compositesweekly

This week I welcome Dan Cohen, CEO of FLITE on the show to talk about some of their surface engineering technology that uses laser and plasma energy to make permanent changes to surfaces reducing the need for chemicals.

The company was created in 2018 to develop the emerging science of surface functionalization into commercial use at industrial scale. 

The FLITE team believes that the time has come to take these techniques out of the lab and into industries looking for a better, cleaner, and safer way to protect their products. 

Their methods have been demonstrated on glass, plastic, metal, ceramics, semiconductors, and composites.

You can learn more by visiting them at https://www.flite.tech. 

This week I welcome Bill Easter, the CEO of X-Mat on the show. X-Mat is a company that has developed a revolutionary, high-performance material that combines some of the best properties of metals (electrical conductivity), engineering plastics (lightweight), and ceramics (high operating temperature). 

 Their technology has the power to disrupt many industries and we'll be discussing some of the latest projects they are involved in on today's episode. 

This week, I welcome Sonny Vu to the show. Sonny is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of Arevo, an advanced manufacturing technology company that automates the design and production of large, complex continuous carbon fiber reinforced polymer (“CFRP”) composite structures. 

Their technology has the ability to build complex-geometry parts using chopped carbon fiber or, more importantly, continuous fiber reinforcement and high-performance polymers. However, the real innovation is combining digital technology with a six-axis robot to enable 3D parts with 3D fiber orientation.

On this episode, Sonny will discuss his background as a serial entrepreneur and what drew his interest to Arevo's technology and market potential. 

This week Meredith Glasgow of Current joins me on the show to discuss their company.

On this episode, I share a recent interview I did with Andrew Pokelwaldt, of the ACMA, and Brannon Pittman of HK Research discussing Gelcoat issues. Gel coating is typically a common problem area when working with composites, especially in the colder months, and can be a struggle for even experienced fabricators.

On this episode, Andrew and Brannon will be walking us through application steps and procedures for avoiding many problems that can arise during the gel coating process.

Nearly $130 billion dollars is needed to repair deteriorating infrastructures throughout North America. 

And while steel and concrete may be the most popular methods for reinforcing structures, they are labor-intensive and time-consuming. 

CIISolutions was formed in 2018 by Dr. Bahira Abdulsalam to provide a better solution. They specialize in the repair and strengthening of structures like bridges, parking structures, and seawalls with Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP).

CII Solutions is an engineering and manufacturing company based in Canada, and they provide advanced, sustainable, and cost-efficient solutions for the civil engineering sector.

This week, Dr. Abdulsalam joins me on the show to talk about the work they are doing at CII Solutions. 

Dr. Bahira Abdulsalam has a Masters's Degree in structural strengthening using composites, a Pd.D. in FRP internal reinforcement, and a Post-doctorate Industrial Fellowship in composite manufacturing.

This week, I welcome William Hoff CEO of Geopolymer International, a firm that creates and distributes ecologically friendly building materials. William has been in
the construction industry for over 40 years, with experience in massive projects and is an expert in concrete and concrete alternatives.

William focuses on sustainable materials, and commits to bringing new technologies compliant with standard certifications, and permitting requirements needed to make them a reality. Currently, he's working with Geopolymer, 3-D concrete printing, and modular housing to achieve his goals.

You can learn more about them by visiting https://geopolymerinternational.com. 

This past week Bentley Park, CEO of APJeT®, Inc. joined me on the show to discuss their unique air plasma technology and the benefits to a number of industries including the composites and additive manufacturing industry. 

APJeT® is an advanced technology company located in Research Triangle Park, Morrisville, NC. They recently announced a new industrial application for its breakthrough air plasma technology.

Eliminating the need for heat and chemicals for substrate preparation prior to dyeing or printing, the APJeT cold plasma process increases wettability and adhesion, while reducing safety risks, environmental impact, and degradation of the substrate material.

This week, I have a two-part interview with Chris Hurdleston and Marcos Vidal of ACS International, and also Marco Suess of Dorfner. 

ACS International is a leading supplier of raw materials for composites industries such as cast polymer, solid surface, and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP).

On this episode, I welcome two guests from the transportation industry to discuss the two biggest drivers of increasing rates in the US - COVID-19, and supply chain disruptions. 

Jim Grundy, a transportation expert, and CEO of Sisu energy joins me for the first part of the discussion, and John Barnett of Steamboat Transportation Group joins me for the 2nd part.