SAMPE Europe/JEC Show 2004 Preview

The SAMPE Europe International Conference celebrates its 25th year, as it convenes March 30-April 1 at the Paris Expo, in Porte de Versailles, Paris, France. Co-located with the JEC Composites show, SAMPE's event will be highlighted by the JEC/SAMPE Joint Aerospace Forum '04. The Forum will showcase the latest technology developments in key programs, including the Airbus A380 and A400M, Boeing's new 7E7, Dassault's Falcon 7X and other commercial and military ventures. Presentations on the composite parts programs will include exhibitions of manufactured components. Airbus Industrie's Jens Henrichsen will offer an overview of innovative technology in use on the A380, with a second, forward-looking paper entitled "Year 2012: Black Fuselage for the New A320?" Boeing's Alan G. Miller will outline research on carbon fiber wing technology in "Black Wings & New Technologies for Boeing's B7E7." Lecturer Philippe Vautrey will reveal current activities in his company's composites program in "New Horizons: Use and Trends of Composite Structures at Dassault Aviation." The Forum will wrap up with presentations from Lufthansa Technik AG and Embraer do Brazil, offering, respectively, views of the state of aerospace composites from the perspective of the airlines and the commercial jet OEMs. Additionally, General Session lectures will include Wednesday's "Technologies for the CFRP-Fuselage," with four papers on the current state of carbon composites intended for commercial jet fuselage applications.

Beyond its traditional aerospace focus, the 2004 Conference will have plenty to offer attendees in other disciplines, such as infrastructure, marine and automotive under this year's conference banner, "Material & Process Technology, the Driver for Tomorrow's Improved Performance." Tuesday's Marine/Infrastructure Session, for instance, will feature a case study on the design and fabrication of the superstructure for a composite hovercraft, plus a discussion of the use of "smart" sensors used to monitor, in real-time, the integrity of composite boat structures. A second Infrastructure session, the following day, will explore the use of fiber-reinforced plastics in bridge projects in the state of Kentucky (U.S.A.), provide an overview of non-pultruded bridge structures, and consider composite reinforcement of concrete structures. For the latest advances in "Technologies for Carbon Fibre Reinforced Modular Automotive Body Structures (TECABS)," there's the Wednesday Automotive Session, which will include case studies on bladder molding for structural auto parts and a manufacturing cost comparison of thermoplastic and thermoset resin transfer molding processes for a floor pan application.

"Planet innovation" is the theme of the 39th JEC Composites Show, which show organizers expect to attract crowds as large as those attending last year's record-setting event. More than 20,000 people walked the 30,000m2/323,000 ft2 exhibition floor in 2003, with 57 per-cent coming from outside France. This year, the JEC reports that visitors will meet more than 800 exhibiting companies, at least 60 of which are new to the show.

JEC's Automotive Forum (Tuesday, March 30) will feature a key presentation by DaimlerChrysler on its vision for composites use in future models, plus composites case studies presented by a number of automakers, including Aston Martin, Ford, Rover MG and Renault. On Thursday, April 1, the Marine Forum will focus, in part, on technology transfers from military and competitive arenas to wider commercial applications. Boatbuilders and shipwrights Trimaran Groupama, Onuk, Numarine, Kockums and Seaway will spotlight cutting-edge composite applications.

The 7th Annual JEC Awards program will recognize successful development of innovative composites applications and the materials supplier/molder/customer partnerships behind them in the following five categories: Air Transport, Construction, Land Transport, Energy & Industry, and Design. Nominees include an assortment of international development groups, whose participants range from small companies to multinational corporations. The most remarkable example is a Land Transport entry, the Hycoprod Project, coordinated by the U.K.'s Advanced Railway Research Centre and involving 19 partners from 11 countries. Nominees also include companies from India, Latvia, Slovenia, and an entrant from "down under" in Australia.

For more information about the SAMPE Europe Conference, or to register, visit the SAMPE Europe Web site: www.sampe-europe.org. For JEC Composites Show information/registration, contact JEC, Tel.: +33 158 3615 03, Fax: +33 158 3615 13; E-mail: visitors@jeccomposites; Web site: www.jeccomposites.com.

List of exhibitors and booth locations