JEC Forum Chicago

8:00am The scale, value and trends of projected Building/Infrastructure activity globally 8:00am - 8:30amKeynoteSpeakers: Chris Toomey

8:30am The Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts of Composite Buildings8:30am - 9:00amGlobal urbanization is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities that we face today as a society. Globally, the urban growth that will take place over the next 50 years is equivalent to all of the urban growth that has taken place in the history of mankind. This growth is juxtaposed with recent studies indicating that US$57-US$67 trillion in infrastructure spending will be needed worldwide — nearly 5% of gross world product annually until 2030. This amount, which reflects a 60% increase over historical spending levels, is needed for the expansion of cities in developing countries and the renewal of cities in developed countries. The materials that we will use to build this needed infrastructure must be substantially lower in environmental impact than current building materials, provide a socially equitable form of housing for millions of new urban residents around the world, and compete economically with commonly used local construction methods. This session will highlight a number of previous life cycle analyses of composite building material applications that quantify the environmental, social, and economic impacts of these new construction materials. The technical and market challenges and opportunities associated with composite material construction will also be discussed. Speakers: Pr. Mike Lepech

9:00am A new carbon ontology: Hydrocarbons as Benign Material Resource for Civilizational-Scale Building9:00am - 9:30amMIT Department of ArchitectureSpeakers: Prof. Mark Goulthorpe

9:30am A better future for fossil hydrocarbons: build with them, don’t burn them!9:30am - 10:00amEvery year we extract over 4.2 GT of oil, 2.5 GT of natural gas, and 3.4 GT of coal to sustain our economies. That’s equivalent to 8.7 GT of carbon and 1.3 GT of Hydrogen. Almost all of these resources are burned to generate energy, causing over 30 GT of CO2 to enter the atmosphere which is unsustainable in view of climate change—the only significant exception is polymers, which fix 0.35 GT/yr of hydrocarbon resources (~3% of the total production) into valuable solid materials. At the same time, every year we use over 12% of the world energy production (over 60 EJ) towards primary metals; most of this energy goes into mining, refining, and processing ~3 GT/yr of metal ores into usable metals, chiefly 1.6 GT/yr of steel, 50 MT/yr of Aluminum, and 20 MT/yr of Copper; it is accompanied by the generation of 3.7 GT of CO2 emissions, equivalent to ~20% of the emissions caused by burning oil and gas. This is the extent of our “materials-energy nexus”. Could we break this inefficient cycle and replace metals with materials made directly from hydrocarbons? Carbon Nanomaterials—primarily CNTs and graphene—offer an opportunity. They can be made via pyrolysis of methane and other light hydrocarbons, with concurrent production of hydrogen. In the past decade, methods have been developed to convert CNTs and graphene into macroscopic materials (fibers, sheets, 3D structures) that could displace metals based on their properties—strength, electrical and thermal conductivity. In this talk, I will discuss why carbon nanomaterials could be great candidates to utilize natural gas on a very large scale (GT/yr) to make conductive, structural and building materials with zero CO2 footprint and positive hydrogen production. I will outline the scientific problems that need to be solved to realize highly-efficient synthesis and conversion of these materials and will present an estimate of the potential benefits of such a transition in our use of fossil hydrocarbons. Over 95% of the world fossil hydrocarbons are burned for energy, producing CO2 Fossil hydrocarbons can be converted into valuable material with concurrent production of hydrogen, a clean fuel Such valuable materials may displace metals as conductors, structural, and building materialsSpeakers: Pr. Matteo Pasquali

10:00am Upstream Vewpoints: The stranded asset scenario as motivating change10:00am - 10:30amRound Table - McKinsey, Shell, MIT, Stanford

11:00am LEARNING FROM AUTOMOTIVE: ATTAINING AGILE, COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION of BUILDINGS11:00am - 11:30amComposites in construction are found at either the very high end of scale with customized large products, fully machined molds and hand layered carbon fiber. On the other side composites are often used for smaller scale reinforcements, with limited technology and lower performing materials. Cost is often a driving factor, and only true mass production can achieve the scales required for cost-cutting without impacting on performance. The multi-industry experience that Persico Group has developed over the years , always at the forefront of technology and innovation. What are the lessons that Persico had learned working in all these industries that can be applied to construction industry? Which kind of technologies, machining, materials, solutions we will see first in the future? How far are we really from exploiting the potential of carbon fiber and its high end mechanical performance in mass production?Speakers: Lucas Rizzotti

