SAMPE’s new CTO, Raj Manchanda: CW Trending Episode 6

In this episode of CW Trending, SAMPE’s new chief technology officer, Raj Manchanda, talks to CW’s editor-in-chief Jeff Sloan about taking the technical reigns at the composites industry’s most technologically intense organization. Manchanda also talks about his path to SAMPE and the upcoming SAMPE Materials Innovation & Advanced Technology Leadership Forum, Jan. 26-27 in Huntington Beach, Calif., U.S.

Transcript:

Jeff Sloan 

All right, Raj, welcome to CW Trending. Thanks for joining me.

Raj Manchanda 

Thank you, Jeff. I've really enjoyed getting to know the community by going through CompositesWorld regularly. It seems like every time I open my mailbox is another email from CompositesWorld, so very informative.

Jeff Sloan 

Yeah, well that's our job is to be communicative. So, tell us a little bit about your role as SAMPE, you're new, relatively new to the organization, what are you doing?

Raj Manchanda 

Sure. So, I was hired in the role of Chief Technology Officer, it's a new role for SAMPE. And you know, what's remarkable about the organization, it's a storied organization been around since 1944, etc. But in the past, I believe it was almost assumed that the technology strategy of the organization of you know, is fine. I mean, we obviously had folks always looking at it, but I think now, the board, and others in the community have said, it might be a little more beneficial to be strategic about it. And when I say that what I'm saying is, you know, SAMPE has several properties, just like Gardner, which owns CW and all the other publications, but SAMPE has CAMX, in partnership with ACMA and our own spring conference and the new materials Innovation Forum that my team is launched. So, what we want to make sure is that the themes are aligned. And Jeff, if they're aligned, what we see happens is that there's more impact, more impact in the community.

Jeff Sloan 

Okay, so as you noted, SAMPE’s not had to CTO in the past, so you know, how, what is your vision, or an idea about how this this job might evolve? And what your influence might be over the organization?

Raj Manchanda 

Yeah, sure. Thank you. So, I think you know, what's very exciting is that within the whole industry there is so much going on. Not only with some new technologies coming out, but new markets being developed. And I think the timing of all this is fascinating. As you may know, I came from an organization called ASME, where I was focusing on advanced manufacturing and robotics for some time. So, I think what's very useful is that I could take some of that knowledge and network that I built up over there and use it in the materials and process world in composites. And that's very useful, because I think, as you know, nothing is the same anymore. You know, even our manufacturers, they're introducing new technologies, automation is coming in. Yes, there is still hand ply, and things like that. But I think, you know, overall, folks are realizing that with technology, you can really increase productivity and obviously, bottom line. And at the end of the day, that's what we all want to do. Right? We all want our community to be profitable, sustainable, growing, and I think our role as SAMPE is to make sure that the knowledge, the information, the networking, and you know, the community that we deliver is relevant and timely. And that's why I feel the CTO role right now is critical, because so much is going on. So how can the organization make sure that we have some focus?

Jeff Sloan 

Yeah, you mentioned your background. So, tell us a little bit more about what you did at ASME? And what you did before that, how did you come to composites?

Raj Manchanda 

Thank you, Jeff. You know that I was with ASME more than 20 years. ASME is headquartered out in New York City. So, I remember that commute into a Grand Central very dearly, many, many years, I was on that early train out of my town, but at ASME recently for the past five, six years, I was focusing on a business development. So, the society, many may know the society through pressure vessels, piping, etc. But again, for every organization, things were changing, the landscape was changing very fast. And mechanical engineers are needed in automation in robotics, in additive manufacturing. And then especially when additive manufacturing started to, you know, we're focused on production parts, I think we, you know, we were really it's almost like when the iPhone or the mobile device came out, right, it was exponential, the compute computing power and conductivity suddenly, overnight that our devices gave us from the flip phones. And I think that that's what's happening in the field. You know, engineering is changing rapidly. And again, to be honest, I was I came from a metal world, right, my mechanical engineering background is primarily focused on metals. And I think that's part of the opportunity that SAMPE, CW, and our friends at a CMA others have those composites are really starting to show the market that, you know, we can deliver product to the market and, and be cost effective, high quality and perform. So, I'm trying to take what I learned from the ASME days, and then transit transition it over, I didn't have a chance to work in our codes and standards unit conformity assessment at ASME for many years. So, talk about part qualification. I know that's very important to the additive community, but even to our community, you know, we put something out there, we want to make sure if it's going to go off on those 787’s or Airbus’s, we want to make sure that's qualified. And it is what exactly, you know what the design into your thought would be.

