CW Talks: The Composites Podcast

Episode 56: Christian Fischer, Bcomp May 26, 2026 21:30 In this installment of CW Talks, we explore the world of natural fiber composites and their growing role in sustainable lightweighting with Christian Fischer, CEO and co-founder of Bcomp (Fribourg, Switzerland), a company specializing in high-performance natural fiber composites for automotive, motorsports, marine, aerospace and even satellite applications. What started as a garage project foc

Episode 55: Dave Noblin, Greene Tweed Apr 13, 2026 10:20 In this installment of CW Talks, we explore the use of thermoplastic composites for rotating equipment in variety of sectors from industrial applications to aerospace. We recently spoke with Dave Noblin, product manager for wear-resistant components for Greene Tweed, to learn about how TPCs are being used in this space.

Episode 54: Mitchell Smith, ST Engineering MRAS Mar 3, 2026 11:55 In this installment of CW Talks, we revisit a topic that was discussed on a panel at last year's Carbon Fiber Conference, held in Wichita, Kansas. The discussion revolved around high-rate manufacturing for aerospace, next-generation aerospace and the growing trend around urban air mobility (UAM). We recently sat down with one of the panelists, Mitchell Smith, technology leader at ST Engineering MR

Episode 53: Michael Novak, AIJ Search Oct 21, 2025 23:40 Workforce development is a perennial challenge for the manufacturing industries. Finding skilled workers is always a concern, especially as we look to succession planning and carrying businesses forward. But today's workforce concerns are influenced by more recent trends such as increased adoption of automation solutions and the advent of AI. In this installment of CW Talks, we explore the evolvin

Episode 52: Chad Duty, IACMI Aug 27, 2025 26:20 The composites community benefits from several associations and entities that work to forward advanced materials research, one of those being the Institute for Advanced Composite Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI). In this special National Composites Week installment of CW Talks, CompositesWorld interviews IACMI CEO Chad Duty to discuss the myriad ways that composite materials and composites manufac

Episode 51: Francesco Ierullo, Exel Composites Jul 31, 2025 26:31 In this episode of CW Talks, CompositesWorld speaks with Francesco Ierullo, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Exel Composites (Vantaa, Finland). Ierullo started in Italy as a one-man team and now oversees Exel's engineered composites business globally. He's worked across Europe and the U.S. and played a key role in developing Exel's conductor core program. CW sat down with Ierullo to hear

Episode 50: Markus Rufer, Scorpius Space Launch Co. May 22, 2025 35:57 In this latest installment of CW Talks, the composites podcast, CW interviews Markus Rufer from Scorpius Space Launch Co. (SSLC, Torrance, Calif., U.S.) about its Type 5 carbon fiber composite pressure vessels, recently used in two lunar lander missions for Intuitive Machines (IM, Houston, Texas, U.S.), one of the providers in NASA's (Washington, D.C., U.S.) Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Servi

Episode 49: Yannick Willemin, Catalysium Feb 17, 2025 15:35 In this latest installment of CompositesWorld's CW Talks podcast, Yannick Willemin, founder of Catalysium, a new consultancy that specializes in investment trends within the composites industry, discusses the investment side of advanced manufacturing as well as industry trends shaping the composites landscape.

Episode 48: Richard Apps, Counterpoint Market Intelligence Sep 23, 2024 07:47 CompositesWorld's Carbon Fiber Conference is just around the corner, scheduled for October 8-10 in Charleston, S.C. In this episode of CW Talks, we hear from Richard Apps of Counterpoint Marketing Intelligence as he offers a preview of what Carbon Fiber Conference attendees can expect from his Wednesday Oct 9 keynote address on the "Outlook for Carbon Fiber in Aerostructures." For more information

Episode 47: Celebrating National Composites Week - Interviews with Christopher Mims, Wall Street Journal; Joe Brennan, Joby Aviation Aug 28, 2024 30:06 August 26-30, 2024 is National Composites Week. The theme of this year's NCW is "Composites Reinvent the World." In this episode of CW Talks we interview Christopher Mims, technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal and Joe Brennan, manufacturing lead – composites, Joby Aviation. Join us for this exciting discussion of how composites are reshaping the world around us particularly in the mobil

