COMPOSITES 2010 Las Vegas Preview
ACMA’s annual COMPOSITES+POLYCON event acquires a shorter name and heads inland to the U.S. Desert West.
The American Composites Manufacturers Assn.’s (ACMA, Arlington, Va.) annual conference and trade show is heading west in 2010, destined for the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 9-11. Previously the COMPOSITES+POLYCON show, it’s now simply COMPOSITES 2010, but it features many of the same events that have attracted composites professionals over the years.
Beyond the show’s exhibit hall, COMPOSITES 2010 features a full slate of conference, education, networking and keynote events that will cover a variety of composite materials, processes and end-markets. On the social/networking side, the show kicks off with the Opening Welcome Reception, Feb. 9 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., sponsored by Reichhold LLC2 (Research Triangle Park, N.C.). This is followed on Feb. 10, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., by the Awards Luncheon, where winners of ACMA’s Pinnacle and ACE Awards are presented and ACMA recognizes its Lifetime Achievement, Composites Hall of Fame, President’s Award, and Outstanding Volunteer honorees.
ACMA plans two keynote events this year. The first, on Feb. 9, features former Massachusetts governor, 2008 Republican presidential primary candidate and potential frontrunner for the 2012 Republican presidential ticket, Mitt Romney. ACMA reports that Governor Romney will address “many of the challenges facing our nation and business” and “provide a clear vision for the future.” ACMA has extended an open invitation (no fee or ticket required) to attendees and exhibitors for the Romney keynote. He will be speaking at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The second event, Feb. 10 from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m., features a panel that will address emerging markets for composites applications. Panelists will represent wind energy, defense, automotive, appliance, aerospace, infrastructure and construction end-markets.
If you’re headed to Las Vegas for composites education, there are several opportunities at the show. COMPOSITES 2010 offers technical paper presentations and tutorials. Sessions begin Feb. 9 at 9 a.m. and run all three days of the event. First-day topics include composite rebar in concrete, nondestructive testing, lean manufacturing, peroxides in composites, corrosion, open molding, gel coat quality, nano-platelets, pultrusion cure, troubleshooting product failures and many others.
Day-two sessions cover four-layer sandwich panels, natural fiber reinforcement, thermoplastics, resin chemistry primer, worker safety, disposable mandrels, structural panels, cast polymers, infusion feed systems, lifecycle assessment, light resin transfer molding (LRTM) troubleshooting and more. The end of the second day’s sessions features an Emerging Markets reception (5 to 6 p.m.), hosted by Composites One (Arlington Hts., Ill.).
Among the day-three topics are color science for thermosets, mold design and repair, offshore wind, pushtrusion, onsite wind blade repair, light RTM tooling, waterjet cutting, bio-composites, conductive coating for sheet molding compound.
The exhibit floor, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 10, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 11, features more than 110 exhibitors featuring resins, fibers, tooling, software, inspection systems, core material and other products for composites manufacturing.
COMPOSITES 2010 Exhibitor List
The exhibitor list published in our CT December 2009 issue (p. 13) was based on information available Nov. 11, 2009. For up-to-date information on the exhibiting companies that will be on hand in Las Vegas,, click on this link to access the ACMA Web site: (Note: Booth locations are subject to change by ACMA. Please confirm locations with exhibitors.)
Related Content
Duplicor biocomposite cladding aids redevelopment of ABN AMRO office building in Amsterdam
Chosen for low CO2 footprint, RC value >9, fire resistance, light weight and high strength, Duplicor façade structures are key to two-story extension.
Read More
Evolving natural fiber technology to meet industry sustainability needs
From flax fiber composite boats to RV exterior panels to a circularity model with partnerships in various end markets, Greenboats strives toward its biomaterials and sustainable composites vision in an ever-changing market.
Read More
JEC World 2025 highlights: Evolving recycling and biomaterials technologies
CW technical editor Hannah Mason shares sustainability-focused composites trade show highlights featuring maturation, scale-up, new partnerships, and new technologies in biomaterials and recycling.
Read More
PUR composite sandwich panels for 3D automotive parts, high-volume panels and more
At its U.S. sites, Ascorium produces glass fiber/PUR 3D parts via semi-automated molding, high-volume flat panels via a continuous line while working toward bio-based PUR and recycling.
Read MoreRead Next
All-recycled, needle-punched nonwoven CFRP slashes carbon footprint of Formula 2 seat
Dallara and Tenowo collaborate to produce a race-ready Formula 2 seat using recycled carbon fiber, reducing CO2 emissions by 97.5% compared to virgin materials.
Read More
“Structured air” TPS safeguards composite structures
Powered by an 85% air/15% pure polyimide aerogel, Blueshift’s novel material system protects structures during transient thermal events from -200°C to beyond 2400°C for rockets, battery boxes and more.
Read More
Composites end markets: New space (2025)
Composite materials — with their unmatched strength-to-weight ratio, durability in extreme environments and design versatility — are at the heart of innovations in satellites, propulsion systems and lunar exploration vehicles, propelling the space economy toward a $1.8 trillion future.
Read More