FEBRUARY 9, 2010

Show Daily
The official Bet on COMPOSITES
In Las Vegas, where slot machines can turn a lucky quarter into millions, one thing is for sure: A little change goes a long way. COMPOSITES 2010 has embraced the change that your companies face. The result is a new event, one thats ready to help you discover the bright future of composites today. The recent recession meant that many companies like yours have entered new markets, diversified their product lines, trimmed staff and made other adjustments to remain competitive. With these changes in mind, COMPOSITES has adopted a new format, schedule and program to make your experience the most productive. So heres a little primer on some of the exciting features that have been added to COMPOSITES 2010. First of all, theres the new format. The first day of the convention is focused on education and networking, with dedicated exhibit hall hours on the second and third days. Start your networking with a visit tonight to the Opening Welcome Reception at Rum Jungle in Mandalay Bay. Kick back, relax and join us for some Caribbean flair. In addition, there are six new networking receptions targeted for attendees interested in emerging markets, pultrusion, infrastructure/corrosion, building/construction/ architecture, international; and ICPA (Cast Polymer). Come

brought to you by
Official Magazine of theAmerican Composites Manufacturers Association

Welcome to COMPOSITES 2010.

to these receptions to meet new peers and network with others holding the same interests. Check your onsite directory for times and locations. Then theres the expert education. This year, the schedule includes breakout education sessions and technical paper presentations, with an increased focus on growth markets

continued on page 2

Design a Manufacturing Friendly Product

Too many engineers are working with composites design without the manufacturing process in mind, according to Henry Czenczek of FRP Engineering. They dont get on the floor and see whats really going on and whether their design is really possible, he says. What are the limitations? What are the possibilities behind the designs? Czenczek will tackle this problem in an education session tomorrow at 4 p.m., titled Whats Necessary to Design a Manufacturing Friendly Composite Product. Im going to talk about a systematic approach to product design, he says. I hope that people step back and think about building a product as opposed to focusing on the mold shape, throwing it on the floor, guessing at what laminate
continued on page 3

Bet on COMPOSITES continued from page 1

and high performance; environmental and energy topics; and regulatory and legislative issues. COMPOSITES 2010 also brings to you a number of exciting general sessions, which are open to all attendees and exhibitors. The first session kicks off today with an economic outlook for the composites industry. Ray MacNeil, an industry veteran and business analyst, will share his view on the state of the industry and where positive signs abound. Following MacNeil, there will be a keynote speech from Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 presidential candidate. Romney will draw from his unique experience as a businessman and public servant to walk listeners through the challenges facing our nation today. Both these presentations take place in Room South Pacific F. The Emerging Markets Panel Discussion takes place tomorrow in South Pacific F. It will feature expert panelists from the wind energy, automotive, infrastructure and military sectors who will discuss the role composites play in these markets and their expectations for using composites in the future. Also in South Pacific F, following the panel discussion, a representative from the U.S. Commerce Department,

will speak on topics affecting industry members, including exporting, access to capital and manufacturing. Finally, theres the exhibit hall with more than exhibitors representing more than 40 types of products and services, product launches, and a main stage filled will presentations running all day. Visit with current suppliers, find the products you need, and discover new vendors. Whether youre browsing or purchasing, the exhibit hall will offer exciting demonstrations, launches and raffle prizes. And for a free subscription to Composites Manufacturing magazine, visit Booth #868. In addition to visiting exhibitors, check out the ACE and Pinnacle competition entries on the floor in the Awards Pavilion. Winners of these prestigious industry awards will be announced during the Awards Luncheon tomorrow. Also during the luncheon, the winners of ACMAs Lifetime Achievement Award, Presidents Award and other ACMA awards will be announced. The luncheon takes place in South Pacific F. Be sure to check your Show Directory and Program for additional details about the scheduled events and sessions at COMPOSITES 2010. Also look for the Show Daily each day for live coverage and the latest updates.

Meet Industry Experts in ACMA Booth

Meet with experts in market growth, technical education, and legislative and regulatory issues at the American Composites Manufacturers Association Booth #653. ACMA employees who specialize in these topic areas will be available to answer your questions. Come hear their take on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry in 2010. To answer your legislative and regulatory questions, John Schweitzer, senior director of government affairs, will be in the booth on Wednesday from 10 11 a.m. and Thursday from 2 4 p.m. To learn more about ACMAs market growth activities, visit John Busel, director of the Composites Growth Initiative, in the booth on Thursday from 10 12 p.m. For technical and training questions, visit Larry Cox, director of education programs, in the booth on Wednesday from 2 3 p.m., and Thursday from 11 12 p.m. and 3 4 p.m. Also at the booth, ACMAs Basic Composites Study Guide will be on sale. Normally, this publication is only available to candidates enrolled in the Certified Composites Technician (CCT) program, but at the Show only, it is available to everyone. This is the perfect entry-level introduction for new employees to the composites industry. It includes chapters on processes, materials, quality control, troubleshooting and plant safety. The second edition of the Controlled Spraying Handbook will also available in the ACMA Bookstore. Additional ACMA staff will also be on hand to answer questions about membership. ACMA provides a forum for the composites industry to develop and enhance shared opportunities and address common challenges.

