#Composites

2024-02-15

Cobra International will present watersports composites at JEC World 2024

Cobra International, a leading manufacturer of advanced composite products for the water sports, automotive, marine, and industrial sectors, will showcase the accuracy and consistency requirements for Olympic sporting equipment as it presents the iQFOiL windsurf board at JEC World 2024.

The iQFOiL 95 is the official 2024 Olympic Windsurfing Class and is the supplied equipment to be used by both male and female sailors. The 220 x 95 cm board has a PVC, carbon and glass fibre sandwich construction that is vacuum moulded over an EPS foam core. Cobra is the only manufacturer allowed to produce these boards and must adhere to the tightest tolerances for dimensions, weight and production accuracy. In addition to supplying the equipment for the 48 men and women who have qualified for the Olympic event in Marseille, France, which begins on 28 July 2024, Cobra has had to match this level of exceptional product quality for the hundreds of boards required by sailors aiming for qualification at the 2024 games and those in the future.

Cobra will also showcase its depth of expertise in watersports composites by presenting the ultimate prepreg eFoil board – a Marc Newson collaboration with Flite – as well as a lightweight carbon fibre slalom canoe, a full carbon production surfboard and a natural hemp fibre reinforced board.

Cobra Advanced Composites (CAC), the automotive business of composite products manufacturer Cobra International, will present a variety of different visual carbon fibre parts in autoclave, SMC and compression moulded technology. Furthermore, CAC will showcase components made with sustainable natural fibres featuring various optical finishes. CAC has supplied automotive customers with lightweight composite components since 2006, and now offers a range of different materials, construction methods and surface finish options that allow premium car and motorcycle OEMs to select the optimum choice for their project.

“JEC World 2024 offers a unique global perspective on the latest innovations in the composite world. We are particularly proud to showcase a piece of composite Olympic history this year, highlighting the exceptional quality and absolute consistency that the Cobra team have demonstrated with the new foiling iQFOiL 95 board we will present in Paris. Across the watersports, automotive, UAV and industrial design sectors – Cobra provides this same level of focus on every part it manufactures.” says Danu Chotikapanich, CEO, Cobra International.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

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

The winners of the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize, together with Maja Dornier (centre), Chair of the Foundation’s Board, and the trustees of the Peter Dornier Foundation, following the awards ceremony. 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.

JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 highlights Taiwan as a strategic hub for the global composites industry

The third edition of JEC Forum organized in Southeast Asia brought together 350+ participants from 22 countries for three active days of high-level Business Meetings, conferences, and networking, emphasizing Southeast Asia’s growing role in the global composites market. Held for the first time in Taipei from 23 to 24 June 2026, following the successful first editions in Bangkok, JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 confirmed its position as the region’s leading business platform dedicated to the composites industry.

MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

MEL Composites is supplying advanced composite materials and process consumables to ELA Aviation for the production of its next-generation gyroplanes. The collaboration underlines MEL Composites’ growing role in advanced aerospace mobility, providing lightweight materials designed to improve aircraft performance, manufacturing efficiency and structural reliability.

C&S strengthens its governance to support its evolution

C&S announces the appointment of Marco Lucietti to its Board of Directors. With extensive international experience across the textile and denim industries, Lucietti will work alongside CEO Federico Corneli, contributing to the company’s managerial development, organizational structure and long-term strategic direction.