Soon to be in its 19th year – because let’s admit it, 2020/2021 doesn’t count – this flagship event for both local and global composite professionals opens the conversation for industry leaders and researchers who are at the forefront of new and emerging trends, science and materials.
Presentations also feature the practical challenges encountered in business and manufacturing.
The conference includes two days of presentations, a welcome reception and conference dinner.
Wednesday 1st & Thursday 2nd June, 2022
Clive Berghofer Grande Atrium
Clifford Park Racecourse
Toowoomba, Queensland
Delegates arriving at the 16th Composites Australia conference were greeted with spectacular views of Sydney Harbour filtered through the lush growth of Wendy’s Secret Garden.
Held in Lavender Bay in North Sydney from 2nd to 4th April, the conference was dedicated to people who make things as well as those who provide services to the composites sector. Including a live demonstration by Alan Harper Composites, the conference showcased speakers, presentations, product launches and a pre-conference workshop by Dr Rik Heslehurst.
The annual conference was an ideal platform for the industry to meet, share and exchange knowledge on the latest innovations and expertise in composites manufacturing and technology.
Held at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne during perfect autumnal weather, the conference hosted close to 150 delegates from all over Australia and the world who came together to share, learn, leverage and shape new ideas.
The event commenced with a tour of the Australian Synchrotron facilities to see first hand the powerful beams that can be used at individual experimental facilities to examine the atomic and molecular detail of a wide range of materials.
Over the two days, the program was full program of live demonstrations, workshops, industry speakers, technical and academic presentations, displays and entertainment.
The pre-conference workshop on Composites Design and Manufacturing and delivered by Dr Rik Heslehurst, and was attended by Australian and international registrants.
The 2017 ACI Conference and Exhibition was held at the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove, in Queensland on Wednesday and Thursday, 29 – 30 March 2017, with a half-day technical workshop on Tuesday 28 March 2017.
The 50 speakers from across industry, R&D organisations and academia reflected the conference theme “Shaping the future with composites” . They reported on current developments and innovations in materials, science, manufacturing processes and technologies across defence, aerospace, marine, automotive and mass transport, infrastructure and sport and recreation markets.
Speakers and delegates came from across Australia and as far afield as China, Iran, Korea, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, Switzerland, North America and the UK. The program of speakers and topics is listed below.
The exhibition provided an excellent platform for delegates, suppliers and teaching and research organisations to network, renew and build new relationships and talk about opportunities to advance their business and careers and to join global and domestic industry composite professionals seeking to innovate with composite materials.
In its 14th year, this annual conference, hosted by Composites Australia with the support of SAMPE-Australia and the Engineers Australia technical society – the Australian Composite Structures Society (ACSS) – has proven to be a valuable forum for the sharing of industry and scientific knowledge on new and emerging developments in composites technologies, opportunities for new applications and markets as well as sessions to advance business management and marketing.
Dr John Russel
Technical Director, Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division US Air Force Research Laboratory.
Dr John D. Russell, the Technical Director of the United States Air Force Research Laboratory’s Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies Division presented the Keynote Address at the conference opening on the topic: Carbon Fiber Composites for Next Generation Military Aircraft.
The 2016 Advanced Composites Innovation (ACI) Conference was held in Melbourne on April 13 and 14 with a technical workshop on April 12.
In its 13th year, this annual conference, hosted by Composites Australia with the support of SAMPE-Australia and the Engineers Australia technical society – the Australian Composite Structures Society (ACCS) – has proven to be a valuable forum for the sharing of industry and scientific knowledge on new and emerging developments in composites technologies, opportunities for new applications and markets as well as sessions to advance business management and marketing.
The Hon Lily D’Ambrosio, Victoria’s Minister for Industry, Energy and Resources, officially opened the conference. “Victoria is well placed to become a hub of advanced manufacturing excellence and composites are a critical part of this exciting future,” said Ms D’Ambrosio. “In particular, composite materials underpin several of the (government’s Future Industries) strategies’ priority sectors, including transport technologies, construction technologies and defence technologies.”
Dr Leslie Cohen
Senior Vice President, New Business Development & Strategic Technology with HITCO Carbon Composites.
