Conference Tutorials
Conference tutorials provide a collaborative learning experience that allows attendees to take a deeper dive into the topics that are most interesting to our industry. These classes connect attendees and instructors for practical, in-depth learning, with demonstrations, hands-on materials, and case studies.
What’s Your Impact? – The Fundamentals of Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations for Composite Manufacturers
Monday, October 30 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Nicole Meyer | LCACP, LEED Green Associate, Senior Account Manager, Sustainable Solutions Corporation
Experiencing an increase in requests to disclose your product’s environmental impact? Hearing more about EPDs and their role in the building and construction industry? This tutorial is aimed to provide an in-depth discussion of LCA and EPDs which includes defining the common terms, acronyms, and associated standards of LCA and EPDs. We will present on how to develop an LCA and EPD and explain how to interpret and communicate the results. We will break down the challenges and limitations of LCA and EPDs and demonstrate the best ways to use LCA to promote sustainable composite manufacturing practices. Whether you are new to the world of LCA and EPDs or a seasoned professional, this tutorial will provide valuable insights to equip participants with the confidence and knowledge to meet the growing demand for sustainable products in the composite industry.
Surface Preparation Strategies for Adhesive Bonding of Composite Materials
Monday, October 30 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Sanzida Sultana, PhD | Sr. Custom Applications & Materials Engineer, Brighton Science
Joann Hilman | Physicist, Brighton Science
Bonding to composite materials requires carefully controlling the chemistry and structure of the surface. In this session, you’ll learn the fundamentals of what constitutes a good surface for adhesion, the different qualities of surface preparation techniques, such as abrasion, plasma treatment, and laser ablation, and how to select and monitor adhesion processes. Join the team from Brighton Science, the global leader in surface intelligence, for a class dedicated to understanding how to prepare composite surfaces and control bonding and coating processes.
Making Graphene Compatible: Identifying and Choosing Graphenes to Improve the Impact of Composites on the World Around Us
Monday, October 30 | 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Kevin Keith | CTO & Co-founder, Mito Material Solutions
To date, graphene's reputation due to the lack of understanding of this material has lead to sub-optimal product performance resulting in niche applications and millions of R&D dollars wasted. These results were achieved due to the overpromising and under-delivering of suppliers since, until recently, there was a lack of international standards, understanding of graphene, and a mindset that graphene is a ""one-size-fits-all"" solution. MITO Materials is a functionalizer of these materials, making graphene and graphene-related materials polymerically compatible to better realize the promises that graphene holds. This tutorial will walk through:
Background of graphene and it's functionalization
The ISO standards coming online for common nomenclature and testing
The real-world implications of what graphene provides for fiber reinforced composites and beyond.
If You Don't Know How it Broke, You Can't Fix it: Understanding How and Why a Product Failed
Monday, October 30 | 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Jeff Jansen | Engineering Manager, Partner, The Madison Group
The most efficient and effective approach to a component or material failure is performing a systematic failure analysis following a scientific method. This tutorial will unpack a considerable range of topics important in understanding, diagnosing, and preventing material failure with a focus on thermoplastic, thermoset and fiber-reinforced materials. Through the extensive use of case illustrations and studies, participants will gain a better understanding of why components fail, and how to avoid future failures by applying the knowledge learned.
Attendees will learn about:
Defining failures
Part performance factors
Understanding failure rates
Failure mechanisms
Failure analysis methodology and testing
