Composites + Polycon 2009

Think Composites

2009-01-28T17:00:31Z

Show Floor

2009-01-28T16:54:41Z

Receptions and Opening Ceremony

2009-01-28T16:41:35Z

Raffle Winners

2009-01-28T16:39:54Z

Educational Sessions

2009-01-28T16:31:22Z

Awards

2009-01-28T16:09:57Z

Around the Convention Center

2009-01-28T15:45:43Z

Meeting No-No's

2009-01-16T22:19:54Z

In his session We’ve Got to START Meeting Like This, Douglas Caudle, president of Piedmont Fiberglass, emphasized the importance of bi-monthly and monthly meetings. “When you have those meetings, be honest with your employees,” he says. It is important to share the vision with them so they feel engaged and can help you meet company goals. “Folks have anxiety, tell them the straight truth, after all, knowledge is power,” he said.

Caudle also emphasized certain etiquettes that should be followed at every meeting. Whether it’s a one-on-one, a department meeting or an all-staff meeting, there are certain things you should and shouldn’t do. While the list of “good things” can become very long, there are basic no-no’s everyone should follow:

No phones. Turn off all cell phones and let staff phones go to voicemail, which is why it was invented.
No laptops. If you allow laptops, nine times out of ten the owner won’t be taking notes, they will be surfing the internet. Keep everyone engaged and have as little electronics as possible.
No eating. Each person may think they have the best manners in the world. But, to the person next to you, you could sound like a cow chewing on its cud. “When you eat, you distract others from the discussion, at that point the meeting is tallied at a loss,” said Caudle.
Stop side conversations. According to Caudle, the second most distracting thing besides eating is a side conversation. He suggested the most effective way of stopping the side conversation: stop your own conversation.

The Wondrous Potential of Carbon Fiber

2009-01-16T22:17:27Z

Dave Warren, field technical manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is heavily involved in carbon fiber research. He shared his expertise as well as the state of the material in the marketplace during a Friday afternoon session titled Applications for Lower Cost Carbon Fiber.

According to Warren, while fuel economy has remained largely the same in the past few decades, vehicle weight has gone up. Recent developments (such as the energy crisis) may buck this trend, resulting in a desire to reduce mass, which carbon fiber is ideal for. As it stands now, despite having been included in vehicles since the 1970s, only about 1 to 2 percent of vehicles are made with carbon fiber material. In fact, market penetration in general was miniscule, but a breakthrough came in 2005 when companies like Boeing and Airbus made significant investments in carbon fiber for their products. Since then, production has increased tenfold.

But the material is still not ubiquitous in manufacturing due to its high cost and lower level of demand. Nevertheless, Warren says there are many markets in which carbon fiber has the potential to expand, including wind energy (longer blades can capture greater energy) and power transmission (replacing steel with 66 percent less mass). Currently, Warren continues his research on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy division.

Emissions Cap and Trade Programs On the Way

2009-01-16T21:54:46Z

Tom Wood, principal of Stoel Rives LLP, Oregon, is an attorney who practices environmental law. He updated attendees on looming regulatory possibilities for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). He emphasized that regulation is inevitable and what manufacturers have to wonder is exactly how much costs will rise as a result. Companies that manufacture products directly and emit greenhouse gases will be most affected by cost increases, but energy prices will increase, which will affect all companies indirectly.

Wood listed GHGs that are or will be most likely regulated, including CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. Currently, a number of outside parties have created protocols that outline methdologies used for calculating emissions. Thirty-nine states have already agreed to submit data they collect to one of those parties, The Climate Registry.

As the pressure to reduce emissions increases, cap and trade programs are likely to become more prevalent. Generally speaking, regulatory agencies implement cap and trades by limiting the total amount of emissions allowed among a given set of companies. "If you've ever played musical chairs, you know everything about cap and trade programs," Wood said.

Do Composites Have a Future in Solar Energy?

2009-01-16T16:14:45Z

Robert Noble, founder of Envision Solar, came to COMPOSITES+POLYCON searching for the composites industry’s help. As architect and engineer of Compositrees’, his company is looking for ways to cut down time and cost to his booming product. A Compositree product incorporates solar panels, parking solutions and sleek architecture into one. “I came all the way here from San Diego because I thought composites could help,” Noble began. “One large problem, however, is the lack of specialized knowledge needed to incorporate composites into the structures.” We soon discovered it was the same in reverse. When Noble asked session attendees to raise their hands if they were familiar with solar panels, no one raised their hand. Throughout his 45 minute presentation Noble outlined projects his company is working on and their various applications, ranging from parking structures in malls, medical centers, a university campus and individual companies. He presented photos of his product and highlighted areas (such as framing) he hoped to replace current products. “This is a glimpse of the future,” he concluded. “Solar panels, ports for hybrid vehicles and local architecture.” The only question remains, will composites manufacturers be a part of that future? Envision Solar hopes so. For more information on solar panels or Compositrees, click here.

Blast Resistant Wood Proves Durable

2009-01-16T16:09:15Z

If you walked in late to this session, you may have thought you were walking into a Taekwondo class instead of a composites forum. Standing at the front was a gentleman demonstrating the ease of breaking a wooden panel, yet when it came to the FRP wood panel he had a little trouble. Larry Parent, senior R&D program manager for the University of Maine-Advanced Structures Composites Center (AEWC), presented the school’s research findings on blast-resistant wood. The panels, for the U.S. military, were designed to be lighter and stronger than normal wood paneling. Results showed that the reinforced wood absorbed six to seven times more energy. Attendee Ervin Geiger, engineer manager for Advanced Processes Technologies, said “I came to this session because it is something unique. The most impressive thing to me is how much composites add to the strength of the wood.” AEWC began research for the U.S. military and would like to extend its application to public and private buildings to aid in natural disaster.

Closed Mold Demos

2009-01-16T14:50:29Z

Visit the MVP Booth #811 on Friday to see the following processing demos:

10:30 a.m.
Light RTM

2:30 p.m.
VIP

4:30 p.m.
CCBM

Composites in Construction

2009-01-16T14:45:07Z

Former ACMA president Bill Kreysler presented a session Thursday afternoon titled Composites in Construction with a Vision of the Future Today–Case History on All Composites Residential Structure. Though the title of the presentation was lengthy, the premise was quite simple: Composites can lend more to construction than many people think.

Kreysler explained the reasons why composites are not seen as a viable alternative in the construction market. Much of it had to do with the fact that the concept prevails against common wisdom: Composites are too conservative and traditional materials are too enmeshed into the culture as it is. He argued that countless advances have been made with the development of materials such as reinforced concrete. The main issue, he said, is recognizing that manufacturers need to spark innovation.

The focal point of the presentation was a residence in San Francisco. A local woman hired Kreysler’s company to build a house made entirely of composite materials. The company immediately went to work on creating the unique structure from FRP panels. The company faced some challenges, having to transport the house in six parts and needing to add stucco to the roof for the house to meet California fire standards. The house was small, only about 40 square feet, and bore a shape resembling a beehive. Nevertheless, Kreysler points to the finished product as a harbinger of things to come and as proof that utilizing composite materials in this way is a legitimate course of action.

Welcoming Reception

2009-01-16T14:33:02Z

COMPOSITES+POLYCON attendees networked during a welcoming reception on Thursday night.