The State of Composites: Building a Path to Tomorrow

The use of composite material in products has steadily increased over the years. Composites are commonly used in the architecture, aerospace, automotive, marine, space, and recreational industries to name a few. The many benefits for composite material make it ideal for the products in these industries. Composites are light weight, provide high strength and durability with minimal maintenance for years of use.

Due to their increased rate of use, the production of composites is always a hot topic. From automotive OEMs to wind energy professionals to aerospace engineers and more - they all agree that there are several key factors that the industry will continue to focus on to improve the mechanical performance, environmental performance, producibility and cost of composite material.

Emphasis will continue to be placed on things like durability - including both increasing the damage tolerance and susceptibility to fatigue of cured materials. Thermal exposure and erosion will also be top areas to focus on, leading to superior environmental performance. A curing process is commonly used for composite material to set the product and maximize strength and durability. There are a few methods that can be used for the curing process. Wisconsin Oven designs and manufactures composite curing ovens with specific features to provide the optimal part result for customers.

The path to the future of composites has a number of significant goals as the market continues to grow. Industry leaders will continue to come together to reduce critical factors like cycle time, carbon fiber costs and tooling costs. Composites recycling will become a priority, helping to create a larger return on investment for all involved. Manufacturing processes will be designed in a forward-thinking way, addressing codes and standards to support new materials.