Reconnecting with the composites industry

It’s that time of year — the holidays offer a time to reflect upon the work and interactions of the past 12 months, while contemplating what new challenges and opportunities might be ahead. Personally, this has been an eventful year as I returned to CW as editor-in-chief, a move that is both thrilling and humbling. Reconnecting with the industry through facility visits, composites conferences and other events has also been a lot of fun.

For instance, I attended my first CAMX in 3 years. My time away from the show made it all the more rewarding to see some of the new technologies and innovations that are making their mark. Many of the applications that were at early R&D stages in my earlier stint with the brand have advanced — some even finding their way into production. Just a few years ago, many of the flying car and eVTOL prototypes seemed so alien compared to the aircraft of the general aviation world. Today, many of those designs are making great strides toward qualification and serious talks of infrastructure to support them are underway.

Meanwhile, sustainability efforts regarding materials and processes have also progressed. Sustainability and environmental concerns have always been a large part of the overall mission of the composites industry, but much of that discussion had traditionally surrounded the lightweight attributes of the materials and the advantages those impart to various applications. The past few years have placed increased focus on the carbon footprint of the materials and processes themselves. This was evident in some of this year’s winners and finalists selected for the CAMX Awards and Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE), which were announced in the Show Dailies distributed at the show (and can be viewed online here). The industry continues to reach new milestones in carbon fiber recycling, bio-based alternatives to petroleum-based resins and carbon fiber precursors, natural fibers and new resin chemistries.

The composites industry is brimming with innovation and collaboration and there are great stories just waiting to be told.

Process automation has also continued to progress. I had the privilege of moderating a panel discussion exploring some of the ways in which AI and machine learning are currently being used to optimize machine and software decision-making to improve manufacturing efficiency. The discussion touched on various stages of composites manufacturing from design and analysis, to optimizing and increasing production efficiencies, to providing solutions for such operations as surface preparation, inline inspection and finishing including solutions for high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. 

Boasting more than 500 exhibitors and more than 6,000 attendees, CAMX has rebounded from the pandemic with an increase in international and new exhibitor registration. This year’s show featured 100+ international exhibitors representing India, China, Germany, Italy and many other countries. A returning feature were the posters sessions featuring the work of the next generation of composites researchers and engineers. Last featured in 2019, the posters were a welcome indication of the show’s health post-COVID.

Another highlight of CAMX, particularly for the CW team, was seeing CW brand VP and publisher Jeff Sloan take the stage in a reversal of roles as he was interviewed by Marcy Offner, director of marketing and communications at Composites One during the “Good Day, CAMX” the second day of the show. Jeff spoke about a bright future for the composites industry with a paradigm shift from composites being thought of as a replacement material directed largely at lightweighting efforts to their role as an enabling material necessary for making applications such as AAM and wind energy possible. The ramp-up of production in these markets is pushing the need for more industrialization in the composites industry, setting the table for the challenges ahead.

As CW sets its sights on 2024, the team is looking forward to delving deeper into some of these topics. At the time of this writing, CW is making final preparations for its CW Tech Days, an online event taking place in early December with a focus on AAM, as well as a Tech Days targeting sustainability, scheduled for April. The run-up for JEC World in Paris has already begun and our editorial plans for the year are filled with so many exciting projects. The composites industry is brimming with innovation and collaboration and there are great stories just waiting to be told. Cheers to the great work accomplished this past year and the opportunities that lie ahead!