Jeff Sloan 

Let's talk a little bit about how SAMPE currently organizes technical content, especially for conferences. Right now, you know, for the viewers who don't know, that's done through the emerging technology subcommittee, which then supports the technical excellence committee. So, your kind of inheriting this infrastructure. I'm just wondering what your views are on that. And, you know, how did you see your role working with those two committees?

Raj Manchanda 

Yeah, and by the way, thank you, Jeff, because I know you're chair of our Emerging Technologies committee. So, we appreciate your leadership. And look, you know, that's what it's about. It's about folks stepping up, you have a full-time job, I'm sure you have several other things you can do with your free time, then contribute and volunteer to SAMPE and emerging technologies committee. But you know, what I've seen is that the market and our members and nonmembers out there realize that SAMPE is in a unique position. Right, so we're neutral. We're a third-party convener. We love all our partners out there. We love Boeing, we love Airbus. And we're not going to lean one way or the other. We just want technology to advance we and I feel like part of my role and my team's role is to accelerate that, Jeff, you know, how can somehow we use this technology to accelerate the development of solutions, and that that was really the birthplace of the materials Innovation Forum, you know, what we did was we turned to compete committees such as what you mentioned, the emerging technologies, and their five other committees that we've been working with high temperature materials, hybrid and bonding, composites factory of the future industry 4.0, recycling, and rapid manufacturing of high performance of composites, you know, what we said was the committees are actually, I feel, really spot on, topically, focus wise, I think what we need now is a little more awareness, because I believe there are folks out there, especially young professionals, folks from underrepresented communities that we really want to engage, we really want to add some new perspectives and bring in some new blood. I'm not saying that folks who are currently there, you know, we don't value their input. But again, as you know, you know, multidisciplinary nature of work, everything is changing. So therefore, SAMPE as an organization, you know, we need to welcome folks from SME, and you know, materials research society, etc. And I think, you know, our committees, the topical focus areas are right on, what I just like to focus on is robustness. You know, how can I work with folks like you and make these committees more robust by adding different perspectives by adding new members, whether they're, again, whether they're from our committee, excuse me, community or not, you know, we may have folks who are not in our community that we need to reach out to, and I hope that my team does that.

Jeff Sloan 

You mentioned the materials innovation in Advanced Technology Leadership Forum. So that's an event coming up. So, sell us more about that. Where is it when, and what do you what are we going to try to do there?

Raj Manchanda 

Sure. Thanks, Jeff. So, you know, again, that I joined SAMPE in January, and I think the idea germinated sometime right after because what I saw was a gap. I saw that, you know, there's some major events coming up such as CW’s carbon fiber event in November in Utah. We have obviously a mechanic's and the JEC show and the sampling big conference, but I saw that there was a need for like a thought leadership type event and the materials innovation and Advanced Technology Leadership Forum will take place in Huntington Beach from January 26 to 27th. In person, you know, I must keep reminding myself because everyone keeps saying, Well, what about the online component? Well, yeah, there's always some online component. But in general, we're very excited to be having it in person. And, you know, I think what we were saying is we're going to put together some experts. And what we've done is we broke it up into four segments, Jeff, the materials Innovation Forum is broken up into challenges, opportunities, synergies, and computer simulation. So, we thought these were four buckets that we really want more conversation on. The forum will not be paper driven. by that. I mean, there won't be research papers, there will be application-oriented presentations, we have a total of 14 speakers. And I'm very happy and proud to say that, you know, they represent, I believe most of the supply chain, we have some geographic diversity, some folks coming in from Spain, and England, you know, hopefully, with all the health situation getting better, you know, at the end of the day, it was really a conversation that I felt we needed to have. It's a short program, I think it's almost like a jumpstart to the JEC program in France that everyone is very excited to go back to. But we thought, you know, this is a way not only for SAMPE, to add to that robustness that I mentioned previously, and draw some folks in, but also to talk about some very relevant topics. And the theme of the farm this year, Jeff, is the industrialization of composites manufacturing, do we really want to make an impact on that and get some talks that are very relevant and start some conversations?

