The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center has unveiled the floating platform of VolturnUS, a unique wind turbine that is hoped will be the future of green energy in Maine. The turbine prototype is a one-eighth-scale version of the finished turbines that are expected to be seen 20 miles off Maine’s coastline by [...]
World’s First Carbon Fibre Helicopter Crashes and Sinks
The KC-518 built by Composite Helicopters International is the worlds first all carbon kevlar helicopter
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo Breaks Sound Barrier in First Flight
Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s aabar Investments PJS, completed the first rocket-powered flight of its space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo
MIT Creates Blueprint for Reversible Wrinkling in Composite Materials
Many natural composite materials have evolved to wrinkle in response to certain stimuli: The eye of the squid is lined with wavy layers of silvery reflectors that give it a silvery sheen.
Université Laval Wins Shell Eco-Marathon Americas Title
Quebec’s Université Laval have reached 3,587 miles on a single gallon of gasoline to win the 7th annual Shell Eco-marathon Americas 2013 competition.
National Composites Centre Tour
The National Composites Centre, based in Bristol have released a new tour video with a sneak peek of what phase 2 will look like when its finished next year.
ORNL Open New Carbon Fibre Technology Facility
The new carbon fibre technology facility Oak Ridge National Laboratory opened earlier this week will look to create a lower cost carbon fibre material to replace steel in manufacturing.
Worlds First 3D Printed Snowboard
Snowboards have traditionally been made from wood, epoxy resins, laminates, and P-Tex, until now
Scott Sports Provide Sneak Peek At Carbon Fibre Manufacturing Process
Scott Sports have created a video documentary providing insights into the company’s carbon fibre manufacturing process.
The Solar Powered Snowboard
Dave Lee and Signal Snowboards team up with Powerfilm Solar to create a solar-powered snowboard! At the Signal Snowboard factory the flexible solar panels are adhered to the snowboard top sheet and then wired into a converter mounted between the bindings. With the build complete, it’s time to test out the voltage off the grid. [...]
Will 3D Printing Change the World?
Much attention has been paid to 3D Printing lately, with new companies developing cheaper and more efficient consumer models that have wowed the tech community. They herald 3D Printing as a revolutionary and disruptive technology, but how will these printers truly affect our society? Beyond an initial novelty, 3D Printing could have a game-changing impact [...]