11:30am AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN & COMPOSITE MATERIAL CHANGING STAGING INDUSTRY11:30am - 12:00pm 'This presentation provides an insight into the StructuralAward2018 winning design of the innovative Carbon Fibre Touring Frame for U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. This modular framing system was developed to meet performance and business targets saving 35% of weight, reducing significantly installation time and labour cost and cutting shipping cost by half. All this was possible thanks to product vision, creative design and composite materials which have been carefully engineered into this product. This new award winning touring system has revolutionised the staging industry. This presentation will give you an opportunity to see it from behind the scene.Speakers: Radek Michalik

12:00pm THIN PLY TECHNOLOGY CARBON FIBER MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING: WHY NOT for BUILDINGS?12:00pm - 12:30pmSince the early 1990’s North Sails has been manufacturing one-piece 3-dimensionally moulded sails employing automated manufacturing strategies and fabrication robotics. Sail membranes are built full size, in one piece, on large articulating reconfigurable male tools (moulds). The sails are built in 3 dimensional space, with complex curvatures, in the shape they will assume when they are flying on the boat and filled with wind pressure. A number of overhead gantries run the length of our building, serving individual moulds of varying sizes and geometries. A robotic arm descends from the gantry and a number of different tools for varying stages of manufacture can be plugged in. An automated fiber placement system with a PLC controlled 6-axis head is suspended from the gantry, which lays down the fiber architecture. For the structure of a sail, the head precisely follows the 3D curve of the mold surface, the fiber head "draws" a pattern in yarn that matches anticipated loads in the sail in the correct 3 dimensional spatial location. This systems creates variation in fiber density and orientation, which allows us to optimize locally for strength and stiffness. Our process allows us to put fiber only where it is required, on an as needed basis, and thus make the lightest structure possible for a given application By placing fiber only where it is required, this new world allows for better material economy, and better material economy allows for lower weight for the finished part, which results in less cost and smaller environmental footprint. Mass Customization: Automated manufacturing strategies and fabrication robotics for large scale custom parts Unitary monolithic 3D moulded structures Bespoke material placementSpeakers: Bill Pearson

1:30 pm Session Opening1:30 pm - 2:00 pmSession Opening

2:00pm Business Meetings2:00pm - 2:55pmBusiness Meetings

1:30pm Lightweighting Autos: Impacts of EVs, Policy Drivers, and Costs in the US, EU and China1:30pm - 2:00pmKeynote: Increasingly aggressive fuel economy regulations are pushing automakers to adopt new lightweighting strategies, and to embrace composite materials. But what are the cost tradeoffs? Does the math change for electric vehicles? This talk will explore the case for lightweighting in 3 regions: the US, EU, and China, highlighting regional policy and supply differences. • Policy drivers for lightweighting • Economics and material options • Company strategy and manufacturingSpeakers: Dr. Julia Atwood

2:00pm Structural Polyurethane Honeycomb Parts2:00pm - 2:30pmStructural honeycombs have been around for decades. However, there use has been limited, outside of the aerospace markets. Hennecke developed the first paper honeycomb systems for automotive load-floors almost 20 years ago and we remain the market leader in the technology around the world. Today with PC, PP and water resistant honeycombs these parts are finding their way into exterior body panels. The Smart Fortwo and Jeep Renegade MySky roof systems are made of paper honeycomb with a Class A foil. The presentation will explore the production process, the required equipment and the benefits of the different combinations of materials (i.e. glass, CF layers and paper or plastic honeycombs to make parts to meet a specific needs). • Lightweight • Corrosion Resistent • Part consolidation Speakers: Daniel Rozelman

2:30pm Innovative production technology for mass production – SMC Press Automation For Processing SMC Material And Handling Final Products2:30pm - 3:00pmThe presentation will outline the latest innovative machine technology, which is setting new standards in SMC Press Automation. Processing SMC material in the automobile premium segment, increasing constantly the demand on equipment with a high process stability, to narrow tolerances for weight and shape in a economical production enviromental. Also the presentation will outline the challenges for a SMC press automation. The customized and material specific process can be programmed comfortably via a line control system including a simulation-based and process pre-engineered system in Virtual Reality.Speakers: Christian Fais

