May 17, 2013 (Arlington, Va.) – Record breaking attendance and a sold-out exhibit hall with 33 exhibitors marked the close of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) bi-annual Corrosion, Mining, Infrastructure and Architecture Conference – Digging Down and Building Up with Composites – on May 15-16 in Denver, Colo. The conference offered manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, engineers, architects, designers, educators, students and end users the opportunity to see what new composite technology and design advancements have been developed for their markets.
The opening General Session delivered by John Busel, Director of ACMA’s Composites Growth Initiative, focused on how the composites industry must react to the challenges of meeting new testing and demonstration standards when introducing products into new composites markets.
“Standards boost business. They’re important, take time and are more powerful when the entire supply chain works together to develop them,” Busel stated during his presentation. “Industry collaboration on standards development will grow and advance the composites industry. We must also educate users and customers in order to reduce barriers which will lead to more wide-spread composites acceptance.”
During the two-day conference, 200 attendees participated in more than 30 Education Sessions in four Tracks. The wide-ranging program selection offered recent technical research, design insights and a broad range of composite solutions. Professional Development Hours were available to attendees, and for the first time since ACMA became an approved American Institute of Architects CES Provider, 7.5 eligible LU/HSW credits were also offered.
Targeted Education Tracks:
- The Architecture Track featured architectural visionary Greg Lynn who was been named one of TIME Magazine’s most innovative people of the 21st century. Speakers from a broad variety of perspectives presented applications and real-world challenges of composites as an emerging construction material.
- The NACE-developed Corrosion Track provided a focus on FRP in controlling corrosion in industry applications, equipment inspection, FRP pipe and fitting design and a panel discussion with key track speakers.
- The Infrastructure Track included sessions on FRP applications in bridge infrastructure, improving glass FRP rebar longevity and using carbon composites in telecom tower strengthening.
- The Mining Track offered the latest technical research and design best practices for hydrometallurgy as well as case studies and practical applications that have helped the mining industry evaluate which materials are best suited for their project needs.
“While ACMA is excited about introducing the new joint exhibition and convention with SAMPE as the premiere composites and advanced materials exhibition and conference in the world,” says ACMA Chief Staff Executive Tom Dobbins, “events like the Digging Down and Building Up with Composites Conference reflect our organization’s dedication to targeted education programs and expanded outreach to end users to grow the composites marketplace. Our second annual Chemical Processing Symposium which will be held this November in Galveston, Tex., is another example of that focus.”
ACMA will offer Webinars on some of the presentations from this conference and all conference material will be made available to conference attendees and ACMA members.
The conference was produced by ACMA with NACE, SME, AIA and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology as participating organizations, as well as CM Magazine and Composites World as media partners.
Exhibiting Companies:
- AOC Resins
- Ashland Performance Materials
- Augusta Fiberglass
- Beetle Plastics
- Composites One
- CPIC North America, Inc.
- Composites World
- Enduro Composites Inc
- Ershigs Inc.
- Fibergrate Composite Structures
- Fibrex Corporation
- Gurit
- International Grating & Flanges, Inc.
- Interplastic Corporation
- Jushi USA
- Kenway Corporation
- Litek Composites Corp
- Maverick Applied Science Inc.
- Mektech Composites Inc.
- Molded Fiber Glass
- North American Composites
- Nexeo Solutions
- Owens Corning
- Palmer Manufacturing and Tanks Inc.
- PITSA
- Plant Maintenance Services
- PPG Industries
- Reichhold
- Rotaloc International LLC
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Vectorply Corporation
- ZCL Composites Inc.
Event Sponsors:
- AOC Resins
- Ashland Inc.
- Jushi USA
- Nexeo Solutions
- United Initiators
