The JEC Group’s 4th annual JEC Americas composites show and conferences reportedly increased by 15% in space and number of exhibitors. Two-thirds of JEC Americas exhibitors were North American-based.
According to its organisers, the event had a particularly pronounced focus on composites manufacturing, attracting leaders in big series manufacturing, with 60% of the exhibitors at this year’s show presenting solutions for the manufacturing of composites, including equipment, software and tooling.
‘The composites industry continues to thrive in North and South America, driven by innovations in materials, processing and equipment,’ said Frédérique Mutel, president and CEO, JEC Group. ‘That growth is mirrored by the development of JEC Americas.
Among the highlights at this year’s JEC Americas included a 3D printed Shelby Cobra developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Shelby was printed using 20% carbon fiber reinforced ABS material.
Industry potential
The show also featured keynote addresses by Ron Garan, a former NASA astronaut and Byron Pipes, the John Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue University, exploring composites innovations in aerospace and manufacturing, as well as the industry’s potential to push the boundaries of further innovations.
The next JEC Americas will take place in Atlanta, Georgia in May 2016. Among the planned conference topics include challenges in the glass fiber industry, lowering processing costs in the automotive industry and innovations in 3D printing.
This story is reprinted from material from JEC, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.