SAMPE Conference keynote emphasizes importance of advancing composite technologies, partnerships

The Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE, Diamond Bar, Calif., U.S.) symposium, held May 23-26, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C., U.S., featured keynote speaker Brent Yeagy of Wabash (Lafayette, Ind., U.S.), where he discussed the changes that have occurred in the transportation industry due to the advances in materials and technologies. He also references his own company’s advancement journeys, including Wabash’s partnership with Structural Composites Inc. (SCI, Melbourne, Fla., U.S.) and Composite Applications Group (CAG, McDonald,, Tenn., U.S.).

“CAG has admired how Brent and his team at Wabash have been able to successfully address the challenges that the transportation industry faces,” Peter Hedger, SAMPE co-chair, stated after the keynote. “They have also been able to change the conversation about innovation in the market through their forward-thinking and leadership.”

Brent leads a team that has successfully navigated through the many changes that have occurred in the transportation industry. The collaborative team has reportedly created innovative products that are designed to improve the way the world moves. This partnership includes SCI, CAG and Wabash’s Innovation team.

Wabash initially reached out to CAG in 2013 for an initial meeting at the TMC Truck Show in Nashville, Tenn. Brent Yeagy and Robert Lane from Wabash met with Jeff McCay from CAG to discuss the potential for the introduction of large-scale composite technology into the truck trailer market. Yeagy, who was then president of the Commercial Trailer products group, stated that he wanted to completely disrupt the truck trailer market by using composites as a complete system approach rather than component-level developments. CAG noted that it was possible to develop all types of composite solutions for the transportation industry without negatively affecting the cost. Yeagy also stated that he hoped that these materials would have various advantages, such as improving corrosion resistance and weight reduction. 

Read more: “Refrigerated railcar floor expands composites horizons”

“Brent Yeagy is a dynamic and inspirational leader who talks about disruption and backs up his statements by delivering effective actions,” notes Jeff McCay, president of CAG. “Through the collaboration between CAG and Structural Composites, they were able to develop a full composite solution for the transportation industry. This partnership will continue to deliver innovative technology to the market for years to come.”

After a thorough evaluation of various technology solutions, Wabash decided to retain the services of CAG to identify potential disruptive innovations. These directives led to CAG connecting and collaborating with SCI, led by its founders, Scott Lewit and Dr. Ron Reichard. Through the collaboration between CAG and Structural Composites, the two organizations were able to identify potential applications for their products.

Moreover, the intellectual property )IP) from SCI (Prisma technology) became the cornerstone of meeting the objectives originally presented to CAG by Wabash. The successful implementation of the SCI Prisma technology in 2016 led to the commercialization of a complete composite solution for Wabash that exceeded the company’s performance and cost expectations. According to Scott Lewit, SCI president, “the continuing commitment shown by Wabash and Brent has been instrumental in supporting structural composite technology, Prisma preforms and CoCure coatings.”

“We have people sitting in the room that will create advanced manufacturing processes for us that do not exist today,” Yeagy quoted during his keynote at SAMPE, referring to the SCI and CAG presidents. “We are building something the world hasn’t asked for.”