Composites Weekly

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On this episode, Dan Neumann joins the podcast to recap the ACMA Composites Fly-In in Washington, D.C. Each year, industry leaders travel to Capitol Hill to meet directly with lawmakers and policymakers, ensuring the voice of the composites industry is heard on issues ranging from infrastructure and defense to manufacturing regulations and workforce development.

Dan is VP of Government Affairs for the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA).

On this episode, Will Tashman, Co-Founder of Uncountable, joins the podcast. Their AI-powered platform helps industries capture, structure, and connect complex formulation and experimental data throughout the full product lifecycle.

Before launching Uncountable with his cofounders, Will was a product design engineer at Apple Inc. He'll share how chemical and advanced materials companies are now using their software to centralize formulation data, design smarter experiments, and uncover insights hidden within years of research and testing.

You can learn more by visiting https://www.uncountable.com.

On this episode, Kerry McCormick, CEO of PolyC Plastics and Composites, and co-founder Dr. Greg Sotzing join the podcast. PolyC Plastics and Composites is a company dedicated to developing cleaner, safer polymer technologies to replace legacy materials that contain substances such as PFAS, BPA, phthalates, and VOCs. They were recently featured in an article by Forbes magazine titled, Tackling Plastic Pollution With A Hemp-Based Alternative.

Greg is a professor of chemistry and materials science at the University of Connecticut and a leading researcher in sustainable polymer technology. He is the author of a groundbreaking new study exploring hemp-derived alternatives to conventional plastics, with a focus on creating high-performance materials from renewable resources.

On this episode, we'll discuss the future of sustainable polymers, hemp-derived materials, and what these innovations could mean for the composites industry.

On this episode, Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites joins the show to discuss how their company is scaling their CF3D technology for aerospace, defense, hypersonics, UAVs, and other mission-critical applications. CF3D is a next-generation manufacturing technology that combines continuous fiber composites, automation, and software into a single digital manufacturing process.

Before joining Continuous Composites, Steve spent years working in advanced manufacturing and metal additive manufacturing, including leadership roles involving laser powder bed fusion technology at Velo3D. That experience gave him a firsthand look at how additive manufacturing technologies evolve from emerging concepts into production-ready tools for industry. You can learn more about Continuous Composites by visiting https://continuouscomposites.com.

On this episode, Trevor Smith, founder and CEO of Atomic-6, joins the podcast. Atomic-6 is an advanced composite solutions manufacturer revolutionizing mobility in extreme environments.

Atomic-6 also just launched ODC.space, the world's first marketplace that allows customers to spec, price, and order orbital data center capacity without building their own satellite systems.

Learn more about them at https://atomic-6.com.

On this episode, Mandy Clement of James Cropper and David Tilbrook of Hexcel join the show to discuss how their companies are working together through the ECCA, to advance the development of high-value composite materials made from recycled carbon fibre that support both performance and circularity across aerospace, automotive, and mobility sectors.

The European Circular Composites Alliance (ECCA), led by the European Composites Industry Association (EUCIA), brings together material suppliers, manufacturers, recyclers, and end users to tackle the challenges that have historically limited composite recycling. A key focus of the initiative is advancing the use of recovered and recycled carbon fiber in aerospace and defense applications, where maintaining material performance and maximizing fiber value are essential to achieving circularity at scale.

You can learn more by visiting https://advancedmaterials.jamescropper.com/journal/james-cropper-and-hexcel-collaborate-through-ecca-to-advance-aligned-composite-recycling-solutions/.

On this episode, Scott Lewit and Joni Richards of Structural Composites, Inc., join the show to discuss their latest projects, one of which includes a $9 million contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Canaveral Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Sector Gate Project at Port Canaveral. It represents a significant milestone in the adoption of advanced composite materials for critical marine infrastructure. Founded in 1987, SCI specializes in engineering, testing, prototyping, and manufacturing advanced composite structures. They've spent decades advancing composites across defense, marine, transportation, and industrial markets.

The conflict in Iran, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is sending shockwaves through global supply chains—particularly across petrochemicals, resins, and composite materials.

With nearly 20% of the world's oil and a significant share of polyethylene, polypropylene, and key chemical feedstocks moving through this critical chokepoint, disruptions are already driving price volatility, supply shortages, and shifting sourcing strategies. On this episode, I have two guests joining me to discuss the impact on supply chains:

Dawn Hersey, Ph.D., is a combat veteran and subject matter expert in resilience, stability, and conflict. She owns Ferndon Consulting, an Intelligence firm. Her expertise is in international conflict, geopolitical dynamics, and predictive analytics.

David Eyes is an automotive supply chain expert with 25 years of experience, working closely with complex manufacturers and auto suppliers on supply chain risk.

Joining the podcast this week is Bruce King, an engineer, author, filmmaker, and one of the leading voices in sustainable and bio-based building materials. He is the author of the book Build Beyond Zero: New Ideas for Carbon-Smart Architecture.

Bruce spent more than 45 years in structural engineering, working on everything from high-rise buildings to resort projects, before shifting his focus toward a bigger question: how do we build in a way that works with nature instead of against it?

Today, Bruce's work spans everything from straw composites and low-carbon concrete to emerging bio-materials like mycelium, bacterial cellulose, and algae-based construction systems.

Joining the podcast this week is Rush LaSelle, CEO of Fathom Digital Manufacturing.Rush is a veteran leader in advanced manufacturing with more than 30 years of experience scaling digital manufacturing, automation, and additive technologies across aerospace, defense, healthcare, and industrial markets.

His expertise spans additive manufacturing, automation, robotics, advanced materials, and mission-critical manufacturing operations, giving him a unique perspective on where U.S. manufacturing is headed next.

You can learn more about Fathom by visiting https://fathommfg.com.