Steelhead Composites, LLC, headquartered in Golden, Colorado, is dedicated to the design and manufacturing of lightweight, high-strength vessels for weight-sensitive energy and fuel storage applications, working with both metal and composite manufacturing. Steelhead Composites is the first company to commercialize lightweight hydraulic accumulator systems and hydraulic components by utilizing the advantages of composite materials.
Steelhead Composites recognizes the perception that advanced composites means high costs, and utilizes the properties of all types of materials to make the most efficient products possible. “Many processes can be just as economical as or even cheaper than metal if planned or designed properly. Composites can get more adoption in the industry if this perception is removed,” said John Cronin, Steelhead’s Director of Operations.
Steelhead Composites is working on an IACMI project, led by DuPont, in collaboration with University of Dayton Research Institute, Composites Prototyping Center, that will evaluate and select polyamide resins that meet flammability requirements for CGS tanks. The project will then utilize the resin and continuous heavy carbon fiber tows to make impregnated tapes through a pultrusion process. The tank will be manufacturing using a novel, automated tape laydown process.
To learn more about Steelhead Composites visit http://www.steelheadcomposites.com/ and if you are an IACMI member, connect with the Director of Operations at Steelhead Composites, John Cronin, on the Members Portal.