While composite manufacturing is well-known for supporting industries producing new products for the consumer market, it also supports specialized equipment meant for military use. This support is indispensable in an era where global events have demonstrated that national defence remains as severe an issue as ever.
The Drive for Military Innovation
Throughout history, military action has represented the aspect of society that arguably demands the greatest need for technological development. In the 20th century, it was easy to see the vast scale of science and technological invention that occurred during the first and second world wars. However, there has likely been no time in history when the need to defend a society has not created an enormous need for new inventions that have yielded rapid development.
Why is this Need so Great?
Given the stakes of war, it isn’t a great challenge to understand why most other demands for new technology pale compared to military support. The only other venue where technology contributes directly to the preservation of human life would be in medical use, so it is unsurprising that health care also enjoys a greater rate of technological innovation than most other sectors.
Composites in the Military
Composite manufacturing is vital to developments in Canadian defence because composite materials provide a way to make vehicles perform more efficiently and are also capable of increasing their defensive capabilities.
Materials that Improve Capabilities
When more traditional and more basic building materials like steel and iron are replaced with composite materials, it is possible to make military vehicles lighter so that they can move faster and become more fuel-efficient. At the same time, these materials can be more durable so that such vehicles do not need to sacrifice the level of defensive armour they carry.
Understanding the most valuable qualities to the Canadian military in building materials demonstrates how a carbon fiber composite would help to ensure the best vehicles can be built. That said, the military also makes use of composites like
- Aramid
- Epoxy Resins
- Polyester Resins
- Vinyl Ester Resins
especially in the case of aerospace applications.
Decreasing Costs
Composite materials tend to exhibit unparalleled capabilities, especially in military support, so it might seem logical to employ them in every context possible. In the past, this ambition has been thwarted by the higher costs in manufacturing compared to less efficient materials.
Given the newness and rarity of the most recently developed composite materials, higher production costs are difficult to avoid. However, as this industry continues to grow, manufacturers are working hard at lowering production costs to allow military spending to spread further and provide the Canadian defensive industry with even more support.
If you’re running a manufacturing company and you want to incorporate some of the most dramatic new developments in building materials into your products, one of the best places to look for ideas is to try out the products that are trusted by Canada’s defence industry. Talk to a composite manufacturer to gain a better understanding of how these materials work and what possibilities they might open to you.
