Composites Weekly

On this episode, Tim Noonan, founder and CEO of Evertrak joins me on the show. Their company is making some of the strongest, most innovative railroad ties in the industry. Their ties are made with Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) from recycled plastic, and are engineered to perform reliably in-track for 50 years in high-rot regions, reducing replacement costs, deforestation, and the use of d...

On this episode, Carmen Simon, PhD, joins the podcast to discuss her recent book Made You Look . She is a cognitive neuroscientist, keynote speaker, and author who is changing the way we understand attention, memory, and decision-making. She's the chief science office at CorporateVisions where she helps the world's most visible brands create memorable and actionable content using brain science. Dr...

On this episode, Derek DeGeest joins me on the show to talk automation and advanced robotic technology in the composites industry.  Derek is the president at DeGeest Corporation , a leading resource for manufacturers looking for excellence in automation, and finishing. They've been helping manufacturers solve problems since 1976.

On this episode, Dan Neumann joins me to discuss the port strike called at East and Gulf Coast cargo facilities. Thousands of dockworkers from New England to Texas went on strike just after midnight on Tuesday. We'll be discussing what's being done in Washington and how manufacturing companies in our industry should prepare.   

On this episode, David Leach joins us again to share his thoughts on another successful CAMX show. David was awarded the SAMPE "Distinguished Service Award" this year - given to individuals who have significantly contributed to the betterment of society and have made a lasting impact on the organization's mission. David will share some highlights of this year's event that stood out to him. 

On this episode, we'll feature part 2 of our interviews at  CAMX 2024  last week in San Diego.  These interviews include:  Marcy Offner , of Women in the Composites Industry (WIC) : 2:28 Kevin Keith of MITO Materials :  12:57  Matthius Mayer  of ENGEL discussing their tape sandwich technology: 21:39 Chris Hurdleston and Kay Reyburg of ACS International : 36:52 Ira Miller and Jason Walker of L&L Pr...

On this episode, we'll feature part 1 of some great interviews at CAMX 2024 last week in San Diego.  These interviews include:  Nikita Wood , ACE Award Winner: 2:46 Hugh Davis of Revolin Sports & Lorenzo Mencattelli of Helicoid Industries discussing their new pickleball paddle technology: 11:03   Drew Simmons of Magnum Venus Products (MVP) discussing their new automated technology: 27:06  Yannick...

On this episode, Chris Oberste , Ph. D. joins the podcast to discuss their work in winning the 2024 Altair Future of Lightweighting Award. This achievement was possible through their partnership with Braskem and Clemson Composites Center. You can learn more about their technology by visiting https://weav3d.com . 

On this episode,  Mirko Mondan , CEO of Dorfner joins the podcast to discuss some significant developments taking place within their company.  ACS International Products, a leading supplier of raw materials for the cast polymer, solid surface composites, epoxy flooring, and building materials industries, will officially transition to Dorfner USA by the end of this year. This transition marks an im...

On this episode, Mark Davidson joins me to talk about RAMPF's Close Contour Technology. Their system uses epoxy and polyurethane pastes and castings to create high-quality models and molds that are close to the final part's shape. The technology has several benefits, including:  Minimal material usage  Minimal production waste  Fast milling Seamless, fine surfaces No bonding lines  Applications in...

On this episode,  Markus Zetterström joins us to discuss their research in developing a multipurpose lightweight material that can carry load, and store electrical energy, all in one. Imagine a carbon fiber composite that doubles as a battery. Their team at  Sinonus  has achieved this by utilizing the structural strengths of carbon fibers while simultaneously letting them serve as electrodes in a...

On this episode, Kyle Jordan and Rob Germann join me to discuss the ACMA's recent work with the US Army Corps of Engineers on a personalized training program located at Creative Composites Group's facility in Dayton, OH. The training is based on the CCT VIP program, and they'll discuss how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leveraging composite materials and the CCT program in future projects. Yo...