In his keynote address, Dr Leslie Cohen shared the learnings from the company’s seven year journey transitioning from 100% build-to-print hand lay-up production to a fully automated ATL, AFP, Drape forming ability.
Composites Australia and the CRC-ACS thank delegates, exhibitors and our generous sponsors for their contribution to the success of the 2015 Composites Conference Game on! Winning with Composites.
Held in Sanctuary Cove on Queensland’s Gold Coast, on 22 and 23 April, the conference and trade show attracted a strong speaker line-up of global and national industry leaders and provided delegates with two days of knowledge exchange, networking and business development opportunities. A popular technical workshop was led by international composites engineering consultant Dr Rik Heslehurst on Tuesday 21 April.
Delegates and speakers travelled from as far afield as Canada, Germany, Iran, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, USA and Uzbekistan to attend the conference, which was officially opened by The Honourable Karen Andrews, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry and Science (pictured above, second from left) with Professor Murray Scott (CRC-ACS) and Composites Australia’s Genelle Coghlan and Kerryn Caulfield.
Dr Michael (Mickey) McCabe
Executive Director of the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute.
Dr McCabe is an acknowledged leader in technology-based economic development and materials research. Micky spoke on Strategies for Winning with Composites in a Global Market.
Professor Axel Herrmann
Managing Director of the Airbus subsidiary Composite Technology Centre.
Professor Herrmann is a founder and Chief Executive Officer of the European composites innovation network CFK-Valley Stade as well as leading Fiber International Bremen. He spoke on Key Technologies for Composite Structures in Eco-mobility and Transport Industries.
Now in its 11th year, the 2014 conference offered a wealth of knowledge and perspectives on the theme: materials for a lighter and smarter world. The importance of strategic innovation, diversification and research utilisation in a challenging economic climate was the common thread at this year’s Composites Australia and CRC-ACS Conference. Close to 200 delegates from as far afield as the United States, Germany, Malaysia, Israel, Austria and Finland attended an array of almost 60 sessions given by speakers representing the global and domestic composites industry across business, research and technology.
The Honourable Bob Baldwin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, set the tone for the conference with an upbeat look at what he described as the “inspirational” way the composites industry was rising to the tough challenges being thrown at the Australian manufacturing sector.
“There is no sugar coating it,” Mr Baldwin said. “Manufacturing in this country is facing very tough times. The high dollar, intense international competition, high input costs and low profit margins are just some of the factors conspiring to make life a little bit more difficult for the sector. Our manufacturers must be prepared to transform, adapt and reinvent themselves.”
Mr Baldwin emphasised the key role composites played in Australia’s transition towards the “prosperous high-technology, high-value add manufacturing sector of the future”, reiterating that the possibilities for the composites industry were “boundless”. He congratulated the CRC for Advanced Composite Structures for its critical role as a world leader in the development and application of composites, as well as for the estimated $7.5billion it will have contributed to the Australian economy by 2017.
Mr Baldwin’s sentiments were echoed by Professor Murray Scott, chief executive officer for the CRC-ACS, who shared with delegates the CRC’s approach to bringing the Australian composites industry into the international global supply chain by focussing on three end-users – the aeronautical sector (the Airbus Group); the defence sector (Defence Science and Technology Aerospace Division) and the oil, gas and petrochemical sector (Petronas).
Composites Australia and the CRC – ACS hosted the 2013 Composites Conference with the theme “Souring to new heights – composites and carbon fibre take off” on 4 and 5 March at the Crown Promenade, Melbourne.
More than 280 people attended the conference which featured two days of technical, academic and practical presentations, workshops, tutorials and live demonstrations covering a range of topics to suit all interests, from innovations and engineering applications to fabrication issues. Supported by a trade show featuring composite capabilities and supplies, the conference provided wonderful networking opportunities, actionable market intelligence and sales and business development opportunities for conference delegates, exhibitors and trade visitors.
Prof Takashi Ishikawa
Director – Composite Engineering Research Center (CERC), Nagoya University
JAXA, CERC and Aviation: Moving Beyond Metals
Mr John Vickers
Assist. Manager – Materials and Processes Laboratory, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Insights into Composite Manufacturing
Julien Charles
Airbus
Overview of Airbus Composites Technologies
