Composites Weekly

On this episode, I'm joined by Scott Francis, Editor-in-Chief of CompositesWorld , to preview Carbon Fiber 2026 , taking place next week (November 10–12) in Huntsville, AL.  This event offers timely market insights, strategies to improve manufacturing efficiency, and perspectives from leading industry experts. You can register today at https://www.carbonfiberevent.com . 

In this episode, Dr. Henry Sodano of Trimer Technologies joins the show to discuss the company's revolutionary thermosetting resin. Trimer has developed thermosetting resin systems that can achieve cycle times under 45 seconds while delivering glass transition temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius, all without a post-cure. That combination could open new opportunities for manufacturers seeking th...

This week, we revisit a conversation with Mike Graham, founder and president of Real Carbon , about upcycling carbon fiber prepreg scraps into finished products. They specialize in producing high-quality, custom carbon fiber tubes and UAV parts using cutting-edge technologies and advanced materials.  On this episode, we'll discuss how manufacturing leftovers can become a valuable resource, creatin...

This week, Benjamin Debusschère joins the show. Benjamin supports emerging technologies by driving initiatives such as the Startup Booster competition and the JEC Innovation Awards. These programs provide visibility, networking, and business opportunities for entrepreneurs and companies willing to transform the composites landscape. With 2027 marking the Startup Booster program's 10th anniversary,...

Returning guests Steven Floyd and Clark Patterson joined the show to discuss progress on the America Makes–funded Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures (AACAMS) roadmap effort . As the project approaches completion, we explore the gaps limiting adoption, the requirements of manufacturers, and the priorities that could guide future research and investment. Clark also share...

On this episode, we feature all of our conversations from day 2 at CAMX 2026 in Atlanta, GA. These include interviews with:  Matthew Hartman of Loop Technology Gil Cooper of Plataine Marcy Offner of  WCI  Eimear O'Carroll of Lios  Yves Cordeau of Avient Corporation Tom Sharrock of James Cropper Daniel Neumann of ACMA  Paul Zwicklhuber of ENGEL  

On this episode, we'll be featuring all of our conversations from day 1 at CAMX 2026 in Atlanta, GA. These include interviews with:  John Kehoe of Boaz Partners Kevin Wyss of Avadain Graphene Joe Stanish and  Donald Paquet of L&L Products Haley Marie Keith of First Graphene Geert Pierloot of Summa Bryan Beimel of Pulflex Technologies David Leach of Composite Material Solutions   Matthew Pech and T...

Joining the podcast this week is Francesco De Stefano , co-founder and CEO of Caracol , a company using robotics and large-format additive manufacturing to help manufacturers rethink how they build large, complex parts. Founded in Milan in 2017, Caracol is a leading industrial 3D printer manufacturer and large-format additive manufacturing technology provider. Since 2015, their founders have pursu...

On this episode,  Mike Gromacki  revisits the show to discuss some of the latest news at  Norplex-Micarta . Now 10 months into his role as CEO there, Mike is helping shape the company's next chapter around a clear focus:  "Life Critical. Mission Critical. Composites."  We'll discuss what that means for their capabilities, the markets they serve, and growth opportunities and projects that help poin...

On this episode, Rhona Togher , CEO and co-founder of Lios, joins the show. Lios is an Irish company developing advanced materials to tackle unwanted noise and vibration. Its flagship technology, SoundBounce, takes a different approach to acoustic insulation—combining a responsive material with a cellular structure to address difficult low-frequency noise without the weight and bulk of conventiona...

On this episode, Nathan Silvernail joins the show. He is the co-founder and CEO of Plantd —a company reimagining how structural building materials are manufactured. Before launching Plantd, Nathan spent nearly a decade at SpaceX, where he helped develop advanced manufacturing systems for the Crew Dragon spacecraft. He is now applying that same engineering mindset to one of the world's oldest and m...

With CAMX just a few weeks away, it's a perfect time to revisit one of our previous conversations with Daniel Murphy of Alcove Media on a topic that every exhibitor should be thinking about: how do you actually generate business from a trade show? Many companies invest tens of thousands of dollars exhibiting at events, but simply showing up with a great-looking booth doesn't guarantee a return. On...