3:30pm One Step Hybrid Molding Process, a cost effective manufacturing technique for composite parts3:30pm - 4:00pmAs a result of more stringent requirements on fuel economy, the automotive industry is in constant search for new materials and technologies that offer lightweight solutions to replace heavier materials such as steel and aluminum. Often these new materials demand new manufacturing processes. The challenge is to use as much as possible the existing manufacturing process with the ability to meet the high production volume requirements for the automotive industry. LANXESS has developed Tepex®, a thermoplastic composite sheet based on materials such as polyamide and continuous reinforcement like glass, carbon or aramid fibers. Due to its endless-fiber reinforcement, strong mechanical properties are achieved, paving the way for thermoplastics in highly-loaded, structural applications. Tepex® composite sheets can be used in combination with injection-molded Durethan® polyamide to make parts in a one-step, hybrid molding process. The final product is lightweight with strong mechanical properties and is less expensive due to the possibility for functional integration of attachments and other surrounding parts, as well as reduction in secondary operations such as welding or bonding. • Cycle times less than 60 seconds • Design freedom and functional integration • Lower investment cost compared to other technologiesSpeakers: Pal Swaminathan

4:00pm Advanced modeling and simulation of SMC processes4:00pm - 4:30pmSMC materials, because of their cost advantage and because of mechanical properties that can be reached, represent very good candidates in lightweight engineering for industrial application. One major difficulty is the control that necessarily goes through simulation of the manufacturing process, for the obtaining of proper mechanical properties. In SMC processes, a charge of a composite material, which typically consists of a matrix composed of an unsaturated polyester or vinylester, reinforced with chopped glass fibers or carbon fiber bundles and fillers, is placed on the bottom half of the preheated mold. The charge usually covers 30 to 90% of the total area. The upper half of the mold is closed rapidly at a speed of about 40 mm/s. This rapid movement causes the charge to flow inside the cavity. The reinforcing fibers are carried by the resin and experience a change of configuration during the flow. This strongly influences the mechanical properties of the final part. Several issues compromise its efficient numerical simulation, among them: (i) the modeling of flow kinematics able to induce eventual fibers/resin segregation, (ii) the confined fibers orientation evolution and its accurate prediction, (iii) local dilution effects, (iv) flow bifurcation at junctions and its impact on the fibers orientation state, (v) charge / mold contact and (vi) parametric solutions involving non-interpolative fields. This paper presents an advanced numerical modeling of SMC processes by integrating different original functionalities, most of them never considered in the existing SMC numerical models. • Composite Manufacturing Simulation • Advanced numerical modelling of SMC processes • Original functionalities leading to more accurate simulationSpeakers: Dr. Arnaud Dereims

4:30pm Non Crimp Glass Fabrics with high resistance stitching yarn for thermoplastics processes in automotive industry4:30pm - 5:00pmDuring the last 5 years the composite industry have been developing many innovative high-performance solutions through thermoset applications with the goal to bring to automotive manufacturers light weighting possibilities to help in decreasing CO2 emissions towards regulations targets. • How to optimize main direction parts performance whilst bringing new angles possibilities • How to improve modulus with NCF against woven fabrics • How to improve cost performance thanks to multiaxial technology Speakers: Chris Mikesell

8:00am JEC Composites Observer8:00am - 8:30am This presentation will cover the evolution and the the growth of the composites industry at global level. It is a summary of the « JEC Composites Observer » a new annual overview of the state of the Composites Industry. Its release will become a new annual render-vous. The global composites market was of 11,4 Mt for 83 B$(1) in 2018. Asia has become the largest market in volume but Americas and EMEA still have higher added value applications. Composites markets follow the curve of economic development. Emerging Asia has still strong potential to grow. Europe has the risk of remaining fragmented by country. Composites materials are still niche materials compared to the main other competing materials such as concrete, steel and plastic. The industries where composites have increased their penetration rates over the past ten years are wind energy, marine, and electrical & electronics. Transportation and construction applications are the main drivers of the growth of composites (despite rather limited penetration rates of composites).Speakers: Franck Glowacz

8:30am Advanced FRP Structures – from inspiration to reality8:30am - 9:00am Advanced FRP composites allow realisation of structures which can push the boundaries of what is considered possible. Successfully making the leap from inspiration to reality requires that the structures not only live up to the creative dream but do so in a manner which is practical and cost effective. This talk will take you on a journey through some of the advanced FRP structures realised by Premier Composites, showcasing the capabilities of these exciting new materials to provide innovative solutions that can inspire, amaze and delight people.Speakers: Dr. Mark Hobbs