On this episode, Cindy Squires and Rebekah Stacha join me to talk about CAMX 2024 , taking place in just 3 weeks out in San Diego, CA (Sep. 9-12). It's the largest, most comprehensive composites and advanced materials event in North America. You can still register by visiting https://www.thecamx.org . 

This week, Garrett Bernard joins the show. Garret is the director of business development at Specialty Materials, the world's leading supplier of the highest quality Boron fiber products.  Garrett has spent his career in marketing and business development roles, growing specialty chemical and advanced manufacturing companies. He has a background in materials science and is an instrument-rated pilo...

On this episode, Dr. Yasmin Abdin joins me to discuss her research work innovating a method to transform asphaltene, a byproduct of bitumen processing, into carbon fibers. Bitumen which is typically restricted for use as fuel or asphalt, could now be transformed into more useful and valuable carbon nanofibres. Dr. Abdin and her colleagues have now turned their research into a startup, Fibernx Tech...

On this episode, Josh Shires, CEO of  Fyous  joins me to discuss their latest technology for tooling. It's called Polymorphic Moulding , an automated rapid shapeshifting molding technology that allows users to create accurate molds for tooling and will reduce time to market for a huge array of products.  Their technology uses 28,000 digitally controlled pins to create a shape from a 3D CAD shape i...

On this episode, we welcome Dustin Davis  to the podcast. He is the director of business development at  Norplex-Micarta , one of North America's leading producers of thermoset composite pre-pregs, sheets, and shapes. They have a long history of more than 100 years, of serving their customers. Dustin has more than two decades of composite materials industry experience, with roots in manufacturing...

On this episode,  David Leach  joins me to discuss the transition from thermoset to thermoplastic composites. David has been the director of business development at ATC Manufacturing , and a thermoplastic composites materials technology leader for over three decades. ATC pioneers the adoption of continuous fiber thermoplastic composites in aero-structures. They supply more than a million parts per...

On this episode, we feature a leadership segment with Vanessa Bohns, author of the bestselling book You Have More Influence Than You Think . Her book was named Best Book for Ethical Leaders by Notre Dame's Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, and a Top Business Title of the Month by the  Financial Times. In the book, Vanessa draws from her original research to illustrate why we fail to recogniz...

On this episode, Pravin Luthada, CEO of Addcomposites joins me to discuss the new age of AFP (automated fiber placement) technology. Addcomposites aims to become the go-to provider of advanced manufacturing solutions that enable widespread adoption of composites. Traditional AFP systems are cost prohibitive and difficult to verify at the production floor, but their new technology (AFP-XS) is a plu...

On this episode, ACMA consultant Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me to discuss technologies that are driving Industry 4.0. Industry 4.0 is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution and it represents a seismic shift in the way manufacturing and production processes are managed.  With the advent of smart factories, the integration of cyber-physical systems, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIo...

On this episode, Xuan Song, PhD joins me to discuss his research in additive manufacturing. Dr. Song is an Associate Professor and James A. Chisman Faculty Fellow in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on studying how material forming processes found in nature can be leveraged to enable sustainable, ultra-low-temperature additive man...

On this episode Jesse Henry, CEO of Heartland joins us to share some recent news. Chemovator, the business incubator of BASF, has successfully finalized an investment in their company. Heartland is a material science company that provides manufacturers with a sustainable source of additives like fillers, reinforcements, & mineral extenders to enhance products they already make. They work with loca...

On this episode, Tom Barnes joins me to discuss how their company is redefining the way the world views pickleball. Selkirk Sport was founded in 2014 and is the leading manufacturer of pickleball paddles and equipment.  To help drive innovation, Selkirk Sport created Selkirk Labs, a first-of-its-kind program, that invites players to be part of the innovation process. Members of Selkirk Labs get fi...

On this episode, John Schweitzer and Kyle Jordan of the ACMA join me to discuss a couple of topics. John will be discussing the ACMA's Composites Sustainability Conference coming up June 4-6 in Denver, CO. You can learn more about this event by visiting https://acma-org.my.site.com/csft24 .  Kyle Jordan will be giving an update on the CCT Instructor Course that took place earlier this month in Kan...