The Plasma Wand. Source | Plasma Etch Inc.

(Carson City, Nev., U.S.) has been developing purpose-built plasma technology for the needs of science, academia, manufacturing and multiple industries since 1980. Notable companies such as NASA, Boeing, Honeywell, Bayer and Lockheed-Martin have all entrusted the company’s plasma technology repeatedly with optimum results.

More information about entry-level systems, atmospheric systems, bench top systems and production-scale cleaning, desmear, polymerization and etch back plasma equipment — including the PE-5000 extra large plasma treatment system — is available at the Plasma Etch booth. Attendees are also welcome to discuss any plasma system requirements or technical features not offered on the company’s list.

Plasma Etch is also providing live demonstrations with its entry-level atmospheric system Plasma Wand. The Plasma Wand is an R&D scale hand-held atmospheric plasma system that has the ability to clean material to improve printing and bonding. It’s about the size of an electric toothbrush and only requires electricity to operate. Additional nozzle options are now available to help get into tight grooves or holes; these needle nozzle options are available for use on conductive and nonconductive materials. Note that multi-gas nozzle option enable additional gases to be induced.

Plasma Etch also highlights its Integrated Atmospheric System, which is ideal for applications like gluing, printing, coating, bonding and more. The versatile unit can be easily integrated into the production and/or automated industries on robotic or gantry style systems.

The company also offers larger-scale atmospheric systems that can be integrated into production lines as well as partially to fully automated systems.

TCR towpreg. Source | TCR Composites

TCR Composites (Ogden, Utah) highlights the release of its high glass transition temperature (T_g) resin, an epoxy resin system engineered to meet and exceed the demands of advanced rotor and aerospace applications. Developed with industry partners in mind, the resin has improved thermal performance, optimal mechanical properties and simplified processing.

With the rotor industry requiring high thermal and mechanical performance, TCR’s resin delivers a dry T_g exceeding 230°C (446°F), achieved with a simple out-of-autoclave (OOA) cure at just 177°C (350°F).

Extreme thermal performance. TCR’s T_g resin achieves a DMA storage modulus (E’) onset T_g > 45°C (81°F) and a Tan Delta peak T_g > 56°C (100°F) above its cure temperature, made possible by a 100% epoxy chemistry and ultra-high cross-link density formulation.

Room temperature storage. This resin offers a 3-month room temperature prepreg shelf life, with potential for longer durations as ongoing evaluations continue, simplifying logistics and reducing cold storage requirements.

Tailorable tack and flow. It maintains customizable handling characteristics, making it ideal for complex part geometries and hand layup operations.

High strength with flexibility. Demonstrates optimal tensile elongation and flexural strength, even when used with intermediate modulus fibers such as IM10 and T1100.

TCR Composites is a global thermoset resin systems company, known for providing high-performance prepreg materials tailored to the needs of aerospace, defense and industrial markets.

PEI and PES tapes with S2 glass fiber from AGY. Source | AGY

Glass fiber reinforcement company AGY (Aiken, S.C., U.S.) has teamed up with  (Weselberg, Germany), a custom producer of unidirectional thermoplastic tapes, to commercially launch a new class of ultra-lightweight, high-performance thermoplastic tapes used for wrapped and layered composite applications.

The collaboration showcases AGY’s single-end S2 Glass roving, which is integrated into unidirectional (UD) tapes featuring LM-PAEK and PEI resin systems. The resulting tapes high exceptional strength, stiffness and impact resistance, optimized for aerospace, defense and high-performance industrial applications where structural performance and weight savings are critical.

The UD thermoplastic composite tapes feature continuous fiber alignment for optimal load transfer in one direction. AGY’s S2 Glass provides a boost in strength, stiffness, impact resistance and fatigue life. Altogether, reinforcement and matrix offer a composite material with low thermal and electrical conductivity, while enabling high-temperature performance, radar transparency and electrical insulation.

The thermoplastic resins, LM-PAEK and PEI, are reported to outperform thermosets in toughness and offer resistance to chemicals, fuels, oils and corrosion — all while minimizing moisture uptake. 

In addition, the tapes are ideal for sustainable manufacturing — they can be reheated and reshaped, have no volatile organic compounds and have reduced processing energy requirements. Their processing is also flexible. No curing is required — just heat, form and cool — supporting rapid cycle times and compatibility with automated out-of-autoclave processes such as ATL, AFP and stamp forming. Thermoformable into complex geometries, these tapes integrate easily into automated systems and hybrid laminates with other fiber types.

Source | Superior Huntingdon Composites LLC

Superior Huntingdon Composites LLC (Vanceburg, Ky., U.S.) delivers high- performance, U.S.-made glass veils and reinforcing materials globally certified for their environmental impact. One hundred percent of Vanceburg A Glass veils and reinforcing mats are certified 88% minimum recycled content by weight by SCS Global — a certification that the company says is not common for continuous glass nonwoven manufacturers.

