The top story in August comes in the form of a Q&A with Zoltek Automotive’s CEO David Stewart.  In the Q&A, Steward discusses which automakers are most likely to use composites, why it’s easier to use composites in wind energy and why automotive OEMs haven’t embraced composites until now.

Two other popular stories are Finding the Right Composite Retrofit and Composite Utility Pole Committee Woos Electric Co-ops.

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Cal-EPA has proposed to regulate styrene as a carcinogen. ACMA contends that the proposal is the result of a partial and biased review of the available data: Both the European Union and an international “blue ribbon” expert panel recently reviewed extensive styrene health data and determined that styrene is not likely to cause cancer in humans.

During the event, visits were made to 35 California State Senators and Assemblypersons in an effort to educate and advocate support on the styrene issue. Participants asked their representatives to support reform by the Governor’s office of the Cal-EPA process for assessing chemical health hazards.

After what he considers a round of successful visits, ACMA’s John Schweitzer, senior director of government affairs, said that, “the industry is moving to further educate the legislative offices that were part of the visits, and ACMA is working with them to develop a legislative strategy. As the strategy is implemented, industry members will be asked to again contact their legislators.”

“We were invited to meet with two subcommittees of the NRECA, the Electrical Transmission Specifications and the Overhead Distribution subcommittees, in order to brief them on the benefits of using composites technology within the utilities infrastructure,” said Brian Lacoursiere, head of the UCS-WG and director of Public Affairs at RS Technologies. “In an earlier meeting we had with the Department of Energy (DOE), we learned that all the U.S. governmental departments were mandated to find ways of hardening the grid (make them more resistant to natural disasters) and using more environmentally friendly products wherever possible. With this in mind, we wanted to educate the NRECA on the cost and environmental benefits of composite utility poles. We also wanted to try and get them thinking not only of the purchase price, but of the overall life cycle of the pole. We understand composite poles are slightly more expensive up front, but by the time you factor in installation and maintenance costs, composites are far more cost efficient.”

The NRECA represents the 800 co-ops across the U.S. and by working with NRECA on specs for transmission poles, effectively updating the standards for distribution and transmission poles, the UCS-WG feels orders for composite poles would increase and become steadier. “Instead of four or five, co-ops would order 20 to 30 on a consistent basis as they became more familiar with them,” says Lacoursiere.

After filtering questions about FRP composites, its performance in certain applications and where they were installed, the subcommittees agreed to let the UCS-WG revise and update specs currently used by the NRECA and its coops. “Support by the committee will be critical in developing a specification for FRP poles,” says John Busel, ACMA’s director of CGI. “We hoped to gain trust and credibility with this end-user organization and we were met very openly; they wanted to understand more about FRP composites and how they could be used.” The group aims to have a completed draft by the end of September that will make it easier for administrators in rural electric co-ops to apply for funds and authorization to use FRP poles. Once the draft is complete, the subcommittees will review the draft for approval.”

ACMA encourages people to get involved. “Go to the blog or the wiki page and click the “comments” tab to join the conversation,” says Schweitzer. “It would be great to get input from members of the composites industry on the importance of these issues. If we’re missing anything, suggestions and ways to manage the issues are always welcome.”

To view the reference chart, visit ACMA’s regulatory webpage.

According to John Busel, director of the Composites Growth Initiative for ACMA, there were representatives from 35 departments of transportation (DOT) and 12 other agencies and municipalities focused on bridge product specification. “Given that this is a down year and budgets are mostly frozen, this was very good to see,” he says.

Over 1,500 people attended the conference, and the TSC noticed a trend among the hordes of attendees stopping by their booth: more specific composites questions. Busel says that in the past, most people would not know what a composite was and would ask very broad questions as a result. This year, the inquiries were more detailed, talking about what composites could do and how they could be used in specific situations. “That tells me that FRP is becoming more mainstream, and that people understand that it’s one of the main materials that can be used for infrastructure,” he notes.

This more probing inquiry extended to the TSC’s technical workshop as well. Approximately 60 attendees spanned the six presentations of the workshop, many of whom were new faces to the TSC. Busel noted the fact that it was the first workshop in the session, was held during a closed exhibit hall and only a few technical papers running against it, helped increase its exposure to IBC attendees.

However, while people were more open and receptive to applying composites, budgetary concerns loomed over the proceedings. “Everyone was certainly bemoaning the fact that there’s not much out there,” says Busel. This is why the TSC is focusing its efforts on Congress and the Transportation Bill. DOTs can start a ripple effect by committing to suppliers of products on projects that will be built if they’re infused with the proper funding, which will then result in contractors getting their crews involved.

Buoyed by the optimistic perception change, the TSC will begin implementing tactics to help their efforts for this bill. These include monthly email updates, a briefing at the annual Composites Caucus and extending invitations to House Members and Senate District Staff for tours of manufacturing facilities and bridge installations.

Cultured Marble manufacturer Quality Marble shares their experience on Capitol Hill as part of ACMA's annual Lobby Day.

Last April, the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) organized a Lobby Day and Composites Caucus events in Washington D.C. Industry members from all around the country met with and educated Senators and Representatives on issues important to them. One of those companies, and the only representative for the cultured marble industry, was manufacturer Quality Marble, Inc.

The family owned company went to Capitol Hill from Summerville, S.C. with passion and purpose…and kept detailed notes of their experience. They note that their main focus was on acquiring support in preventing the National Toxicology Program (NTP) from listing styrene as a reasonably anticipated carcinogen. “I think a large group speaks volumes and we believed our Representatives would at least consider our request,” writes Vice President Jacqueline Webb. “I was so nervous, but I kept telling myself ‘they work for us, we got them their jobs’. That helped a little with the nerves.”

