This week I welcome Fadi Abro, the global director of transportation at Stratasys.
Stratasys provides complete polymer 3D printing solutions for every stage of the product life cycle, across design, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Fadi is responsible for leading the Automotive Vertical for Stratasys in North and South America. His focus is on providing 3D printing solutions to customers throughout this segment.
With the world increasingly turning to EV’s for transportation, 3D printing has become an attractive solution for manufacturers.
Fadi will be discussing one of the key advantages their technology is offering to automotive manufacturing today, particularly the EV market - the ability to produce complex, custom parts quickly and cost-effectively. This can be useful for low-volume production runs or for creating one-off prototypes and new concept models.
You can learn more about Stratasys, particularly their focus in the automotive sector by visiting https://www.stratasys.com/en/industries-and-applications/3d-printing-industries/automotive.
This week Peter Hedger of Composite Applications Group and Anthony Vicari of Cleantech Group join me on the show to discuss the role of composite materials in the EV market.
On this episode, we'll have an in-depth discussion of the future of electric vehicles and battery technology and where the opportunities are with composite materials.
Peter is vice president of business development at Composite Applications Group, a company that has an extensive network of Composite technologies and materials and works to connect manufacturing companies to the necessary supply chain to bring their innovation dream into reality.
Anthony is a Consultant Manager at Cleantech Group. He has completed projects for global corporations across geographies and industries to understand the details, implications, and trends in emerging technologies, and to develop adoption and investment strategies, in order to grow their businesses while achieving their sustainability and emissions reduction goals.
This week I welcome Johanna Reiland on the show. Johanna is an engineer, innovation consultant, and circular economy expert based out of Barcelona, where she works for Bax & Company, a leading European sustainable innovation agency.
On this episode, Dr. Susan MacKay joins me to discuss her work at the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center. Her responsibilities include managing operations and R&D programs with a particular focus on Additive Manufacturing programs.
She has 25 years of experience in materials chemistry, product development, and manufacturing at both large corporations and early-stage companies.
Prior to joining UMaine, she was the founder and CEO of Cerahelix, Inc. where she led the commercialization of their ceramic nanofiltration technology based on a patented DNA ceramic nanotechnology coating.
We'll be discussing some of the ongoing research around bio-based materials in additive manufacturing as well as ASCC's BioHome3D - the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials.
The BioHome3D was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hub and Spoke program between the UMaine and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The 600-square-foot prototype featured 3D-printed floors, walls, and roof made of wood fibers and bio-resins. This house is fully recyclable and highly insulated with 100% wood insulation and customizable R-values.
Construction waste was nearly eliminated due to the precision of the printing process.
UMaine is a world leader in forest-derived cellulose nanofiber (CNF) technology, including nano- and micro-cellulose reinforced thermoplastic composites through its Advanced Structures and Composites Center.
You can learn more about the work by visiting https://umaine.edu/biomaterials.
On this episode, we'll be discussing the topic of employee retention in the composites industry.
Industry expert and technical trainer Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me for the 1st part of the show to discuss how some companies are incentivizing employees.
On the 2nd part of the show I interview Lisa Ryan, author of the book Thank You Very Much: Gratitude Strategies to Create a Workplace That ROCKS!
On this episode, Dan Neumann joins me to discuss the ACMA’s Infrastructure & Sustainability Fly-In that's taking place in Washington DC this week(Feb 15-16). Dan is the Vice President of Government Relations with The ACMA, and he'll be filling us in on some of the activities and meetings from day one.
This week, I welcome Mike Graham on the show. Mike is the founder and president of Real Carbon, a composite engineering company with a long history of high-quality work.
Through 35 years of industry experience, they've helped their clients design custom carbon fiber products for all types of applications. These include the consumer, industrial, marine, medical, military, musical, recreational, and UAV industries.
Mike Graham is a chemist with a passion for all things composites related. He is originally from St. Andrews in Scotland and moved to the US in 1987.
You can learn more about their company by visiting https://realcarbon.com.
On this episode, Ben Gibbons of Circular11 joins me to share how their startup company is turning plastic waste into low-carbon building products that outlast and outperform traditional building materials.
In the UK, 75% of plastic goes to waste, and a significant reason for this is the cross-polymer contamination that is an inseparable part of the recycling system.
The mixture of plastics, and the range of chemicals in them, means that manufacturers can't achieve consistent product characteristics, and therefore don't buy the waste streams.
The team at Circular 11 has developed a process control system that dynamically adjusts our own sets of composite formulations to achieve a consistent, high quality output from low-grade variable inputs.