All of Superior’s materials are engineered for advanced manufacturing applications — including pultrusion, compression molding, resin transfer molding (RTM), continuous lamination and vacuum infusion processes. The company’s glass veils (starting at 20 g/m²) and glass reinforcing mats (225-900 g/m²) offer high strength, stiffness, durability, cosmetic surface finish and processing ease. They also feature optimal surface aesthetics, corrosion resistance, drapeability and enhanced bonding. Reinforcing mats offer high structural integrity and improved processing ease. The company’s recycled veils and reinforcement mats are used across automotive, aerospace, construction, energy and marine market segments.

Superior Huntingdon Composites’ recycled continuous glass nonwoven  manufacturing processes ensure consistent, high-quality results while reducing environmental impact — from pultruded profiles to complex molded parts.

Slitting and rewinding system. Source (All Images) | Mikrosam

Mikrosam (Macedonia, Prilep) is celebrating 35 years of innovation in automation for composites manufacturing. A supplier with a comprehensive portfolio — filament winding and turnkey solutions; prepreg slitting and converting; automated fiber and tape placement (ATL/AFP); and prepreg and towpreg production lines — Mikrosam spotlights its commitment to customization and productivity.

Mikrosam is placing emphasis on its solutions for space and defense, composite pressure vessels, electric motor components and scalable in-house prepreg slitting — technologies aimed at increasing throughput and reducing cost per part. The company delivers multi-spindle filament winding systems with features like automatic cut-and-restart, modular resin baths and a TCON control system with SCADA and historian integration.

Mikrosam’s high-tension AFP and filament winding technologies are capable of producing precision components, particularly for electric motors, where tight fiber control is critical. Aerospace, defense and research institutions — including NIAR, Qarbon Aerospace and GKN Fokker — continue to adopt Mikrosam’s systems for their ability to deliver high structural integrity and repeatable quality under demanding manufacturing conditions.

One of Mikrosam’s newest innovations is the flexible double-belt press prepreg line, developed in partnership with NIAR and Syensqo (U.S.). Designed for both thermoset and thermoplastic resins, it supports R&D and industrial-scale production, offering uniform heating and pressure profiles for optimal laminate quality, ideal for aerospace, energy and marine applications.

With rising demand for in-house prepreg slitting, Mikrosam also offers scalable slitting systems featuring advanced inspection and traceability. These systems deliver ROI in under two years, the company says, making them a smart investment for OEMs and Tier suppliers alike.

Towpreg production remains a strategic focus. Mikrosam’s modular, high-capacity lines support industrial-scale output, with recent deliveries — including a compact, integrated cell for a major Asian customer — highlighting the company’s ability to adapt to evolving market needs.

Coriolis C3 machine with robot carrier. Source | Coriolis Composites

Automated fiber placement (AFP) machine supplier Coriolis Composites (Quéven, France) launches the C3 dockable AFP head — available in 16 × ½" or ¼’" — which is compatible with robots or gantry systems. This latest product range extension builds upon the company’s experience with machines currently producing flying parts for commercial, space and defense. 

Coriolis’ AFP solutions are capable of addressing all part types, from complex geometries (with the C1.2 range) to large components (with the C3 and C5 ranges), with a high level of industrialization. The C3 head takes from technologies used on these existing systems. Designed for long-term use, it is qualified for both current and next-generation aerostructures for a wide range of composite part like fuselage sections, wing spars and wing skins, pressure bulkheads and many others.

For example, the C3’s feeding/clamping and cutting unit is coming from the C1.2 machine, with a 0.5' material tow width. The dockable head — quick coupling technology to ensure fast and reliable head changes for flexible manufacturing to maximize machine availability — has already been validated on Csolo and C5. Similarly, C3’s AFP “nose” with cutting module has been validated on the C1.2 and C5. The AFP nose incorporates a robust cutting module, capable of 100,000 cuts per blade. It supports both adding and cutting fiber at a speed of up to 1 m/s by respecting the aerospace accuracy requirements.

The C3 is compatible with Coriolis’ online automatic inspection system (AIS). Its ergonomic design is designed for operator comfort and efficiency, offering frontal access to all components so that maintenance and cleaning operations can be performed without any tools (Level 1 and 2). This intuitive and user-friendly design minimizes downtime and ensures a faster learning for new operators. Additionally, it features a motorized module for backing film. The re-winding design provides consistent backing film management and includes a backing film detection device to guarantee part integrity and enable rapid operator intervention. While providing accurate pressure control of the dancing arm for fiber tension, the C3 head also gives users direct measurements as close as possible to the layup, enabling precise compaction control.

Coriolis offers expertise in both low-rail and high-rail gantry systems, providing a comprehensive solution for diverse applications.

Source | Incoa Performance Materials

(Mobile, Ala., U.S.) presents InCal calcium carbonate mineral modifiers as high-performance, sustainable and functional fillers meeting diverse plastic processing needs, including adhesives and fibers.

