Composites Weekly

On this episode, Haley Marie Keith , the CEO of Mito Materials joins me during IACMI's annual member meeting. MITO's technology is the "first and only" process to functionalize substances like graphene oxide and biomaterials—creating hybrid additives that give fiber-reinforced composites and thermoplastics lab-verified improvements in strength, durability, flexibility, and sustainability. Their te...

On this episode, regular guest Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me to discuss the topic of industry consolidation. We explore the impact of mergers & acquisitions on the future of composites.  Over the past year, we have seen monumental shifts and transformations, with particular emphasis on the flurry of mergers and acquisitions that have created a seismic shift in our industry's landscape. The composites...

On this episode, Brian Fitzgerald, the CRO at Augury joins me to discuss how A.I. is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry with its ability to predict machine and equipment failure, enhancing efficiency and reducing downtime costs.  Augury is a Billion manufacturing tech company that is unlocking production capacity, predictability, and sustainability while transforming how manufacturing team...

This week, Jesus Zozaya and James Pickard of Voltera join me on the show to discuss the future of additive electronics and how it is revolutionizing so many industries - including composites.  Votera , is a company that makes rapid prototyping platforms for printed electronics — from traditional circuit boards to the flexible, stretchable, conformable, and biocompatible electronics of tomorrow. Th...

On this episode, Alex Corrêa, CEO of Gerdau Graphene  joins me to discuss some of the exciting work their company is doing with graphene to revolutionize industries such as coatings, concrete, elastomers, polymers, and lubricants to name a few.  This Brazilian nanotechnology company Gerdau Graphene, specializes in advanced graphene-enhanced materials for industrial applications. They have recently...

This week, I welcome Dr. Liron Nesiel to the show. She is the CEO of Smart Resilin, a company that is setting out to change the plastic narrative. Using Resilin, a super-performing protein originating from insects, they are u sing genetic engineering techniques to extract the DNA and tailor-fit the protein for a variety of use cases and produce it at a very large scale. Having near-perfect elastic...

This week Shannon Schutt, the marketing director at Research Casting International joins me on the podcast to discuss how 3D printing is being used to recreate missing pieces of prehistoric dinosaurs. Founded back in 1987, RCI is one of the world's largest providers of Museum Technical Services, which include specimen restoration, casting, mounting, exhibit fabrication, and transportation.   They...

This week I welcome Nick Castelucci to the show. Nick is the managing partner at  Prestige Tooling , based out of Elkhart, IN. Nick and his team have over 25 years of experience in mold making with over 6,000 completed molds.  On this episode, he'll share some of the history of their company, as well as some of the industries they serve.  Their company is also one of the first mold makers in North...

This week Andrew Polkewaldt joins me again along with Dustin Troutman, the corporate director of marketing and product development at Creative Pultrusions, Inc. Creative Pultrusions, Inc. (CPI) is the worldwide leader in pultrusion manufacturing with a commitment to continuous process improvement. They specialize in pultruding large custom pultrusion profiles, while utilizing high-performance resi...

This week Cary Martin, VP of research & technology with Hexcel for global fibers joins me to discuss Hexcel's new Center of Research & Technology Excellence in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The 100,000-square-foot building is home to a state-of-the-art laboratory where company scientists and researchers collaborate with customers on the latest composite technology developments for aerospace, space and de...

On this episode, Eric Pierrejean and Thomas Lepretre join us to discuss JEC , and JEC World 2023 . Eric is the president and CEO of JEC and Thomas is the JEC World Director.  JEC World is the only global trade show dedicated to composite materials and applications. It gathers the whole value chain of the composite materials industry in Paris every year and is "the place to be" for composites profe...

On this episode, Scott Stephenson joins me to discuss SAMPE 2023 taking place next week in Seattle, WA. Scott is the director of strategic initiatives and events at CompositesWorld , and also president & acting CEO of SAMPE North America.  This show is where the advanced materials community comes together for face-to-face meetings, top-level education sessions, and panels led by the industry's lea...

