Where was the composites industry?
Unfortunately, even a casual look at the preceding sponsors list is a good indication that plastics and composites industries were conspicuously under-represented. Although the Aluminum Assn. and the AISI were on hand to represent metals suppliers, the event was — with the exception of a couple of displays and one panelist — nearly a complete miss for the composites industry. Meridian Automotive Systems was the only sponsor/exhibitor at the conference with a strong message about composites. The company touted its claim to have helped OEM customers remove 25 million lb (11,340 metric tonnes) of mass from their vehicles in 2008. And on display was a new type of “green” SMC component — a technology teaser we’ll hear more about after it launches later this year. Outside of the Meridian exhibit, only two others highlighted composites. International Automotive Components displayed some natural-fiber reinforced interior trim components while Yazaki North America had developmental natural-fibe
