SAMPE Journal - January/February 2017 - 17

Europe Report
Prof. Jyrki Vuorinen
Tampere University of Technology,
Lab of Plastics & Elastomers
jyrki.vuorinen@tut.fi

When writing this it is almost two months since I had the opportunity to visit the excellent CAMX 2016 at
Anaheim, CA. It was a magnificent occasion to meet people, listen to variety of talks and visit a superb exhibition.
It is also a good example of the variety of conferences SAMPE organizes. The styles are varied which I think this is
one of the current strengths of SAMPE as a global society
The Benefit of a Strong SAMPE Family Bond
I again learned how magnificent a resource SAMPE is. In a local composites manufacturers association meeting
at Finland there was a cancellation of a speaker and I was asked to make a
presentation about 3D printing of composites. A task I should have denied
but said yes, and a path that many times leads me to trouble. I opened the
CAMX 2016 proceeding and found a variety of papers on 3D printing, which,
if I counted correctly, there were 13 papers. A collection of ideas from using
high temperature beta stage thermosets for 3D printing to durability and
design of 3D printed moulds. Very up-to-date information that makes one
almost an instant expert on the subject. To even top this source I emailed
SAMPE Europe's newest SAMPE Fellow, Prof. Paolo Ermanni, knowing that
he is working on 3D printing of composites. I asked for more material for
the presentation. In a few days, his doctoral student sent me a lot of interesting references further helping me. The
presentation came together and was liked, thanks to SAMPE. This is another good occasion to congratulate Paolo
Ermanni on behalf of SAMPE Europe on getting the prestigious SAMPE Fellowship.
SAMPE Europe SUMMIT 2017 Paris
Now that we are in between the two larger SAMPE conferences, it
seems that everybody is resting from the previous ones, but that is
not the case. In Europe we are working busily on the program of the
coming SAMPE Europe Summit. The talks are by invitation only
and this way we are able to make a focused one-day program that
covers the strong areas of SAMPE with some extremely interesting
presentations.
Visions on Composites Innovation
In automotive, we have strong session with talks for example from
SABIC "New Thermoplastic Composite Solutions for Automotive
Lightweighting" by Warden Schijve, Chief Scientist Composites and Volvo's "The Vision of VOLVO on Composites
in Automotive ", by Per Mårtensson, Technical Specialist Composite structures BIW. In advanced materials we have
varied talks like a German perspective on carbon fibers, "Consolidation and Maturing of the Carbon Fiber Industry:
What is Happening? Who Will Survive?", by Daniel Pichler, Joint Managing Director, Carb Consulting.
New Materials and Applications
From China we look forward to, "Smart Polymer Composites Materials and Structures", by Prof. Jinsong Leng,
Harbin Institute of Technology. In advanced manufacturing one of the three presentations will be given by Prof.
Dr.-Ing. Frank Henning from Fraunhofer Institut Chemische Technologie ICT & Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
KIT, Germany on "Advanced Manufacturing of Structural Thermoplastic Composites for Automotive". There will
also be a interesting session on aerospace with contribution from Boeing: "Making the Most of Nondestructive
Testing (NDT) for Aerospace Composites", by Dr. Gary Georgeson Senior Technical Fellow, NDI Advanced
Inspection Technology Boeing Research & Technology, USA. It seems that we will have an excellent meeting with
strong technical content and a very attractive location just few hundred meters from Eiffel Tower.
SAMPE Journal, Volume 53, No. 1, January/February 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - January/February 2017