#Composites

2021-09-09

SGL Carbon puts additional state-of-the-art soft felt line into operation

SGL Carbon is expanding and modernizing its soft felt production. The company invested a single digit million euros in the last two years into an additional carbonization facility at its Meitingen site near Augsburg, Germany, which has now been put into regular operations.

Expansion and modernization of soft felt production capacities

High-quality materials and components for all areas of high-temperature technology, for stationary energy storage systems as well as friction materials in automotivE

Branded as SIGRATHERM® materials the carbon and graphite soft felts are used as particularly high-quality insulation material in resistance-heated and induction-heated vacuum furnaces as well as furnaces with an inert gas atmosphere. Applications include the semiconductor and solar industries ceramic sintering processes for the hard metal industry. In addition, soft felts are used as battery felts (SIGRACELL®) in stationary energy storage and fuel cell systems and as a precursor for the production of carbon-based friction linings for dual clutch transmissions and similar applications in the automotive and aerospace industries.

"With this expansion, we are further extending our lead as a quality and technology leader and can thus expand our product portfolio in line with market developments. The capacity expansion not only enables us to produce significantly higher quantities of soft felts, but also to drive the development of new products even more strongly than before," says Karl Hingst, Director Product Group Fiber Materials at SGL Carbon.

As a leading graphite manufacturer, SGL Carbon not only has the facilities and know-how, but was also the first company in the world to produce soft felts in continuous high-temperature processes.

SGL Carbon decides to restructure its Carbon Fibers business unit

The Board of Management of SGL Carbon SE today decided, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to restructure the loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit. SGL Carbon will significantly reduce the business activities of Carbon Fibers and focus on a profitable core. Individual solutions are being developed for all Carbon Fibers sites, including the closure of unprofitable sites.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.

Heimtextil Trends 27/28: ‘Home-Maxxing’ between performance and respite

Sleep better, recover faster, live more efficiently: the desire for optimisation has long since reached our homes. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 show how our relationship with efficiency-driven thinking and technology is influencing the design of spaces and textiles. The more sleep, wellness, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire for a home that does not demand even more of us.

Driving circularity with Uster Recycled Fiber Matrix

The textile industry’s commitment to circularity continues to accelerate, and mechanical recycling is viewed as a targeted approach to cutting textile waste and its environmental impact. At the forefront of this drive, Uster has developed the Recycled Fiber Matrix, a two-dimensional assessment of mechanically recycled fibers to guide optimum processing and end-uses.

Mimaki advances DTF productivity and stability with new TxF330-800

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces the TxF330-800, its new direct-to-film (DTF) printer. Designed to support stable, high-quality garment decoration in demanding print environments, the system combines automated maintenance, expanded white ink capacity and advanced production capabilities to streamline workflow.