Post-show review of the 2004 U.S. SAMPE Symposium
Largest-ever Symposium serves up a large helping of news and new technologies from advanced composites suppliers.
By Staff | July 2004
The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) marked its 60th year of service at its 49th SAMPE Symposium & Exhibition (May 16-20, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif. U.S.A.). Its 60th Anniversary celebration commenced on the afternoon of May 30, with plenty to eat and music in the 1940s "big band" style. SAMPE's Japan chapter, active in the entire Pacific Rim region, performed a Kagami-Wari ceremony that included the breaking of two large casks of sake. SAMPE Europe completed the ceremony by opening a cache of French champagne bottles and distributing the drinks to the participants. With sake and champagne enough for all, the celebration -- planned to last about an hour -- went on well past the close of the exhibit day.
Source: SAMPE
Symposium attendance was strong right from the start, as more than 350 attendees gathered at the Keynote session.
In honor of the anniversary, the composites industry response significantly exceeded that in previous years. General co-chairs, John Green and Steve Rodgers, of the sponsoring Los Angeles SAMPE chapter, reported a record 355 technical papers were given, a 50 percent increase over the previous high. According to the organizing committee, package regis-trations (papers plus exhibits) purchased for this year's event were 20 to 25 percent greater than in 2003, with increased floor traffic, reversing the downward trend during recent economic doldrums.
More than 20 exhibitors made free use of SAMPE's Training/Demonstration Technology area, a new feature this year, to make presentations, demonstrate new products and processes and conduct training classes. SAMPE reports that exhibitors have asked that the area be expanded next year.
Symposium attendance also was strong. More than 350 people attended Michael Fortson's Keynote Address and the SAMPE Luncheon, which featured NASA's Dr. Harley Thronson. More than 100 attended the "M&P Technology: SAMPE's Technical Committee Reports on Current Technology and Market Trends" panel. Co-moderators Tia Benson Tolle, SAMPE's senior VP, and technical director Dr. Scott Beckwith reportedly had to close out the session after almost three hours of unabated and enthusiastic interaction between the audience and panelists.
On the show floor, there was a strong showing of new technologies, from which the HPC staff selected the following for review.
Abaris Training Resources Inc. (Reno, Nev., U.S.A.)
highlighted its latest week-long course offering, which covers the
resin infusion process, including infusion principles and techniques,
flow principles and design, tools and equipment and workshops on
preform fabrication and placement, tool preparation, vacuum bagging,
problem-solving and more.
A.B. Carter Inc. (Gastonia, N.C., U.S.A.) displayed its
enhanced air splicing capabilities. The technology can splice carbon,
glass and aramid yarns and tows for filament winding, pultrusion and
weaving operations.
Alcan Baltek Corp. (Northvale, N.J., U.S.A.) exhibited its
new AIRSAN panel, which covers the company's AIREX R82 polyetherimide
(PEI) foam with glass/PEI skins and PEI film adhesive. The result is a
fully thermoformable panel that requires no post-finishing. The new
panel meets commercial aircraft specifications for fire, smoke and
toxicity.
Alpha STAR Corp. (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.A.) announced the
release of GENOA 3.2, the latest version of its virtual testing tool
for composite, ceramic and metal structures. GENOA closely simulates
actual service conditions to predict when, where and why failure may
occur during a component's service life (see "Inside
Engineering" in this issue, p. 32.
American Autoclave Co. (Sumner, Wash., U.S.A.) talked up the
company's new contract with General Dynamics to provide a 3m by 15.2m
(10-ft by 50-ft) autoclave to the latter's facility in Rancho
Bernardo, Calif., U.S.A.
American GFM (Chesapeake, Va., U.S.A.) discussed its Total
Integrated Solution, a systems approach to composite part inspection
and repair. Developed under the Advanced Fighter Aircraft Initiative
and the Aging Aircraft Repair Initiative, it combines the company's
own cutting and routing technologies with metrology, laser placement
and other technologies in a single package.
Albany International Techniweave Inc. (Rochester, N.H.,
U.S.A.) issued Techniviewer, a new version of its in-house
Techniweaver software. The latter inputs functional requirements of a
customer's application, designs the material properties and generates
a preform design, then translates it into instructions for Albany's
electronically controlled weaving equipment. The new version can
generate cross-sections of the design, which can be sent
electronically to its customers, enabling customers to derive their
own material properties.
On pace to deliver 36 units this year, autoclave manufacturer
ASC Process Systems Inc. revealed that it will more than
quadruple its manufacturing space when the company moves this
September from Chatsworth to Sylmar, Calif., U.S.A. into a new
3,809m²/41,000 ft² facility, where 3,344m²/36,000
ft² will be devoted to manufacturing.
Assembly Guidance Systems (Chelmsford, Mass., U.S.A.)
demonstrated its laser placement system's new Vari-View capability,
which integrates and synchronizes laser placement and fiber placement
machines and compensates for mandrel rotation without having to be
realigned.
Aerostructure tooling manufacturer ATS-Kleizen (Helmond, The
Netherlands) announced its first U.S. military contract: A $3.8
million (USD) deal with Lockheed Martin to make the tooling that will
be used to mold the control surfaces and leading edges on the Joint
Strike Fighter (JSF).
BH Thermal (Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.) exhibited its new
BriskHeat ACR-II hot bonder, which offers an upgraded 26-mm/10.4-inch
touch screen display and a USB port for communicating directly with
PCs and importing/exporting cure cycle programs and cure
data. Available with this hot bonder is a built-in electric pump that
eliminates the need for an outside air source or second power
supply.
Bryte Technologies/Ten Cate Advanced Composites (Morgan
Hill, Calif., U.S.A.) displayed anti-ballistic materials produced by
its new Armor Division. The division combines the composite/ceramic
armor technologies of France-based sister division ARES Protection
with its own advanced production processes. Products include CeraFlex
ceramic/composite hard armor, CETEX spall liners and custom composite
and ceramic/composite armor solutions.
C.A. Litzler Co. (Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.) reported that its
patented carbon-fiber oxidation oven and sealing system has been
ordered for use in China. The company also introduced the Com-Preg
light glass prepreg treater, designed to produce small quantities of
narrow-web material for light production and laboratory
applications.