Platinum Sponsors Exhibit New Products, Demos and More

On your rounds through the exhibit hall, please visit COMPOSITE 2010s platinum sponsors: AOC, CCP, Composites One and Reichhold. In Booth #502, AOC is introducing its EcoTEK line of environmentally friendly resins, developed in response to end user demand for green products. The line includes resins made with bio-based materials, some that are recyclable and others that are styrene-free. The company is also sponsoring the appearance of keynote speaker Gov. Mitt Romney at todays General Session. Composites One has been helping manufacturers incorporate closed molding in their plants for nearly a decade. The company will continue that effort with all-day demonstrations and experts on hand to answer questions. The demonstrations will include examples of three different processes: Light Resin Transfer Molding (LRTM), Closed Cavity Bag Molding (CCBM) and Vacuum Infusion. Composites One will be exhibiting at Booth #817. The Closed Mold demonstrations will take place at Booth #917. In Booth #303, CCP will showcase its line of gel coats for core markets, including marine, sanitary and transportation. It will also showcase its products applications in the infrastructure and power generation markets. The company recently added a vinyl ester resin line, available for lay up and infusion processes. Also featured will be the companys Norsodyne product line, which includes a flame-retardant resin thats non-halogenated, meaning that it doesnt need ATH or fillers to achieve flame retardant properties. In Booth #603, Reichhold will showcase its resins for cast polymer, marine, closed mold and wind energy applications.

Affordably Outsource Your R&D to Universities

Even small composites companies in the composites industry can engage in robust research and development by partnering with universities. Larry Bank, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, will explain how in a Composites 2010 education session titled Getting the Most Out of Collaborations with University Researchers today at 3 p.m. Universities typically charge overhead fees for research projects that come through the sponsorships. This method, which is expensive, often
continued on page 4

Design a Manufacturing Friendly Product continued from page 1

to use and arriving at a solution through trial and error. The first step to product design is thorough customer-needs analysis. The informal process is talking to a customer, jotting down a few notes, then going to the design stage, he says. The formal process is writing down your discussions, so Ill write down the question I asked, the response the customer made and the interpreted need. I can send this to the customer and verify that my understanding is correct, because so many times assumptions are made and theyre wrong assumptions. Subsequent steps include modeling the geometry, presenting the part to downstream manufacturers or end users, cost estimation and tooling. Czenczek also encourages gathering feedback from process experts. Those process experts are everybody from the plant manager to the guy whose job is to gel coat all day long, he says. I consider him or her a process expert because if theyre doing it eight hours a day, every day, no one is going to know more about it than they do.

There are nearly 100 Education Sessions at Composites 2010.

Schedule-at-a-Glance
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 8 a.m. 6 p.m. Registration Open (South Convention Center - Bayside B) 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Education Sessions and Technical Papers (North Convention Center) 1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. General Session with keynote speaker Former Governor Mitt Romney Open to all (South Pacific F) 3 p.m. 5 p.m. Education Sessions and Technical Papers (North Convention Center) 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Opening Welcome Reception ((Rum Jungle) Wednesday, February 10 8 a.m. 6 p.m. Registration Open (South Convention Center - Bayside B) 8 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Keynote Session on Emerging Markets (South Pacific F) 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open (Bayside B) 10 a.m. 6 p.m. Main Stage Presentations (Exhibit Hall Booth #527) 10 a.m. 6 p.m. Meet the ACMA Experts (Booth #653) 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Awards Lunch (South Pacific F) 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Education Sessions and Technical Papers 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Specialized Industry Networking Receptions: * (ICPA) Cast Polymers * Emerging Markets (sponsored by Composites One) * Pultrusion (sponsored by Composites One) * Infrastructure/Corrosion * Building/Construction/Architecture * International Thursday, February 11, 2010 8:30 a.m. 4 p.m. Education Sessions and Technical Papers 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Exhibit Hall Open (Bayside B) 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Main Stage Presentations (Exhibit Hall Booth #527) 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Meet the ACMA Experts (Booth #653) 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Product Launches (Bayside B) 12 p.m. 1:30 p.m. Lunch on the Exhibit Floor 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Raffles (Exhibit Hall CCP, Booth #303)

Affordably Outsource Your R&D to Universities continued from page 3

prevents small companies from funding research. Bank says theres another way: All universities have alternative mechanisms to allow individuals or companies to fund research or activities in academic departments without paying overhead by simply providing or donating funds through a university donation. This method allows companies to fund research in smaller amounts. However, companies give up the ability to direct the exact research that will be performed. When someone works through these gift type donations, then it depends on the trust between the company and the researcher, to basically give the money, to give a letter that says were giving this gift to your research group to work in the area of fiber composites in construction, for example, and we look forward to hearing what youve done with it, Bank says. Bank and his co-presenters will share how theyve built trust with industry partners and worked on research that benefitted both parties. In many cases, the research is performed by graduate students who need funding and research ideas. Ive had a number of students supported in this way. In order to get a graduate degree, there needs to be some contribution to the field beyond testing a bunch of materials, says Bank. I see a tremendous benefit to companies if you have a research budget. For $50,000, you cant have a research department of your own, but you could give out two donations to universities for $25,000 to look at new variations on your materials and processes. For companies that worry about whether the research is proprietary, Bank has a response: Industry folks are much more nervous than they need to be when they work with academic researchers. Typically the research we do in process and manufacturing is product-specific, so even if we publish something in the open literature, we discuss the scientific advances and not the practical applications of the research.

Thank You to Our Platinum Sponsors!

For more COMPOSITES 2010 coverage, visit www.composites2010.com