Composites Weekly Jonathan Taylor

On this episode, ACMA consultant Andrew Pokelwaldt joins me to discuss technologies that are driving Industry 4.0.
Industry 4.0 is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution and it represents a seismic shift in the way manufacturing and production processes are managed. 
With the advent of smart factories, the integration of cyber-physical systems, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and artificial intelligence, we are witnessing unprecedented levels of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies.
We’ll also be featuring a previous interview with Brian Fitzgerald of Augury discussing how A.I. is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry with its ability to predict machine and equipment failure, enhancing efficiency and reducing downtime costs. 

On this episode, Xuan Song, PhD joins me to discuss his research in additive manufacturing. Dr. Song is an Associate Professor and James A. Chisman Faculty Fellow in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Iowa.
His research focuses on studying how material forming processes found in nature can be leveraged to enable sustainable, ultra-low-temperature additive manufacturing (AM) of novel ceramics and composites. He is a recipient of multiple awards including the NSF CAREER award in 2023, the AFOSR Young Investigator award in 2024, the SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer award in 2022, and the College of Engineering Early Career Faculty Excellence award at UIowa in 2023.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wuhan University, master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Zhejiang University, and PhD degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Southern California. 
https://am.lab.uiowa.edu/personnel/xuan-song.

On this episode Jesse Henry, CEO of Heartland joins us to share some recent news. Chemovator, the business incubator of BASF, has successfully finalized an investment in their company. Heartland is a material science company that provides manufacturers with a sustainable source of additives like fillers, reinforcements, & mineral extenders to enhance products they already make. They work with local farmers to produce natural fiber materials, enabling manufacturers to create more sustainable products.
With this investment funding, Heartland becomes Chemovator’s first portfolio company in North America. Jesse will be sharing an update on Heartland, and what this investment means for their company moving forward. 

On this episode, Tom Barnes joins me to discuss how their company is redefining the way the world views pickleball. Selkirk Sport was founded in 2014 and is the leading manufacturer of pickleball paddles and equipment. 
To help drive innovation, Selkirk Sport created Selkirk Labs, a first-of-its-kind program, that invites players to be part of the innovation process. Members of Selkirk Labs get first access to test paddle prototypes. Using their feedback and A.I. programming, their engineers tweak the prototypes to better suit players' needs before adding the paddles to their main line, which is made entirely in the U.S.
Tom is a co-owner and the director of research and development for Selkirk Sport. The company was founded while Tom was serving in the Marine Corps and after transitioning into the USMC Reserves, Tom was excited to join his brothers.  
Now, Tom infuses his passion for technology and advanced manufacturing into developing new materials, equipment and manufacturing approaches for pickleball. Tom is dedicated to developing a world-class R&D ecosystem,coupled with a lean manufacturing approach to elevate Selkirk's innovation and production standards. 
You can learn more about their company by visiting https://www.selkirk.com. 

On this episode, John Schweitzer and Kyle Jordan of the ACMA join me to discuss a couple of topics. John will be discussing the ACMA’s Composites Sustainability Conference coming up June 4-6 in Denver, CO.
You can learn more about this event by visiting https://acma-org.my.site.com/csft24. 
Kyle Jordan will be giving an update on the CCT Instructor Course that took place earlier this month in Kansas City, and explain what new instructors can do with the designation. 

On this episode, Markus Buehler, McAfee Professor of Engineering at MIT joins me to discuss how they are using machine learning to create stronger materials. 
For engineers developing new materials, there are billions of different possibilities to sort through. Lab tests & detailed computer simulations to determine their exact properties can take hours, and even days for each variation. Now, a new artificial intelligence-based approach developed at MIT could reduce that to a matter of milliseconds. 
Markus discusses their new course on Predictive Multiscale Materials Design. In this course, you will enhance your ability to leverage materials design, machine learning, and additive manufacturing to create better materials. 
You can register at: https://professional.mit.edu/course-catalog/predictive-multiscale-materials-design