9:00am Global Growth Opportunities for Composites in New and Replacement Infrastructure Applications9:00am - 9:30am This paper provides insights into the growing use of composites in many Infrastructure applications around the world. The different kinds of composites used are explained. The paper provides a systematic view of the main application areas of composites and a wide range of examples of composite use in Infrastructure are presented. Various trends in the market are examined showing how firms have been successful in penetrating this large and expanding sector. Overview of the key segments of the global Infrastructure sector Many examples of the use of composites in infrastructure Trends in the market for composites in InfrastructureSpeakers: Andrew Mafeld

9:30am Composites prefabricated SIPs for mass volume manufacturing and construction systems 9:30am - 100:00amAxia Materials Co., LTD., locating in South Korea invented new Organosheet (Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites) with its proprietary matrix resin and process technologies. LiteTex is a brand name of Axia’s composites sheet with carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber woven rovings as reinforcement and various type of polymers as matrix resin. It has solid resin impregnation systems which enables LiteTex has zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds). And LitePan is a Composite SIPs (Structural Insulated Panel) with fire retardant foam plastic as core and LiteTex as face material. LitePan has large dimension (2.7m X 9.0m (9’ X 30’)) as single panel with various thickness and it has structural performance, water proof, direct fastener connections, and high insulation value by itself. Recently Axia invented new fire proof LitePan which can be used for high rise building cladding applications. LiteTex and LitePan composites are now being active in building sectors for massive volume construction, cost efficient, environmental friendly, and durability advantages. During this conference, Axia will introduce the overall process of manufacturing systems, its code compliance status, the building methods, and the case stories with its products. Also this presentation will include the future building technologies with integration of new material technologies such as graphene. And will introduce more on 4th industrial revolution vision with the integration of composites to cold chain, last mile logistics, smart farm, and mobility. • Manufacturing technology of large dimension, high strength, lightweight Composites SIPs technology will be introduced • The code compliances with LitePan including fire proof, structure, structural connections, and building finishing details will be introduced • Environmental impact of Pixel Haus including LCA study, recycle and building case stories will be introducedSpeakers: Justin Jin

9:30am Startup Booster Pitching Session9:30am - 11:00amStartup Booster is the leading startup competition in the world of Composites. It enables companies to find and assess innovations with a potential impact on their industry, as a complement to the project they may are already involved in Discover the pitches of the 10 finalists selected in front of the prestigious jury specially composed for this edition.Speakers: Andrew Maxey, Chris Oberste, Cristiano Beck, David Bender, Jan Thoren, Leandro Castro, Paul Petersen, Philip Taynton, Rolan Hernandez, Tyler Alvarado

11:30am Startup Booster Awards Ceremony11:30am - 11:45amDiscover the 3 winners (Gold, Silver & Bronze) of JEC Forum Chicago Startup Booster, the leading startup competition in the world of composites.

10:00am Carbon fiber evolution in buildings 1990-2020 10:00am - 10:30am For 30 years, Epsilon has accompanied the introduction of carbon in the building and has often been a forerunner in ambitious projects (Australia, London, Saudi Arabia, California ...) At the base supplier of ½ finished products, Epsilon has reached today a level of competence in the materials and design of single carbon structures. CFRP solutions now exist where lightness, strength and rigidity are the keys to development; that it is for the structure itself but also the tools and the means of transport.Speakers: Dorian Valkai

10:30am SLEEPING INTO THE FUTURE! FROM BED FURNITURE TO A COMPOSITES GLOBE10:30am - 11:00am 'With the invention of the slatted frame made in wood being the competitor for boxspring beds a great story for TTI started in 1935. TTI always strived to stay the technology leader in bedding technology and the big change came by completely removing wood works by using pultrusion for the production of composite profiles. Today the composites slatted frame is the technology, which is used around the world. Around the year 2000 TTI diversified into other businesses, starting with the automotive sector, where we learned, that our profiles could be used for many other elements besides truck beds. This led to worlds unique invention of Radius Pultrusion, which is able to create curved profiles with nearly all radiuses from small to large scale and as endless profile. Today these profiles are used around the world for car bumpers with a huge impact on e-mobility, as well as ship and transport industries. Due to the mega trend of urbanization besides mobility there is a huge demand for straight and curved composite profiles resulting on worlds first globe made from curved composite profiles. As profile producer and pultrusion machinery builder we will give an outlook on future possibilities using Radius Pultrusion for the building and construction market and which developments are in our pipeline to enter new horizons for low cost composite structures in this sector.Speakers: Jens Boelke