For this year’s event, ACMA joined forces with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), which Webb felt was a good fit. “We are a manufacturing company ourselves and have the same issues and concerns as the NAM group,” she notes.

The morning began with a speech from Arizona Senator John Kyl, which the family thought was very motivating. Then, they met with other ACMA members for about an hour. “This is when we actually realized there were only about 20 members here for our specific cause and I didn’t know how so few of us were going to be able to meet with so many congressmen and women,” writes Webb.

However, to tackle the problem, members were put in groups by state, and the Webbs’ group met first with Senator Lindsey Graham’s Director of Legislative Correspondence, Courtney Flezzani. In her journal, Webb paints a vivid picture of Monty Felix, president of ACMA, conducting most of the meeting but notes that as the day went on, her group became more comfortable and (with Monty’s encouragement) each of them spoke on behalf of the cause.

Later, the group also met with correspondents from Senator Jim DeMint, Representative Albio Sires and Representative David Price, and had a face-to-face meeting with North Carolina Representative Virginia Foxx.

In each of our meetings, the group discussed their concerns and the impact the mislabeling of styrene would have on the future of the composite industry. “We felt everyone we spoke with today showed interest in what we were saying,” she writes. And overall, the group considered the trip a success. “We know as owners of a business that relies on the composite industries and suppliers, this is a very important issue and our organization needs to participate anywhere we can possibly make our voices heard and make a difference,” says Webb.

You can read more about ACMA’s Lobby Day2010 and participants experiences in Composites Manufacturing’s summer issue.

“The table shows the OSHA regulations that are the most frequent source of problems during OSHA inspections. The top two are Hazard Communications (material safety data sheets, labels, and training) and Respiratory Protection (vapor concentration monitoring, ventilation, respirator programs),” explains ACMA’s John Schweitzer, senior director of government affairs.

According to Schweitzer, the information suggests that composite manufacturers may want to increase the attention they pay to these specific areas in order to ensure workers are protected and to avoid compliance problems. Going forward, Schweitzer states, “ACMA will use the table to help us provide the most relevant educational programs. For example, we will arrange for webinars and conference sessions on Hazard Communications and Respiratory Protection and other topics that will be relevant and useful to our industry.” For more information, contact John Schweitzer by email.

The two-minute video shows Wilson operating heavy equipment for the 2,000 pound composite swimming pools, rubbing elbows with company employees and understanding a little better what it means not only to be a small business owner, but a composite manufacturer.

When asked about the video, ACMA’s Chief Staff Executive Tom Dobbins stated, “If all ACMA members (and composite manufacturers in general) would take the time to develop the kind of relationship [Felix] has with his member of Congress, we would have more support on important issues from Capitol Hill. I hope this video will inspire others to call their member of Congress and invite him or her to their plant for a visit.”

While OSHA develops a proposed rule, composite manufacturers and other employers with dust generating operations are required under OSHA’s Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) to comply with the applicable provisions of NFPA 654, the standard for prevention of fires and explosions from combustible particulate solids.

OSHA has identified composites manufacturing as a “dusty industry,” and has inspected and fined several composite manufacturers for problems with dust management practices. For its members, ACMA provides assistance for complying with OSHA’s NEP and the NFPA standard.

Chibbaro also reported that the agency is planning a small business (SBREFA) review of the proposed rule in spring 2011, and that the agency is working with NFPA on an update of the 654 standard.

Many associations played a strong role in infrastructure developments. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a report emphasizing the need for states to increase highway and bridge capacity in their communities. Representatives from the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) met with the Department of Energy (DOE) to showcase how composite poles could protect against damage from natural disasters. At the international Hannover Messe fair, the European Composites Industry Association showcased the role of composites in lightweight construction.

Last week, the Association of German Engineers’ (VDI) plastics in automotive engineering conference and exhibition in Mannheim, Germany focused on trends such as carbon fiber composites, sustainability, and bio-based and biodegradable plastics. RV panel manufacturer AZDEL stated it will increase its annual production capacity for RVs by 20 million pounds. Meanwhile, more high-profile automotive models continue to incorporate composites. Audi unveiled the R8 GT, which features bumpers and diffusers made from carbon fiber, while BMW’s new Z4 GT3 incorporates carbon fiber reinforced plastics into the front and rear wings, bonnet, roof, and fenders.

Renewable energy investments were sprouting across the country. Google made its first direct investment in a utility-scale renewable energy project to the tune of $38.3 million. Sempra Energy announced plans to construct a massive wind farm in Baja California, which will cover 294 hectares and use approximately 1,000 turbines. Solar Aero received a patent for its wind turbine that uses boundary layers instead of blades to generate power, making it virtually silent and completely enclosed, effectively avoiding noise pollution and radar interference. Also, last week’s approval of an offshore wind farm in Massachusetts has developers in other states pushing for their own (such as Georgia who cites the oil spill as more reason for wind energy).

In the recreation market, SK Fiber announced it will add new composite shafts to its golf club line for 2010, which incorporate unidirectional carbon fiber and other composites in their design. Yachts Composites is branching out into catamaran construction with its new multihull Opencat 23 boat. And in a more unusual recreational development, a British-based company that specializes in making body panels for Formula 1 cars has manufactured four sets of hands for the world’s largest mechanical clock, located in Guangzhou, China.

In other interesting news, Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing a carbon composite which would mimic the human nervous system for bionic applications. The Society of Plastics Engineers announced the recipients of its Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC) 2010 Environmental Stewardship Awards. Applied Nanotech Holdings has received a contract from the US Army to develop composite panels using carbon nanotube reinforcement. And following its acquisition by Schweiter Technologies, Alcan Composites changed its name to 3A Composites. Sandvik Coromant and Precorp Inc. will work together with the aim of being a joint solution provider for composite machining.

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