Jeff Sloan 

So, what do you hope attendees come away with? what's your what's your deliverable? What's your goal for folks who come to this forum?

Raj Manchanda 

You know, Jeff, that's, that's great. Because, you know, speaking to a couple of folks recently our Carolinas chapter, and they put on a great program on one of the ships out there, it's unique. And, you know, I remember the leadership of that chapter said, if the value is unclear, you know, it does matter. So, what we're really hoping to do is to say, you know, what is needed to go to the next level in composites manufacturing, certainly, that one form is not going to have all the answers. But I think by assembling the group of experts that we have with different viewpoints, and from different communities, one of the sessions I mentioned is on synergies. So, you know, we're speaking to experts from automotive experts from wind energy. And I think, you know, again, I'm sure that type of product knowledge product does exist in the marketplace, but we thought, you know, this is an intimate setting, where we're working really have some intense dialogue, like what is needed, you know, you, we might be at a point where we can scale, but then who's going to, you know, what about the inspection technologies? What about the quality assurance so I think, you know, we're trying to do is in a very short timeframe, in a day or two days, try to really generate that discussion. And then we want to continue it through your channels through CW articles, we want to continue it through our new 365 platform, it might mean some webinars that we do, whether we do them together with CW or not, but more is needed. And I think someone must start that discussion on, look, this is where we are now in this space. And let's map out what everyone needs to do. What does Boeing need to do? What do our what are our material suppliers need to do?

Jeff Sloan 

Yeah? Well, I think it's, it should be a great event. Certainly, I'll be there. And we'll encourage our audience as well. So, if somebody wants more information on that, where should they go?

Raj Manchanda 

Yeah, thank you, Jeff. So, you can find it off the SAMPE website. But the program has its own website, materialsinnovationforum.org. It's a mouthful, yes. But hopefully, it's the only a form out there like that. So obviously, as I said, on sampi.org, and then actually, I think even through CW, you guys are helping you guys are great friends and have outstanding reach globally. So, we are very happy that you know, you will be out there moderating one of our sessions Jeff, and make sure that CW sees anything first that some of our presenter’s report on because I think that's what I've come to know. You know, there are fewer leading publications out there. When I read CW, I feel like I get the latest content right away. And that's really my mission. Want to you know, put some content out there that's very timely and relevant.

Jeff Sloan 

Yeah. Well, looking forward to the event and wish you much luck in the new job, Raj Seems like you've hit the ground running here. So, we appreciate your service. And we'll look forward to seeing you. But we'll see your CAMX and we'll look forward to see in Huntington Beach in January as well.

Raj Manchanda 

Great. Thank you so much, Jeff. I'm really looking forward to it. And you know, again, the community is this vast community. And I think that's what SAMPE is about, you know, we're about community. We want to grow everything. So, we want to grow CAMX, we want to grow the readership at CW, we want to grow our membership. So, if anyone's interested, just let us know. You know, I'm here for you. I'd love to talk to you one on one. I'd love to meet you at some of these meetings throughout the year online and in person. So, thank you again Jeff.

Jeff Sloan 

Alright, thanks for your time, Raj. Bye

Raj Manchanda 

Goodbye