Joining the podcast this week is Yannick Willemin. Yannick is the founder of Catalysium, a deep-tech consultancy supporting startups, SMEs, and investors across the composites and advanced materials ecosystem. He brings nearly two decades of experience spanning materials engineering, manufacturing, business development, corporate strategy, startups, and investment. His work touches nearly every pa...

Graphene has been called one of the most extraordinary materials ever discovered. It's exceptionally strong, lightweight, electrically conductive, and thermally conductive. But more than a decade after capturing the world's attention, one major question remains: why hasn't it transformed manufacturing the way so many people predicted? On this episode, Brad Larschan and Kevin Wyss of  Avadain  join...

On this episode, Dr. Yasmeen S. Alfaraj discusses the next generation of thermoset composites. She is the founder and CEO of NextSet Materials , a company developing a new generation of reprocessable thermoset materials. Yasmeen earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, before completing her Ph. D. in chemistry at MIT, specializing in polymers and soft...

On this episode, Martin McLaughlin joins the show to discuss his 39-year career at Northrop Grumman during the development of the B-2 bomber, the F-20 and F/A-18 fighters, and the YF-23 fighter. Martin also managed the DARPA experimental spaceplane XS-1 program and numerous internal Northrop Grumman studies for air-launched to orbit rocketplanes. He continues his work in the growing space economy...

On this episode, Lucas Dillingham of Brighton Science joins the podcast to discuss the science behind surface readiness. Brighton Science helps manufacturers understand and control one of the most important, and often overlooked parts of composite production: the surface. Lucas works at the intersection of surface science, manufacturing, and quality control, helping companies replace subjective te...

Phillip Hover-Smoot , CEO of Atlas Cup , joins the show to discuss satellite racing. Atlas Cup  introduces orbital sport by leveraging the heritage of classic racing competitions like America's  Cup and Formula One to delight sports fans and bring competitive sport firmly into the 21st century.

On this episode,  Yatine Boodhoo , founder of  ThermoForged , joins the podcast. As an engineer, Yatine has built his career around advanced composites, developing a deep, hands-on expertise as thermoplastic composites have gained momentum. Along the way, he discovered that the most groundbreaking technologies rarely fail due to lack of performance. They fail because people don't understand them....

When the Titan submersible imploded during its descent to the wreck of the Titanic in June 2023, the tragedy captured the world's attention. It raised difficult questions about engineering, innovation, and safety. Now, following the release of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's final investigation , we have a much clearer picture of what went wrong. In light of these new findings, we're r...

On this episode, Donald Paquet and Joe Stanish of L&L Products join the show to highlight T-Link ® , a thermoplastic adhesive technology that combines the processing advantages of thermoplastics with superior adhesion. T-Link ®  can be used to create lightweight, highly customizable composite structures that enhance performance through processability across a wide range of markets and potential ap...

On this episode,  Dan Neumann  joins the podcast to recap the ACMA Composites Fly-In in Washington , D.C. Each year, industry leaders travel to Capitol Hill to meet directly with lawmakers and policymakers, ensuring the voice of the composites industry is heard on issues ranging from infrastructure and defense to manufacturing regulations and workforce development. Dan is VP of Government Affairs...

On this episode,  Will Tashman , Co-Founder of  Uncountable , joins the podcast. Their AI-powered platform helps industries capture, structure, and connect complex formulation and experimental data throughout the full product lifecycle.  Before launching Uncountable with his cofounders, Will was a product design engineer at Apple Inc. He'll share how chemical and advanced materials companies are n...

On this episode,  Kerry McCormick , CEO of  PolyC Plastics and Composites , and co-founder  Dr. Greg Sotzing  join the podcast.  PolyC Plastics and Composites  is a company dedicated to developing cleaner, safer polymer technologies to replace legacy materials that contain substances such as PFAS, BPA, phthalates, and VOCs. They were recently featured in an article by Forbes magazine titled, T ack...

On this episode, Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites joins the show to discuss how their company is scaling their CF3D technology for aerospace, defense, hypersonics, UAVs, and other mission-critical applications. CF3D is a next-generation manufacturing technology that combines continuous fiber composites, automation, and software into a single digital manufacturing process. Before joining...