JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #122 - July 2018 - 11

"We are actively investing in the growth of our Composites business"

ble growth potential, but also
raise challenges for the composite industry. What is your
strategy to make headway in
these markets?

M. S.: The housing market

is back - and back globally.
In fact, our non-wovens business is growing faster than
the building and construction markets it serves. We are
building on our long-term relationships in the industry
and our ability to operate in a
specification selling environment and focusing on continuous innovation. We are also better understanding the
improvements and functionalities that modern lifestyles
are demanding and translating this into product characteristics.
There is good news for the automotive sector too. There is
a large projected increase in
use of thermoplastic glass in
vehicles, as well as the regulatory need to reduce CO2
emissions, and the market
penetration of electrical vehicles. Our most recent effort here is to build on the
consistency and economics
of glass reinforcements combined with the exceptional

performance of carbon fibre
to deliver hybrids that work.
You have developed 3D printing products, what are your
expectations with this very
promising process?

M. S.: Our company culture
is one that challenges conventions and strives to do things
differently. For our employees, this means challenging
them to shape the future of
the industries we serve.
That is exactly what we ae
doing with our XSTRAND™
line of fibreglass filaments for
3D printing. Industrial, functional prototyping demanded stronger, more flexible,
and more durable materials.
Adding glass fibres to current
compositions has fulfilled
this need, leading to higher
performing 3D-printed prototypes. Our composition
is up to 250% stronger than
standard ABS and can withstand extreme temperature
conditions. It has greater flexural strength too.
In real terms, XSTRAND™ is
making the impossible possible. SEAir, a manufacturer
of foils for sailboats and motorboats, recently stated that

XSTRAND™ is opening new
doors for them, bringing new
parts to life to address aerodynamic problems - and
quickly too. In describing
the impact of XSTRAND™,
SEAir said it helps to "make
boats fly".
Can you give us a more precise
idea of your priorities over the
medium term?

M. S.: Our growth strate-

gy is based around the three
pillars of commercial excellence, world-class manufacturing, and innovation that
differentiates.

Customer-inspired
innovation will always be a
top priority. Our customers are looking for us to be
a partner with them, not
just a deliverer of product.
Understanding their needs,
and how our science and
technology community can
fully work alongside them
to deliver growth, is something we intend to get even
better at.
This all depends on having the right organization
in place. We are investing
heavily in our talent and

The Owens Corning XSTRAND™ line of high-performance fiberglass 3D printer filaments was developed to fulfill manufacturers' demands for functional prototyping. The result of R&D work devoted to realizing the benefits of adding glass to printing,
XSTRAND™ enables more robust parts, ranging from sporting goods to medical prosthetics, and the ability to remake complex
shapes quickly to accommodate design revisions. Photo Credit: Owens Corning

N°122 July 2018 /

NEWS

matching our organization
and processes to achieve
maximum success.
In practical terms, this
means being both industry-leading and cost-effective. Our role in the infrastructure market is an
example of that, and a priority for the Composites business. Imagine if we could
build bridges that no longer
rust? Composite rebar is a
durable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant material that
can expand the lifespan of
America's crumbling infrastructure. Later this year,
we will get a clearer look at
the composites "bridge to
the future" in Homosassa,
Florida (USA), which is expected to have a service life
of 100-plus years when complete.
Wind energy remains another business priority.
Everyone wants to reduce
the cost of wind energy, and
we need to get better performance out of wind turbines for that to be practical.
Moreover, the market is radically changing, moving toward an auction-based economic model, rather than
direct government subsidies. We are confident that
our longer, lighter and wider
wind blades are increasing
blade performance to such
a degree that our long-term
growth projections remain
intact.
We are always looking to
raise the bar, which means
producing the highest-performing materials for our
customers.

jec composites magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #122 - July 2018