Taking the hand out of hand layup
Hand layup has a long history in aerospace composites fabrication, but it’s not well suited for automotive composites manufacturing, where volumes are much higher. But the discrete placement of fiber reinforcements still has value. New research is pointing toward automated hand layup that might help this vital process bridge the aerospace-to-automotive divide. More.
CAMX Award and ACE Submissions: July 1 Deadline
Time is running out to enter the prestigious CAMX Award or Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE), presented at CAMX. Join an elite group of award winners—leaders and visionaries within the composites and advanced materials community. The submission deadline for the CAMX Award and ACE is July 1. Submit entry for CAMX Award or ACE here.
CAMX extends a special thank you to our Awards Sponsors! The CAMX Award is sponsored by Ashland. The ACE are sponsored by Composites One.
Jumpstart Your June: Register Early for CAMX 2016
Register early for CAMX 2016—North America’s largest, most comprehensive composites and advanced materials event being held in Anaheim, CA on September 26-29, 2016. Experience cutting edge innovations and exhibitions, education and best practices to advance your work, and unrivaled networking – all in one place. Don’t miss the must-attend event for you, your colleagues, and team! Register early to save over $100! Register online today!
ORNL and IACMI Make Strides
Since winning the 2015 CAMX Combined Strength Award with Cincinnati Incorporated for its Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) technology, the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has kept itself busy with a handful of new composite development projects. These projects have two things in common –reducing weight and cutting costs.
ORNL’s success with BAAM opened the door for another 3-D printing milestone. In November 2015, ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, Boeing, and a handful of other industry partners successfully tested six new 3-D printing materials in the BAAM 3-D printer. In March 2016, two of those six materials were chosen to print the first 100 percent digitally manufactured tools in an industrial autoclave setting. ORNL says this achievement is significant because digital manufacturing could help lower manufacturing costs by accelerating production times.
Another step ORNL has taken toward lowering costs was the development of a new laser process that could make joining carbon fiber composites and aluminum less expensive, with more robust joints as a result. The process promises cheaper lightweight, high-end components for use in cars and other multi-material high-end products. Specifically, it could reduce the weight of cars and trucks by 750 pounds.
Not only is ORNL using carbon fiber to make products less expensive, it’s working on making the material itself less expensive as well. In March, in a collaboration with its partner, the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), ORNL unveiled a production method it estimates will reduce the cost of carbon fiber by as much as 50 percent and the energy used to produce it by more than 60 percent. The current widespread method for making carbon fiber relies on a precursor of carbon fiber – polyacrylonitrile, or PAN – which can be really expensive. ORNL’s new method uses commercially-available, textile-grade acrylic fiber precursor materials, which have a similar chemistry to specialty PAN, but cost about half as much. RMX Technologies of Knoxville, Tenn. and ORNL have signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the method.
Outside of its work with ORNL, IACMI has also collaborated with Composites One, the Closed Mold Alliance and Magnum Venus Products (MVP) on composites education. In April, the three companies worked together to provide more than 150 students, academics, technicians and business owners from 23 states with a better understanding of the latest developments in advanced materials and processes. IACMI also held a STEM training event, which drew nearly 100 attendees representing more than 10 schools in the Eastern Tennessee area looking to understand the basics of composites. IACMI has also been actively politically, with CEO Craig Blue highlighting IACMI initiatives during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
All these companies and organizations will be at CAMX in the exhibit hall and as part of the conference program. Register now and make your plans to attend.
CAMX Featured Sessions
Take part in the most extensive conference program for the industry anywhere in the world. Attend the CAMX Featured Sessions and learn from industry leaders and technical experts as they cover a range of exciting topics, cutting-edge trends, and new developments in the composites and advanced materials communities. View a full listing of featured session topics here.
What Does CAMX Offer Students?
Students are the future of our industry, and CAMX has numerous events and activities to enhance the CAMX experience for this special attendee group. The CAMX Race is an exciting scavenger hunt in the exhibit hall where students use their mobile phones to navigate the expo hall and answer trivia questions that could be worth cash prizes and more. Poster sessions feature the latest industry research by students, universities, and companies. Make your plans to attend CAMX 2016 today…learn more about student registration discounts and group discounts here.
The Exhibit Hall is Over 75% Sold
CAMX 2016 is the largest North American marketplace for the composites and advanced materials industries. With the industry expected to grow substantially in North and South America, CAMX is the event to connect with the industry globally. Don’t miss the opportunity that over 450 companies have already discovered – including your competitors! Reach motivated buyers and industry professionals from all market segments at one must-attend event—CAMX 2016.
- View Exhibitor Prospectus here.
- Reserve exhibit space.
Make a Splash at CAMX 2016
Sponsorship opportunities are available for CAMX 2016. Enhance your company’s exposure and secure a custom sponsorship package. Designed specifically to drive additional traffic to your booth and promote engagement and sales before, during, and after the show, these exclusive sponsorship and advertising opportunities can be tailored to meet any investment level and company goal. Learn more here.