The composites industry is under increasing pressure to deliver high-performance materials while improving sustainability, manufacturing efficiency and design freedom. Manufacturers are being asked to reduce waste, integrate recycled content and support complex part geometries — all without compromising quality, scalability or process compatibility. These demands are driving the need for new material formats that move beyond conventional tradeoffs.
In this webinar, Mandy Clement will introduce UNIMAT, a scalable aligned nonwoven solution from James Cropper. Achieving more than 95 percent fiber alignment, UNIMAT delivers exceptional mechanical performance while offering the flexibility required for modern composite manufacturing. Clement will explore how UNIMAT enables the use of recycled and post-industrial waste (PIW) carbon fiber, supports complex geometries through improved conformability and integrates with multiple resin systems and processing routes.
Dale Brosius will then place this innovation in a broader industry context, examining how aligned nonwovens can help address key challenges across composite markets. From aerospace and automotive to sporting goods and advanced air mobility, the session will highlight how this material approach supports circular manufacturing, reduces cost and material waste, and unlocks new design possibilities — enabling manufacturers to align composite performance with sustainability goals.
Agenda:
Attendees will gain insights into technical breakthroughs and how UNIMAT can provide new pathways for the composites market to achieve sustainability goals. Key points include:
- Why sustainability and processability are critical pain points in composites today.
- Innovative Alignment Technology: How UNIMAT delivers directional performance with the added benefit of design flexibility and handling.
- Circular Economy Impact: The role of recycled and post-industrial fibers in meeting sustainability targets.
- Hybridization: Fiber agnostic processing technology gives manufacturers and partners freedom to design bespoke solutions, including the incorporation of thermoplastic fibers, low-melt resins, recycled blends and more.
- Integration with multiple processes and resin systems for scalable manufacturing.