They currently manufacture and sell products to validate the technology, and will then license the process control system to other manufacturers, enabling the wider polymer processing sector to use low-grade plastic as a functional feedstock.
You can learn more about their company by visiting https://circular11.com.
This week Jeff Bassler, founder of Prodigm joins me on the podcast. Prodigm is a premier maker of production-focused filament winding controls and software solutions.
On this episode, Jeff will share some background of their company and a recent case study of helping Duoline Technologies improve their process. Duoline produces RICEWRAP®, a protective wrap of fiberglass epoxy externally applied and bonded to steel pipe for external corrosion protection on downhole tubing.
The team at Duoline had challenges with the current filament winding equipment used to produce this product line. Using Prodigm's open platform CNC controls and software installed on their filament winding fiberglass tubular product line Improved the quality of their parts.
Jeff started Prodigm back in 2008. Having over 13 years of experience in controls and software engineering already, Jeff was completely intrigued by the possibilities offered by filament winding different laminate structures and started developing the first algorithms.
Now, 13 years later, having customers across the continental US, Prodigm's primary focus has not changed. Getting a machine running is one thing; tailoring it to run for their customer's specific wants is the most rewarding part.
They've contributed to the manufacture of light poles, composite rifle barrels, ductwork, rocket fuselages, rocket fuel tanks, oil well-lining systems, and lightweight robotic arms—to name a few! You can learn more about their company by visiting www.prodigm.net.
This week Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me on the show as we discuss some of the expanded applications for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are widely used in the aerospace and energy sectors but their ability to be used in extreme conditions (high heat) makes them attractive for other industries as well.
On this episode, I welcome Lucas Grimes and Arthur Kaplan on the show. Their company Imperium was born out of the desire to optimize the way energy is purchased. Using the power of AI and automation, they help manufacturing companies cut out the hidden fees and tell you the best time to buy.
The energy that fuels the composites industry and mfg operations throughout the US is a significant cost. Their new predictive artificial intelligence (AI) platform helps manufacturers lock in the lowest energy rates at just the right time.
On this episode, we'll be discussing how their technology is helping companies in our industry.
You can learn more by visiting https://thisisimperium.com.
On this episode, we feature an interview with Jen and Chris Hudak. They are the founders of Escapod, a fabricator of lightweight teardrop camper trailers and one of the fastest-growing manufacturing companies in the US. This company started back in 2016 out of a garage and now has over 70 employees.
This week Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me for the final podcast episode of 2022. We'll be discussing some of the Best Innovations in Composites for 2022. In our discussion we'll reference some of the 2022 JEC Composites Innovations Awards finalists.
On this episode, Weslee Washington and John Kehoe of Boaz Partners join me to discuss some of the work they do for their business partners in the composites industry. Boaz Partners is an executive recruitment firm providing companies with custom recruiting solutions in specialty chemicals and advanced materials markets. Their expertise is a result of a niche-specific approach which allows them to be specialists in this industry.
Their name “Boaz Partners” refers to Ruth’s husband Boaz in the Old Testament who was known for his swiftness, integrity, and transparency. These characteristics provide the pillars of their firm’s service. Weslee John will be discussing the history of the company as well as the unique approach they take in finding the top industry talent for their clients. To learn more about their company visit https://boazpartners.com.
This week Dr. Roberto Lopez-Anido joins me on the show to discuss their research in structural thermoplastics and smart materials.
Dr. Lopez-Anido has more than 22 years of experience in the areas of mechanics of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for construction, durability analysis of composite materials, advanced experimental methods for composites, composites manufacturing, rehabilitation of civil infrastructure, design of composite structures, and structural health monitoring. He is a research leader in FRP composites at UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and has produced 60 journal publications, 89 conference publications, one book, and six patents.
On this episode, we’ll be discussing the next generation of environmentally sustainable structural thermoplastic composites that save energy, reduce waste, and allow for making parts faster, cheaper, and more reliably.
This week I welcome Douglas Gardner on the show. He's the professor and program leader of sustainable materials technology in the School of Forest Resources at the University of Maine. He's also a member of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center and Forest Bioproducts Research Institute.
His research, teaching, and service activities focus on polymer and interfacial science aspects of wood-polymer composite materials.
He is also involved in research in the areas of adhesion and surface science, cellulose nanocomposites and extruded wood plastic composites, and additive manufacturing.
This week, Bryce Anzelmo joins me on the show. Bryce is the director of product development for Lyten, an advanced materials company that invented Lyten 3D Graphene™.