Episode 46: CAMX Celebrates 10 Years - An Interview with Cindy Squires, president/CEO, ACMA and Rebekah Stacha, CEO, SAMPE Aug 12, 2024 25:06 CAMX, North America's largest event dedicated to composites and advanced materials, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Brought to you by American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) and The Society for the Advancement of Materials and Process Engineering (SAMPE), CAMX 2024 takes place Sept. 9-12 in San Diego, Calif. In this episode, CW Talks caught up with Cindy Squires, the presid

Episode 45: Scott Reeve; Corey Sechler, Creative Composites Group, Discuss Composites Use in Bridges and Infrastructure May 3, 2024 30:58 Infrastructure in the U.S., particularly, the deterioration of a number of bridges in the country has been in large topic of discussion in recent years, with the bipartisan infrastructure law designating nearly $400 billion in infrastructure investments, with around $40 billion of that earmarked for bridge repair. The recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland due to a

Episode 44: Andy West, Sonichem Feb 16, 2024 15:00 Sustainability has become an increasingly important topic for the composites industry, with increasing demand, especially from OEMs, for sustainable business practices. Sustainability includes many areas of focus with one important area being the use of biomaterials. In this installment of CW Talks, we interview Dr Andy West, chief chemist with Sonichem, about the company's unique process for conv

Episode 43: Emphasizing the recycling of wind blades Nov 29, 2023 19:19 The recycling of composite wind blades from wind turbines is a topic of much debate in the composites community and in sustainable energy discussions. In the latest episode of CW Talks, we explore a new approach aimed at the reclaim and upcycling of some of these materials when the wind blade reaches its end of life. Professor Alan Banks, innovation and industrial engagement supervisor at Ford Mot

Episode 42: Jeff Sloan, CompositesWorld Sep 27, 2023 24:54 This episode of CW Talks coincides with the 30th anniversary of the CompositesWorld brand. The first issue of High-Performance Composites, one of two magazines that would eventually merge into CW magazine, debuted in September of 1993. As part of CW's anniversary celebration, we sat down with CW publisher and brand vice president Jeff Sloan to hear about the history of the magazine, its place in t

Episode 41: Chase Hogoboom, T.J. Perrotti, Composite Energy Technologies Inc. Aug 10, 2023 26:48 In the wake of the loss of the OceanGate Titan submersible, there was much discussion and speculation about the materials used to manufacture the vehicle. Many pointed to the use of carbon-fiber as a potential source of failure, yet there has been a good deal of success in the use of the material for undersea applications including pressure vessels and unmanned submersibles. In this episode of CW

Episode 40: Sarah Cox, NASA Jan 3, 2023 54:25 In episode 40 of CW Talks: The Composites Podcast, Jeff Sloan, editor-in-chief of CompositesWorld sits down with Sarah Cox, Materials Engineer at NASA. Sarah has worked for NASA for more than 18 years and has experience applying advanced materials to space structures. Jeff talks to Sarah about her education, how she came to NASA and how she helped guide composites use there.

Episode 39: Joe Fox, FX Consulting May 28, 2021 41:55 Consultant Joe Fox talks about the massive potential for composites use in infrastructure applications and what it will take to turn that potential into reality.

Episode 38: Alan Hiken, Kane Robotics May 10, 2021 28:40 Alan Hiken, COO of Kane Robotics, talks about historic, current and future composites use in aircraft fuselage structures and the role of automation in next-gen manufacturing environments.

Episode 37: Ian Wilson, DASIS Apr 15, 2021 32:30 Ian Wilson, CEO of Develop and Supply In-Sync (DASIS), talks about his history as a CNC specialist for Formula One and his introduction to composites manufacturing.

Episode 36: Dale Brosius and Uday Vaidya, IACMI Jan 19, 2021 40:59 IACMI's Dale Brosius and Uday Vaidya talk about the first five years of the organization, how it has evolved and what the future might hold as IACMI continues its quest to help drive composite materials and process growth.

Episode 35: Lisa Ketelsen, Covestro Dec 1, 2020 47:42 CW Talks visits with Lisa Ketelsen, head of thermoplastic composites and CEO of Maezio at Covestro. Ketelsen talks about her path to Covestro and the Maezio product line, Maezio's attributes and applications, and how she sees thermoplastic composites evolving in the marketplace.

