In September, I attended a fabulous networking and educational event sponsored by the Women in the Composites Industry group and hosted by Owens Corning at its Science & Technology Center in Ohio. More than 40 women participated in the event, which included a walk through a display highlighting milestones within the company and the composites industry. I was struck by how young our industry really is – and how many milestones we have yet to achieve.One of the keys to future success is research and development. There are so many materials, processes, technologies and applications waiting to be discovered or improved upon. In this issue of Composites Manufacturing magazine, an article on university R&D focuses on projects that have moved from innovative ideas to commercialization.Another article discusses how additive manufacturing is transforming toolmaking. Quality molds are so important. At Bestbath, showers are our primary product, and whatever ends up on the mold ends up on the final product. So, it’s imperative that we spend time, money and energy building and maintaining top-notch tooling. I’m intrigued to learn more about how 3D printing can help us.Finally, as the year winds down and we begin to think about 2024, I want to remind readers of the value that ACMA brings to members and the composites industry as a whole. The association leads the way in education, standards development, market growth, market intelligence and so much more.In particular, I want to point out the great work being done by ACMA’s government affairs team. They are busy planning the Composites 2024 Fly-In, scheduled Feb. 26 – 28, where attendees can meet face-to-face with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. They also are developing informative webinars on key topics. Some of the webinars available to members at my.acmanet.org cover the Global Plastics Treaty, the politics of “ESG” and tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.ACMA provides a wealth of information – from webinars to Composites Manufacturing magazine to CAMX and more. Make sure you’re taking advantage of it all.Sincerely,Megan MultanenACMA Chair of the Boardmegan.multanen@bestbath.com