This week, I welcome Adam Harms to the show. Adam is the m anaging director at Ruhl Strategic Partners and one  of the founders of Modulus, a new Social Community t hat is 100% dedicated to the Materials Industry. This new  platform will offer a more focused materials network experience away from LinkedIn that allows deeper engagement, and industry advancement. Adam explains that one of the reason...

This week I welcome Fadi Abro , the global director of transportation at Stratasys.  Stratasys provides complete polymer 3D printing solutions for every stage of the product life cycle, across design, manufacturing, and healthcare. Fadi is responsible for leading the Automotive Vertical for Stratasys in North and South America. His focus is on providing 3D printing solutions to customers throughou...

This week Peter Hedger of Composite Applications Group and Anthony Vicari of Cleantech Group join me on the show to discuss the role of composite materials in the EV market.  On this episode, we'll have an in-depth discussion of the future of electric vehicles and battery technology and where the opportunities are with composite materials.  Peter is vice president of business development at Compos...

This week I welcome Johanna Reiland on the show. Johanna is an engineer, innovation consultant, and circular economy expert based out of Barcelona, where she works for Bax & Company, a leading European sustainable innovation agency.

On this episode, Dr. Susan MacKay joins me to discuss her work at the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Her responsibilities include managing operations and R&D programs with a particular focus on Additive Manufacturing programs.   She has 25 years of experience in materials chemistry, product development, and manufacturing at both large corporations and early-stage companies.   Pr...

On this episode, we'll be discussing the topic of employee retention in the composites industry.  Industry expert and technical trainer Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me for the 1st part of the show to discuss how some companies are incentivizing employees.  On the 2nd part of the show I interview Lisa Ryan, author of the book Thank You Very Much: Gratitude Strategies to Create a Workplace That ROCKS!

On this episode, Dan Neumann joins me to discuss the ACMA's Infrastructure & Sustainability Fly-In that's taking place in Washington DC this week(Feb 15-16). Dan is the Vice President of Government Relations with The ACMA, and he'll be filling us in on some of the activities and meetings from day one.

This week, I welcome Mike Graham on the show. Mike is the founder and president of Real Carbon, a composite engineering company with a long history of high-quality work.   Through 35 years of industry experience, they've helped their clients design custom carbon fiber products for all types of applications. These include the consumer, industrial, marine, medical, military, musical, recreational, a...

On this episode, Ben Gibbons of Circular11 joins me to share how their startup company is turning plastic waste into low-carbon building products that outlast and outperform traditional building materials.  In the UK, 75% of plastic goes to waste, and a significant reason for this is the cross-polymer contamination that is an inseparable part of the recycling system.   The mixture of plastics, and...

This week Jeff Bassler, founder of Prodigm joins me on the podcast. Prodigm is a premier maker of production-focused filament winding controls and software solutions.  On this episode, Jeff will share some background of their company and a recent case study of helping Duoline Technologies improve their process. Duoline produces RICEWRAP®, a protective wrap of fiberglass epoxy externally applied an...

This week Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me on the show as we discuss some of the expanded applications for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are widely used in the aerospace and energy sectors but their ability to be used in extreme conditions (high heat) makes them attractive for other industries as well. 

On this episode, I welcome Lucas Grimes and Arthur Kaplan on the show. Their company Imperium was born out of the desire to optimize the way energy is purchased. Using the power of AI and automation, they help manufacturing companies cut out the hidden fees and tell you the best time to buy. The energy that fuels the composites industry and mfg operations throughout the US is a significant cost. T...

On this episode, we feature an interview with Jen and Chris Hudak. They are the founders of Escapod, a fabricator of lightweight teardrop camper trailers and one of the fastest-growing manufacturing companies in the US. This company started back in 2016 out of a garage and now has over 70 employees.