Episode 34: Carmelo Lo Faro, Solvay Composite Materials Oct 25, 2020 01:10:16 Carmelo Lo Faro, president of Solvay Composite Materials, talks about how he sees aerocomposites evolving in the time of COVID-19, the rise of computational power to evolve composites use, the prospects for increased composites use in the automotive market, and the increasing importance of education in the composites industry.

Episode 33: Ethan Escowitz, Arris Composites Oct 23, 2020 52:02 CW Talks checks in with Ethan Escowitz, co-founder and CEO of Arris Composites, to learn about the Additive Molding technology his company has developed.

Episode 32: Gregg Balko, SAMPE Jun 9, 2020 42:50 CW Talks catches up with Gregg Balko, CEO of SAMPE since 2004, before his retirement on July 1, 2020.

Episode 31: John Riendeau, Rhode Island Commerce Feb 17, 2020 27:12 Rhode Island Commerce director of business development John Riendeau discusses how the state's legacy experience in boat building has translated into expertise in new markets within the composites industry.

Episode 30: Gary Sharpless, Concordia Fibers, Boston Materials Inc. Feb 5, 2020 55:22 Composites industry veteran and marketing advisor Gary Sharpless discusses his more than 35 years in the industry and his current advisory roles with Concordia Fibers and Boston Materials.

Episode 29: John McQuilliam, Prodrive Composites Nov 4, 2019 23:07 Prodrive Composite's John McQuilliam discusses the company's primary to tertiary (P2T) carbon fiber composite recycling process.

Episode 28: Andrew Maxey, Vartega Sep 19, 2019 37:17 Vartega's Andrew Maxey discusses carbon fiber waste, carbon fiber recovery, and the still-growing market for recovered fibers.

Episode 27: Ryan Olliges & Jaysen Harris, Elevated Materials Aug 9, 2019 24:56 Elevated Materials' CEO Ryan Olliges and CTO Jaysen Harris discuss the company's mission and unique approach to keeping carbon fiber out of the landfill.

Episode 26: Achim Fischereder, Hexcel Jul 9, 2019 50:02 Achim Fischereder, director of sales and marketing for the automotive business segment at Hexcel, discusses the state of composites in cars and trucks today and the outlook for the future.

Episode 25: CW editors on next-gen aerospace Jun 10, 2019 30:56 CompositesWorld editors discuss advanced materials and processes that will play a role in the next generation of aerospace.

Episode 24: Scott Lewit, Structural Composites May 24, 2019 01:02:51 Scott Lewit, president of Structural Composites, discusses the company's innovations in marine and ground transportation composites including the development of CoCure Hybrid Metal/Composite technology for Wabash trailers.

Episode 23: Wiener Mondesir, Arevo Feb 15, 2019 35:15 Wiener Mondesir, co-founder and chief technology officer at Arevo, discusses continuous fiber use in additive manufacturing.

Episode 22: Danu Chotikapanich, Cobra International Sep 14, 2018 36:09 Danu Chotikapanich, CEO of COBRA International, discusses COBRA's history in watersports products and its ever-expanding composites business in multiple markets.

Episode 21: Mike Del Pero Aug 10, 2018 44:06 Mike Del Pero, managing director at FocalPoint Partners, a middle-market investment banking advisory firm, discusses the business side of the composites industry including growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property protections.

Episode 20: Delft Hyperloop Jul 25, 2018 31:27 Thymo Vlot and Ze Soengas of Delft Hyperloop and John Jackson of TenCate Advanced Composites discuss Delft's entry in the SpaceX Hyperloop competition.

Episode 19: Tom Lemire, TFLemire Consulting Jun 27, 2018 44:45 Tom Lemire is a composites industry consultant, which is the latest culmination of his career spanning back to 1969 with stints at Owens Corning, EDO Fiber Science, BASF, Toho and others.

Episode 18: Manish Patel and Ashley Graeber, Web Industries Jun 7, 2018 26:57 Business leaders at Web Industries discuss cutting and kitting services, and the process of slitting carbon fiber prepreg.

