SC Aerospace hosts fall networking event

SC Aerospace hosted its fall networking meeting last Monday, Oct. 9, at CU-ICAR in Greenville in conjunction with the Composites Suppliers Meeting and focused on composite applications for the aerospace and automotive industries. SC Automotive Council members also participated, as a partnership between the two organizations.

Susie Shannon, president and CEO of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, gave an overview of SC Aerospace and the work the initiative has done and is continuing to do in connecting and marketing South Carolina’s aerospace cluster.

Industry leaders presented and led discussions focused on aerospace and automotive applications for composite materials. Tom Haulik of Hexcel Corporation spoke about the global scale of composite technology, particularly in how it intersects with defense needs, military applications, energy applications, and aerospace technologies. He walked attendees through the architecture and composition of a consumer aircraft and how composites can minimize weight and increase stability.

Boeing’s Doug French spoke about upcoming changes to the 787 lineup and increased production from the Boeing campus in Charleston, including their goal to bolster the production from twelve to fourteen planes a month.

Mark Janney of Carbon Conversions, this quarter’s spotlight company, spoke about the history of the company and the technology used to recycle cast-off and end-of-life carbon fiber materials and textiles. Following individual presentations, Michel van Tooren led a panel discussion with Don Myers of Toray and Mike Kinsella of Toho Tenax, who shared their experiences working in South Carolina’s aerospace cluster.