SPE Thermoset Division announces second keynote for Topcon 2023

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Thermoset Division (Bethel, Conn., U.S.) has announced its second keynote speaker for the May 9-10, 2023 Topcon event, to be held at the Monona Terrace and Convention Center in Madison, Wis., U.S. (more on the first keynote here).

“SMC – Successes, Challenges and Recent Innovations and Thoughts on a Path Forward” will be presented by Probir Guha, president of Composites Innovation Inc. (Bloomfield Hills, Mich., U.S.). Over the last 50 years, Guha has seen and participated in the growth, changes and challenges faced by the composites industry. His keynote will include an overview of the sheet molding compound (SMC) process and products, a review of technological innovations in the last 20 years, and key challenges and opportunities ahead in the composites industry.  

“To improve performance and open up new opportunities for SMC, the industry will need to use continuous glass fibers with a focus on minimizing cycle time or maximizing throughput,” Guha says. “’There are also techniques in the textile industry that may be used to improve performance in a cost-effective manner. Techniques from the textile industry allow for integrating smart devices and actuators into a molded composite component to add value that is not as easily and cost-effectively added via other technologies like stamping or casting. I am eager to present this technology as a positive path forward to re-invent composites for the future!”

Over his almost 50-year career, Guba has held leadership positions in various companies during his career. During this period, he has participated in key innovations in the field as borne out by his many global patents; participated in industry technical conferences presenting several papers and holding committee leadership positions; was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 from the SPE Automotive Division; received an industry award for innovation, research and advancements with the 2019 Pioneer Award by The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA); and has edited a book where he coordinated the efforts industry and academic experts in the field to share concepts of how to further the composites industry.

Guba retired at the end of 2021. However, that “retirement” has been short-lived with his founding of the technology consulting company Composites Innovations Inc., which continues to pursue efforts on cost-effective lightweighting of products using composites to drive their adoption across more applications.

In his new role as a technology consultant, Guba is looking to establish composites as the primary material of choice in automotive applications with a special focus on innovations in:

• Sustainability and recyclability of composites
• Use of continuous and hybrid fibers
• Smart composite technologies
• Use of artificial intelligence in products and for continuous improvement.