InCal is pure and FDA-approved. It features a nonabrasive profile — there are virtually no acid-insolubles. InCal is also silica-free, ensuring safety when processing, and has high UV and processing stability, with an iron content <35 ppm. InCal has a precisely controlled particle size distribution (PSD), low specific surface area (BET) and an improved carbon footprint — water-free, chemical-free, dry-ground production with minimal processing stages.

Incoa’s ISO-certified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) confirms the low environmental impact of InCal. The filler produces 210 kg CO_â‚‚ per metric ton, which is 25-30% lower than the industry average, the company reports.

In addition, the InCal product line is versatile, optimized for use in PVC, polyolefins, rubbers, elastomers and thermosets. It ensures product safety, long-term color stability and high performance, particularly in demanding PVC formulations.

One product example is InCal 10BF BioFill, a specially modified calcium carbonate that resists hydrolysis. Therefore, 10BF BioFill benefits hydrolytically sensitive resins (such as ester-based biopolymers and polyester), enhances processing integrity and product performance. It also supports green and biomaterial adoption.

An application part achieved using MTE500. Source | SHD Group

SHD Group (Mooresville, N.C., U.S. and Sleaford, U.K.) has launched MTE500, a cost-efficient epoxy component system engineered for optimized performance across a broad range of composite applications.

The hot-melt, solvent-free, MTE500 resin system represents an evolution in SHD’s formulation, product processing and final prepreg format, delivering enhanced processing versatility and visual qualities. Improved handling, 60-day outlife at 20°C and 24 months freezer storage life provides manufacturers with additional flexibility.

Through continual innovation strategies, SHD manufactures composite materials on highly efficient, low-energy production lines, offering a more sustainable alternative to incumbent composites. With flexible and local supply, high capacity and low minimum order quantity (MOQ), SHD is able to provide a variety of prepreg products on short lead times. Equally suited to small projects with low MOQs as high-volume serial production, MTE500 is available globally.

Source | L&L Products

L&L Products (Romeo, Mich., U.S.) invites attendees to explore how the company is advancing performance, safety and sustainability across air, land and sea. L&L’s booth theme — Air, Land and Sea — highlights the breadth of its high-performance material solutions, purpose-built for the most demanding environments.

From aerospace and commercial vehicles to marine structures and performance gear, L&L Products delivers lightweight, durable and multifunctional materials tailored to diverse industries and applications.

In the air, discover its structural adhesives and composite bonding technologies for commercial jets, private aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). L&L says its solutions improve structural integrity, reduce weight and manage thermal extremes. Products like T-Link represent the company’s capabilities in composite bonding, helping customers streamline processing and enhance long-term performance.

On land, explore L&L’s technologies for bonding, sealing, acoustic control and reinforcement across commercial vehicles and beyond. Whether optimizing the structure of a heavy-duty truck or enabling lightweight, high-impact sporting goods like pickleball paddles and archery bows, the company’s portfolio — including Phaster, CCS and InsituCore — deliver on durability, comfort and scalable integration. Designed for ease of integration, L&L Products’ materials are used globally by OEMs seeking reliable, scalable solutions.

At sea, learn how its expanding marine and recreational solutions offer lightweight strength, corrosion resistance and vibration damping for both industrial and leisure watercraft. From surfboards and oars to structural marine panels, L&L says its technologies help reduce emissions, improve user comfort and extend service life — even for some of the harshest marine environments.

At the booth, visitors can find interactive demos, hands-on materials and experts ready to discuss how L&L Products can bring tailored performance to your next innovation.

BConnect – BC Inline (top left), BConnect – BC Mobile (bottom left) and Surface Analyst XA Cell (right). Source | Brighton Science

Brighton Science (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) showcases how manufacturers can take control of adhesion-critical processes with precision, speed and intelligence. A global surface quality inspection company, Brighton says it delivers powerful solutions that eliminate guesswork and variability from composites cleaning, bonding, sealing, painting and coating operations.

Surface Analyst, a tool built on Brighton’s patented ballistic deposition technology, is available for in-person viewing. This portable, nondestructive system performs water contact angle (WCA) measurements in under 3 sec, giving manufacturers instant, objective insight into the molecular surface state of real parts, not just coupons. Unlike legacy methods such as water break tests, dyne pens or lab goniometers, the Surface Analyst provides repeatable, data-rich results directly on the production floor or in the field.

Brighton Science also spotlights BConnect, a cloud-based platform that turns surface measurement into a connected intelligence network. BConnect enables plant managers, quality teams and supply chain stakeholders to monitor surface readiness in real time, share specifications across locations and respond to issues instantly. From automated lines to supplier audits, BConnect empowers manufacturers to identify trends, prevent defects and drive process improvements through surface intelligence.

For operators looking to scale quality efforts, Brighton offers automation-ready integration — bringing WCA inspection into inline processes without disrupting production. And for teams ready to build internal expertise, Brighton Academy provides comprehensive training and support to ensure users at all technical levels can confidently operate and interpret data from its systems.