompPair and Diab Partner on Healable Composite Sandwich Structures
CompPair and Diab have formalized a partnership that merges Diab’s 75‑year foam‑core expertise with CompPair’s HealTech™ healable composite skins. The collaboration, active since 2025, has validated fast‑repair, fire‑resistant sandwich panels for aerospace interiors, radomes and truck body structures. Impact testing...
Europe Aligns on CE Marking and Design Rules for GFRP Reinforcement
In January 2026 the European Rebar Association reaffirmed that CE marking via European Technical Assessment (ETA) is the reference route for placing GFRP reinforcing bars on the European market. The Italian CNR DT 203 R1 guideline now explicitly recognises CE‑marked GFRP as...
Self-Healing Composite Could Make Aircraft and Cars Last Centuries
Researchers at North Carolina State University have engineered a self‑healing fibre‑reinforced polymer (FRP) composite that could extend component lifespans from decades to centuries. The approach 3D‑prints a thermoplastic healing agent between fibre layers and embeds carbon‑based heater films that melt...
Polytec Group Invests in UD Tape and Organosheet Technology
Polytec Group has acquired the composites business of Profol, adding unidirectional (UD) tape and organosheet technology to its portfolio. The acquisition broadens Polytec’s range of lightweight, high‑performance fibre‑composite semi‑finished products for automotive and other structural applications. By integrating these capabilities,...
SecFund Invests in Advanced Composite Manufacturer Arceon
Arceon, a Delft‑based advanced composite maker, received new capital from SecFund and Tenzing Alpha to commercialise its carbon‑based material Carbeon. The single‑step silicon infiltration process makes Carbeon lighter, stronger and faster to produce, targeting rockets, satellites and hypersonic platforms. The...
Porcher Industries Launches New Shape-Memory Thermoplastic Hybrid Textiles
Porcher industries unveiled a shape‑memory thermoplastic hybrid textile at JEC World 2026, merging glass, carbon or aramid fibers into a high‑areal‑weight fabric. The material drapes easily, remembers its shape, and cuts the number of plies needed, enabling complex 3‑D forming...
Exel Composites Plc and Tratos Sign a Four-Year Frame Agreement
Exel Composites and Tratos have signed a four‑year frame agreement to supply carbon‑fiber composite conductor cores through 2029. Exel will produce the cores using continuous pultrusion, delivering consistent mechanical performance across its global network. The partnership enables Tratos to integrate...
New Milestones in Lightweight Construction: Towpregrod Reaches Finish Line
The Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools (IFW) and Schütze GmbH have commissioned a pre‑series plant for Towpregrod, a tool‑free, continuous production line for carbon‑fibre‑reinforced plastic (CFRP) sandwich rods. The system replicates a multi‑orbital lay‑up unit with up to...
Elkem to Sell Majority of Silicones Division to Bluestar
Elkem has signed a definitive share purchase agreement to sell the majority of its silicones division assets to Bluestar, its largest shareholder. The deal transfers all related assets, rights, liabilities and employees, while retaining three silicones entities in China, France...
Modern Mill Evolves Its Composite ACRE Into New Construction Applications
Modern Mill’s ACRE composite, launched in 2020, blends 50 % up‑cycled rice hulls with PVC resin to create wood‑like profiles for siding, decking, trim and other non‑structural applications. The material cuts, feels and stains like wood while offering water resistance, rot...
Maximum Efficiency for Metal-Plastic Composite Parts
Swoboda CZ in the Czech Republic has installed a fully automatic production cell to manufacture metal‑plastic switchbox housing components. The new cell, built around a 270‑ton Wittmann vertical injection‑moulding machine with a two‑station rotary table, has doubled the plant’s capacity...
Gitana 18, a Racing Trimaran Sailboat Featuring Future Fibres’ Latest Rigging
The Gitana Team unveiled the 104‑foot Gitana 18 Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in Lorient on 14 February. Designed with Guillaume Verdier, the trimaran features fully foiling hulls, retractable Y‑foils and a rotating diamond mast. North Sails, Southern Spars and Future Fibres supplied...
Saertex Strengthens Market Presence in Turkey with New Distribution Partner
Saertex announced a distribution agreement with Neva Kompozit Teknoloji ve Marine San. Tic. Ltd. Şti., expanding its footprint in Turkey. The partnership will bring Saertex’s multiaxial glass, carbon and natural fibre fabrics, plus custom lightweight solutions, directly to Turkish customers....
China State Shipbuilding Corporation Launches a Large-Scale Rotor Sail
China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) subsidiary Sunrui Environment and Sunrui Composites have launched a 5‑metre‑diameter, 35‑metre‑tall rotor sail at Dalian, touted as the world’s largest. The sail uses the Magnus effect to convert wind into thrust, offering lightweight, high‑efficiency propulsion...
Jonathan Stowell and Jean-Pierre Cauchois New Members of LICT Advisory Board
The Link Institute of Composites Technology (LICT) has appointed Jonathan Stowell, senior director of composites at Future Materials Group, and Jean‑Pierre Cauchois, founder of Composites Expert and E‑Learning Composites Academy, to its advisory board. Stowell brings over 35 years of...
CompPair Secures New Funding to Accelerate Growth
CompPair announced a new funding round led by existing shareholders and the venture arm of Zürcher Kantonalbank, underscoring confidence in its healable composite materials business. The capital will fund commercial project execution, operational scaling, and conversion of a full pipeline...
SHD Composites Opens New Wide Format Lines
SHD Composites, now part of Cambium after its December 2025 acquisition, has commissioned new wide‑format unidirectional prepreg and advanced film coating lines. The equipment, built on SHD’s own machine designs, expands material width and accelerates high‑volume production for sectors such...