Composites Weekly

On this episode, Trevor Smith , founder and CEO of Atomic-6 , joins the podcast. Atomic-6 is an advanced composite solutions manufacturer revolutionizing mobility in extreme environments. Atomic-6 also just launched ODC.space, the world's first marketplace that allows customers to spec, price, and order orbital data center capacity without building their own satellite systems. Learn more about the...

On this episode, Mandy Clement of James Cropper and David Tilbrook of Hexcel join the show to discuss how their companies are working together through the ECCA, to advance the development of high-value composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that support both performance and circularity across aerospace, automotive, and mobility sectors. The European Circular Composites Alliance (ECCA)...

On this episode, Scott Lewit and Joni Richards of Structural Composites, Inc. , join the show to discuss their latest projects, one of which includes a $9 million contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Canaveral Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Sector Gate Project at Port Canaveral. It represents a significant milestone in the adoption of advanced composite materials for critical mar...

The conflict in Iran, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is sending shockwaves through global supply chains—particularly across petrochemicals, resins, and composite materials. With nearly 20% of the world's oil and a significant share of polyethylene, polypropylene, and key chemical feedstocks moving through this critical chokepoint, disruptions are already driving price volatility, supply s...

Joining the podcast this week is  Bruce King , an engineer, author, filmmaker, and one of the leading voices in sustainable and bio-based building materials. He is the author of the book  Build Beyond Zero : New Ideas for Carbon-Smart Architecture.  Bruce spent more than 45 years in structural engineering, working on everything from high-rise buildings to resort projects, before shifting his focus...

Joining the podcast this week is Rush LaSelle , CEO of Fathom Digital Manufacturing. Rush is a veteran leader in advanced manufacturing with more than 30 years of experience scaling digital manufacturing, automation, and additive technologies across aerospace, defense, healthcare, and industrial markets.  His expertise spans additive manufacturing, automation, robotics, advanced materials, and mis...

On this episode, Kyle Jordan joins the show to share some updates on the ACMA's Certified Composites Technician programs . Kyle is Director of Certifications with the ACMA. He'll be discussing some of the new digital training options launched over the last couple of months, including those for CCT recertification.  You can learn more about these CCT training programs by visiting  https://acmanet.o...

On this episode, Anna Brady-Estevez, PhD, joins the show. She is the founding partner of American Deep Tech, a technology investment firm that focuses on aerospace & space   tech, energy, AI, biotech and more. Anna has served as a Program Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), where she led the Small Business Innovation Research portfolio focused on Space Tech, Energy, Chemical, a...

On this episode,  David J. Neivandt and Greg Simms join the show to discuss their research work developing a sustainable, biodegradable composite material derived from waste lobster shells and a natural binder, engineered for high mechanical performance. Collaborating with the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at UMaine, their team has established a pilot-scale production line for this mat...

On this epiosde, Ollie Taylor and Alessandro Stagni join the podcast to discuss the MarineShift360, Impact Accelerator program. It's a year-long initiative equipping marine organizations with lifecycle assessment expertise, and access to an industry-wide sustainability network. Ollie is the Founder of Marine Futures and the program director of Marine Shift 360. Alessandro is the C hief Technology...

On this episode,  Professor Hatsuo Ishida, PhD  of  Case Western Reserve University , joins the show to discuss the development of next-generation composite materials engineered for deep-space travel. He shares the origin of their work with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with hydrogen-rich polybenzoxazine resins, and how these materials have been engineered into composites that...

On this episode, researchers  Caitlin Howell  and  Mehdi Tajvidi  from the  University of Maine join the show to discuss their research in developing a fully bio-derived composite coating that is grown, not manufactured. By combining edible fungal mycelium with cellulose nanofibrils, they have developed a barrier coating that can be formed directly on paper and textiles through a low-energy proces...

On this episode, Teong Tan, Arclin's Chief Research Officer joins the podcast to discuss Arclin's $1.8 billion acquisition of DuPont's aramid business, adding the iconic Kevlar® and Nomex® brands to its portfolio. Teong leads the company's innovation agenda with a focus on strategic growth, talent development, and high-performing teams. 

On this episode, John Kehoe of Boaz Partners joins the show. Boaz isn't your typical recruiting firm—they operate as strategic partners, using a proven, deeply embedded process to understand business goals, culture, and long-term objectives before ever presenting a candidate. It's a fundamentally different approach to hiring—one that's built around precision, alignment, and impact. In this convers...

On this episode Aaron Fitzgerald , CEO of Mars Materials , joins the show. Carbon fiber has long been a cornerstone of aerospace and defense—but the reality is, the supply chain behind it is anything but secure. Today, much of the world's high-performance carbon fiber depends on globally concentrated precursor production, leaving critical industries exposed at a time when resilience matters more t...

On this episode, Krishnan Veluswamy, Ph. D. , joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming Demo Day at Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF). Krishnan is an Assistant Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering Department and Affiliated with Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. This upcoming event on Wednesday, March 25th, w...

On this episode, we're looking at a project that could say a lot about where advanced manufacturing is headed next. America Makes has awarded UDRI $450,000 for its AACAMS (Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures) project, focused on pushing forward the integration of additive manufacturing and advanced composites for aerospace and defense. The DOD has prioritized continuous...

On this episode, we feature more interviews from the 2nd day of JEC World 2026. These include a mix of Innovation Award winners, and Startup Booster finalists. 

On this episode, we feature several interviews from day one of JEC World 2026, including some Innovation Award winners, and Startup Booster finalists. 

On this latest episode, Lisa Anderson, President of  LMA Consulting Group joins the podcast. Lisa is one of the most respected voices in manufacturing strategy, supply chain transformation, and SIOP. She's the author of a recently released book titled  AI & Advanced Technologies in Manufacturing , where she explores how manufacturers are using AI and advanced analytics to drive real, measurable re...

On this episode, Bryan Hassin, CEO of DexMat joins the show to discuss Galvorn - a next-generation conductive material designed for high-performance, weight-constrained applications across aerospace, defense, automotive, and data infrastructure. Their latest funding marks a transition point for the company, from deep materials R&D into production scale and customer qualification. Bryan   has spent...

Self-healing composites have been talked about for years, but sometimes a piece of research comes along that looks meaningfully different. This week,  Andrew Tomaswick , a science journalist, joins the show to discuss his recent article, " The Composite That Heals Itself 1,000 Times ." It highlights a self-healing composite material developed by researchers at North Carolina State University that...

On this episode, Nancy Hairston, CEO of MedCAD joins the show to discuss their innovative approach to the design and production of patient-matched medical devices using 3D printing. They've recently produced 3D-printed implants for wounded Ukrainian soldiers, an application where speed and accuracy can be life-changing. Their approach is 100% patient-customized, with every implant and every proced...

On this episode, Marty Johnson, VP of Product and Technical Fellow at 3D Systems, joins the show to take a clear-eyed look at additive manufacturing materials—what they  can do, what they can't , and what engineers should realistically expect when composites and filled materials enter the 3D-printing conversation. Marty brings a mechanical engineering first perspective to additive manufacturing—cu...

On this episode, we're joined by Kjirstin Breure , President and CEO of HydroGraph —a company that may finally be turning graphene from a promise into a product. For more than a decade, graphene has been called a wonder material, but most producers struggled with impurities, inconsistency, and the inability to scale. HydroGraph has taken a different path—developing a proprietary explosion-synthesi...