11:30am Advanced Carbon Materials for structural applications: an opportunity for natural gas monetization?11:30am - 12:00pm Natural gas could be an ideal feedstock to reduce the production costs of advanced carbon materials. Carbon precursors could be synthesized via the pyrolysis route and then assembled into a carbon material (e.g. fibers, mats) to be used in composites applications. In this seminar, we will provide an overview of current available options for monetizing natural gas into carbon materials and what challenges should be overcome to create a large-scale market. We will discuss what new synergies and collaborations would be required among different players in the supply chain for a successful commercial deployment.Speakers: Dr. Leonardo Spanu

12:00am Can a Greenhouse gas save the planet ?12:00am - 12:30pmThis talk introduces a new form of carbon material, Miralon, and its large scale potential to convert methane into clean hydrogen gas and high value structural carbon based products. Miralon is structural carbon material that is produced from gas to a solid in a proprietary process. The resulting material consists of interconnected bundles of very long format carbon nanotubes that does not have any binder. It is produced in sheet, yarn, tape and pulp formats. The material is multifunctional – lighter than carbon fiber, strong, electrically conductive and thermally conductive. With support from the Department of Energy and Oil and Gas majors, the company is now working to scale up its production process to convert methane at scale into clean hydrogen gas and Miralon. Hydrogen gas is in demand as clean fuel of the future. The Miralon sequesters the carbon from the methane into high value structural materials. The uses for carbon material at millons of tons scale is presented along with the potential dramatic impact to green house gas emissions. An update on the current state of the scale up efforts will be provided. • Introducing Miralon – a new carbon material • Conversion of Methane to Hydrogen and Miralon • Large scale green house gas emission reductionSpeakers: John Gargasz

12.30pm THE MULTIVALENT FORMS + APPLICATIONS OF GRAPHENE: SOLAR SKINS, SUPER CAPACITORS, RESINS...12.30pm - 1.00pm Speakers: Mario Celdran

2:00pm Session Opening2:00pm - 2:30pmSession Opening

2:30pm Business Meetings2:30pm - 3:25pmBusiness Meetings

2:00pm Realizing our transportation future, can we get there without Lightweighting ?2:00pm - 2:30pmOver the past few years the topic of autonomous and connected “future cars” has gone go from a novelty idea, to a consistent part of our daily conversation and news feeds; but when and how will they become an integral part of our daily lives? As the future car and future transportation becomes a reality so will the technologies needed to realize a high performance, energy efficient vehicle. Lightweighting will play an important role in the structure and safety requirements of transportation vehicles, both on the ground and perhaps, through the air especially as consumers demand more and more from the travel experience. What will the future of transportation look like and what are the unique challenges faced by the automotive industry in incorporating new technologies and more importantly in doing business in new ways? Come participate in this conversation about the future car, and the foundational technologies the will be required for the automotive industry to realize the future of autonomous travel and passenger satisfaction. • Autonomous Vehicles Why or why not? • When we finally get AV’s what do we get? • Travel as an experience and the Living IntenetSpeakers: Edward Bernadon

2:30pm MFTECH Filament winding robot2:30pm - 3:00pm MFTECH is a french company specialized in the manufacture of robotized filament winding machineries. we work mainly with aerospace, automotive and gaz storage companies especially an an international level with several agent or resaler in the world. In parallel and always true to our reputation as an innovative company, we have developped our own fiber placement solution. 2018 MFTECH opens a new R&D center available for our customers who want to make test with equipment at the top of technology. For the production of our composites tubes, that's now managed by www.tubecarbone.comSpeakers: Emmanuel Flouvat

3:00pm Project Emergent City: A multi-modal transport hub3:00pm - 3:30pmCities are facing increasing traffic problems, where rapid changes in transport mode can determine the need for spaces completely different from other transport modes. These is more important than ever in European cities where space is limited and creativity is required to develop new solutions.Developed by renowned Dutch architectural firm Benthem Crouwel , project Emergent City attempts to propose solutions for the future of our cities. The re-use of round-about spaces as intermodal transport hub is a possibility explored by the research project. Persico Architecture in cooperation with Benthem Crouwel has developed a building construction system that takes in consideration the shape, size and space requirements, allowing for quick construction. The proposed system can be adapted to multiple round-about sizes in different locations, providing cities around the world with much needed spaces. • We need to adapt to new transport systems and rapid changes • We need new places where we can move from one transport mode to another • We need the buildings that can rapidly adapt to changes, light and with minimum internal structSpeakers: Luca Rizzotti