3D Graphene™ is a platform of materials that has the potential to enable breakthroughs in energy storage, composite systems, and chemical & passive sensors.
Composite system improvements enabled by Lyten 3D Graphene include increased strength and stiffness, decreased weight, as well as improved thermal and electrical properties. Lyten multifunctional composites are designed to deliver the optimal combination of these attributes for various polymer and metallic alloy systems.
When formulated into their advanced Lithium-Sulfur battery chemistry for electric vehicles, it will deliver higher energy density, lower battery weight, and the lowest carbon footprint of any EV battery.
On this episode, Bryce will be discussing their composite systems as well as the LytCell™. It uses graphene™ to “cage” the sulfur in the battery, leading to a higher-performance battery that will have up to 3X the energy density, and enables vehicles to more than double the driving range vs. traditional EV batteries.
You can learn more about the company by visiting them at https://lyten.com.
On this episode, Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me as he does each month to discuss ways to improve quality control. Andrew is the director of certifications for the ACMA and also a manufacturing training consultant. It's always great to catch up with Andrew each month as he shares process improvement takeaways from his time spent in manufacturing plants.
On this episode, we feature some interviews from day 2 at CAMX 2022. We start off the show with interviews with Scott Lewitt and his team at Structural Composites.
We'll also be talking with Anvesh Gurijala, CEO of Boston Materials, Witt Doolittle of Stoner Inc., Anoosheh M. Oskouian of Ship & Shore Environmental, and Marcos Vidal of Dorfner Composites.
CAMX 2022 is a wrap, and on this episode, we share some interviews from day 1 on the exhibit hall.
Some of our interviews include:
This week I welcome Nick Santhanam to the show. Nick is the CEO of Fernweh Group, and the co-author of a brand new book The Titanium Economy coming out October 25th in book stores and available for pre-order on Amazon.
While Silicon Valley titans dominate the headlines nowadays, many of the fastest-growing, most profitable companies in the US are firms you’ve likely never heard of, such as HEICO, Trex, and Casella. These booming companies belong to a burgeoning sector—industrial tech—that offers surprising hope to workers, consumers, and investors alike.
Nick and I will be discussing some incredible companies in his book - companies such as Trex, a company that manufactures high-performance composite decking using plastic waste.
In an age of instability, industrial tech is a cornerstone of our economic future, and Nick and his co-authors dispel the myth that the best of American manufacturing is behind us and illuminate an opportunity for a brighter future—if we can seize it.
You can pre-order their upcoming book on Amazon here.
This week I welcome Vishnu Marla, a scientist at W. L. Gore & Associates, a company with an amazing history of innovation.
Gore is a materials science company focused on creating solutions for the most challenging environments — from implants in the human body to clothing worn on expeditions to Mt. Everest, to electronic cables transmitting signals from Mars.
Since 1958, Gore has developed products that improve lives. At the center of these solutions is polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polymer with exceptional properties like high tensile strength, a low dielectric constant, UV resistance and many more. In 1969, the possibilities for PTFE expanded with Bob Gore’s discovery of expanded PTFE, or ePTFE.
Gore fabric technologies have revolutionized the performance of fabrics by controlling porosity through unique microstructures. Membrane technologies and advanced polymers and materials have been developed to meet specific performance criteria for outdoor activities as well as occupational and industrial uses.
Gore has 12,000 employees, with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan, and China, and sales offices around the world.
You can learn more about Gore by visiting https://www.gore.com.
This week, Andrew Pokelwaldt with the ACMA joins me on the podcast as we discuss ways composite fabricators can create new market opportunities while serving their existing customers.
We'll be referencing one of my favorite business books Blue Ocean Strategy.
On this episode, Byron Kennedy joins me on the show to discuss SPEE3D, a company that has developed the fastest most affordable metal additive manufacturing process in the world.
Their printer technology enables the most affordable metal additive manufacturing process in the world. They make parts the fastest way possible, leveraging metal cold spray technology to produce industrial quality metal parts in just minutes, rather than days or weeks.
This week, I share an interview I did with Dr. Francesco Fornasiero of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory discussing some of their work in developing a material that could protect soldiers from biological and chemical agents.
The work includes fabricating flexible polymeric membranes with aligned carbon nanotube channels as moisture conductive pores. The size of these pores is 5,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair.
This material is the first key component of futuristic smart uniforms that also can respond to and protect soldiers and civilians from environmental chemical hazards.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission of strengthening the United States’ security through the development and application of world-class science and technology to:
You can read more about the research by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory by visiting https://www.llnl.gov.