Episode 17: Gino Francato, Sabic; Arno van Mourik, Airborne; John O'Connor, Siemens Apr 9, 2018 38:14 Business leaders at Sabic, Airborne and Siemens discuss a collaboration by the three companies to develop the UDMAX thermoplastic laminate manufacturing system.

Episode 16: Donna Dawson, CompositesWorld Feb 7, 2018 33:49 Donna Dawson, senior writer emeritus for CompositesWorld, shares her memories from the early days of composites.

Episode 15: Joe Sprengard, General Nano Jan 25, 2018 43:01 Joe Sprengard, president and CEO of nanomaterials specialist General Nano, talks about carbon nanotubes, the company's work with Boeing and more.

Episode 14: Chuck Miller, Coastal Enterprises Jan 9, 2018 40:05 Chuck Miller, founder and president of tooling board manufacturer Coastal Enterprises, details tooling board technology and how it continues to evolve.

Episode 13: Avner Ben-Bassat, Plataine Technologies Nov 28, 2017 33:16 Avner Ben-Bassat, president & CEO of Plataine Technologies Ltd., discusses optimization software, the 'digital thread,' automation and how it all relates to composites.

Episode 12: Geoff Wood, Composites Recycling Technology Center Nov 8, 2017 39:00 Geoff Wood, founder, fellow and vice president of innovation at the Composites Recycling Technology Center (CRTC) in Port Angeles, Wash., discusses CRTC, the composites recycling market and more. Geoff will be moderating a panel on composites recycling at CompositesWorld's Carbon Fiber conference Nov. 28-30 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Episode 11: Steve Gonzalez, KONE Oct 25, 2017 36:27 Steve Gonzalez, director of the major projects unit, Americas, at elevator manufacturer KONE, details the development of UltraRope, a pultruded carbon fiber cabling system for elevators. If you want to learn more, Gonzalez is giving a presentation about UltraRope at CompositesWorld's 2017 Carbon Fiber conference, Nov. 28-30 in Charleston, SC, US.

Episode 10: Patrick Blanchard, Ford Motor Co. Sep 29, 2017 31:46 Patrick Blanchard, global technical leader – composites at Ford Motor Co., talks about applying composites to vehicles.

Episode 9: Joseph Choma, Clemson University Sep 7, 2017 32:01 Joseph Choma, assistant professor of architecture at Clemson University, discusses his work with developing foldable composite materials for use in architectural structures.

Episode 8: Ryan Huth, GE Aviation Aug 22, 2017 24:38 Ryan Huth, manager of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) production at GE Aviation's Asheville, NC facility, talks about CMC technology, GE Aviation's CMC parts production and the future of both.

Episode 7: Frazer Barnes, ELG Carbon Fibre Aug 8, 2017 43:58 Frazer Barnes, managing director at ELG Carbon Fibre, discusses the carbon fiber waste stream and the market for recycled materials.

Episode 6: James Austin, CEO of North Thin Ply Technology Jul 26, 2017 44:34 James Austin, CEO of North Thin Ply Technology, talks about the company's start in the marine environment and how it continues to grow in other sectors.

Episode 5: Greg Mark, Markforged Jul 11, 2017 37:14 Greg Mark, founder and CEO of Markforged, discusses his journey of working with composites in additive manufacturing.

Episode 4: Pam Schneider and Mike Braley, A&P Technology Jun 26, 2017 33:02 Pam Schneider and Mike Braley with A&P Technology talk about how far braiding has come and what's on the horizon.

Episode 3: Tom Haulik, Hexcel Jun 13, 2017 39:14 The third episode of CW Talks: The Composites Podcast features a conversation with Tom Haulik, sales director of carbon fiber at Hexcel.

Episode 2: Bryan Dods, IACMI Jun 6, 2017 44:14 The second episode of CW Talks: The Composites Podcast is an interview with Bryan Dods, CEO of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI).

Episode 1: Arnt Offringa, Fokker Technologies, part of GKN Aerospace Jun 6, 2017 38:35 The first episode of CW Talks: The Composites Podcast features an interview with Arnt Offringa, head of aerostructures R&T at Fokker Technologies, part of GKN Aerospace, in Hoogeveen, The Netherlands.

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