3:30pm Measuring Strain and Temperature within 3D Printed Components3:30pm - 4:00pmAlternative vehicles that utilize additively 3D printed components face unique challenges with manufacturing and model validation. To advance the understanding of such applications, Local Motors and Luna Innovations used high definition fiber-optic sensors to provide distributed strain and temperature measurements in embedded applications for structures produced with a large scale area manufacturing machine. Embedded sensors within printed components provided internal temperature monitoring during manufacturing and residual strain measurements after cooling. Once embedded, the sensors can provide stain measurements during loading for model validation as well as monitoring the health of a vehicle throughout its lifecycle. • The impact of residual strain on design • Measuring strain with distributed fiber optic sensors • The benefits of embedded sensorsSpeakers: Nick Scott

4:00pm The role of Engineered Compounds and 3D printing in the transportation and construction industries…. a Green solution for tooling4:00pm - 4:30pmComposite tooling and molds have been traditionally constructed from metal or wood. This process, while very successful, is often time consuming, costly, or of limited flexibility. Making iterations after tooling is cut is a major problem and often not possible without sacrificing the tool already made. Tooling is commonly used in variety of industries and processes: aerospace, automotive, pre-cast concrete, sand casting, stretch forming, trimming, compression molding, etc. Metal tooling like invar is quite expensive, wood tools have limited cycles, while complex shapes are a challenge. The advent of large part Additive Mfg (3D) printers has launched disruptive technology bringing transformative solutions targeting: speed, costs, design, and recyclability. The once impractical is now possible. This paper will examine the role of engineered compounds, in collaboration with Large Part Additive Printers, has brought to USA manufacturing. Aspects examined are: design freedom, speed, cost, tool management, size, customization, autoclavability, and end-of-life recycling. With time to market continually under competitive attack, 3D printed tooling is quickly ushering in a new era of just-in-time design and manufacturing. TechmerPM has collaborated with various academic institutions, printer companies, Oak Ridge National Lab, and other industry partners to offer unique customized solutions that increase productivity and the bottom line. • Disruptive technology • Reduce time to market at a competitive cost • Design freedom and recyclabilitySpeakers: Tom Drye

4:30pm Practical Optimization of Composite Structures for Infrastructure and Transportation Applications4:30pm - 5:00pmThis presentation discusses new methods to simplify the design-optimization workflow of composite structures in transportation and infrastructure. A practical approach to structural optimization is applied to various industry examples to produce optimal designs while increasing productivity and reducing design cycle time. Reduced structural mass has wide-ranging benefits in many industry applications, some of which include lowering the unit cost of products, reducing energy consumption at the time of manufacture and during operation, reducing wear on critical infrastructure, and enabling more innovative designs. As such, there has been significant research and development in composite material and manufacturing technologies within the last decade in order to leverage the mass-saving benefits which composites often provide. The prevalence of composite materials in both the transportation and infrastructure industries has correspondingly increased. The typical product design cycle can often be described in three phases. The first generally involves architecture-level decisions about the overall function and geometry of the product. In the second phase, the structural acreage is designed and sized to a finer detail by continuous iteration with finite element models to determine optimal materials, cross-sectional geometry, and stacking sequences. The final dimensions and material characteristics that result are then carried into the third phase, where the safety of the structure is assessed in detail and additional certification requirements are applied. The overarching goal of such a design cycle is to balance the cost of time to optimize the structure with the reduced cost of the final product. It is the second design phase in which material selection and efficient sizing typically have the greatest impact. Since overall topology of a structure is often set by external factors (regulations, function, geometric constraints, etc.), the open design variables for a composites engineer typically include material type, ply count, ply shape, and ply orientation. The discrete nature of the composite optimization problem poses a challenge for manual manipulation of the design, necessitating automated tools. Additional complexities introduced by the nature of composite manufacturing, such as bonded joints between structural members, are often difficult to assess rapidly. As such, there is need for a practical toolset to quickly evaluate and optimize composite structures for a wide variety of structural requirements. In an attempt to satisfy this need, HyperSizer, a commercial structural optimization software, will be used in the preliminary optimization and detailed sizing of three composite structures found in industry: a shipping container, a passenger train car, and a bridge deck. Ply shapes, laminate sequences, and optimum stiffener configurations are rapidly evaluated for these applications while meeting strength, stiffness, and stability requirements with advanced composite criteria. Additional analysis is conducted of bonded attachments between parts to account for durability of the joints, even accounting for the presence of flaws. • Composite ply shape optimization • Bonded joint sizing and analysis • Structural weight reductionSpeakers: Craig Collier