Composites World Magazine

The weather satellite Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) is controlled by a central computer from Beyond Gravity. Source | ESA/Mlabspace On Aug. 27, the second imaging satellite of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) fleet, which is being used to deliver images for weather forecasting in Europe, was successfully launched into space by Arianespace (Évry-Courcouronnes, France) aboard an Ariane 62 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Source | Fibrosan Fiberglass supplier Fibrosan (İzmir, Turkey) broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Cassopolis, Michigan in early July 2026. Anticipated to become operational March 2027, the facility will add 35 new jobs to the region in Phase 1 and represents an investment in Fibrosan’s operational capabilities, long-term growth and commitment to delivering value to its customers.

Source | CMH-17 Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR, Kan., U.S.) announces the release of a significant update to the “Composite Materials Handbook (CMH-17) Volume 5.” “CMH-17 Volume 5 Revision B” delivers new technical content and data focused on the growing use of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) in advanced aerospace and propulsion applications. The new revision is available for purchase in print and digital format through SAE International.

Wind turbine blades in Pijnacker ready to be inspected and reused as bridge girders. Source | InfraBlades In late August 2026, three recovered wind turbine blades arrived at InfraBlades’ (Delft) test site in Pijnacker, the Netherlands, to be inspected and tested for their suitability as structural elements. Their next destination, should they pass, are installation as durable, sustainable bridges.

Source | Material Transition Material Transition, a materials intelligence platform built by ALT LABS CEO Jesse Henry, gives composites, plastics and other advanced materials manufacturers a single, searchable view of how raw materials enter a plant, become product and leave as waste or emissions. The company says the data is currently scattered across procurement, engineering, operations and EHS teams who are all working from different information.

Source nlcomp Northern Light Composites (nlcomp, Monfalcone, Italy) has signed a collaboration agreement with chemicals company Versalis S.p.A. (San Donato Milanese, Italy) to develop a new generation of high-performance composite materials that combine Versalis’ expertise in advanced polymers with nlcomp’s sustainable, recyclable composites experience. Resulting composite materials will pair high mechanical performance with recyclability, reprocessibility and repairability, nlcomp notes.

Source | HÖRMANN Vehicle Engineering GmbH HÖRMANN Vehicle Engineering GmbH (HVE, Chemnitz, Germany) has launched HyWheelTank, a research project that will integrate and test carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) ring pressure vessels inside the wheel construction chamber of a test wheel loader under real construction site conditions.

This SpacePrinter was developed in partnership with the Institute of Polymer and Composites (IFPT) at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). Source | IFPT, CompriseTec GmbH The Industrialized Additive Manufacturing Hub Hamburg (IAMHH e.V., Hamburg, Germany), an organization that connects industry, research, academia and policymakers to establish additive manufacturing (AM) as a key industrial technology, has added CompriseTec GmbH (Hamburg) as a member of its network.

Source | SPE Automotive Division Tom Pickett, lead materials engineer at General Motors Co. (Detroit, Mich., U.S.), has been named the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE, Danbury, Conn., U.S.).

Source | KBC Corp. Ltd. KBC Corp. Ltd. (Yiyang City, Hunan Province) a China-based advanced carbon fiber composites manufacturer, has been named an official partner of the 2026 Xiaomi China Endurance Championship (CEC) season. Through the partnership, KBC is bringing its carbon-ceramic brake technology, already used in several high-performance production vehicles, to professional motorsport. Under the partnership, KBC Corp.