SPE Panelists to discuss composites in auto industry.

Press Release Summary:



Annual SPE ACCE will include executive panel discussion, The Role of Composites in the New Automotive Landscape, on September 15. Event gathers government and industry leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges for composites in ground-transportation and provides audience members with opportunity to ask panelists their own questions. Panel will be moderated by Dale Brosius, CEO Americas and Europe, Quickstep Technologies.



Original Press Release:



SPE ACCE Panelists Discuss Future of Composites in NEW Auto Industry



Government & Industry Leaders Confer on Opportunities, Challenges for Composites & Other Lightweight Materials as Auto Industry Emerges from Crisis

TROY (DETROIT), MICH. - One of the most popular and best attended events at the annual SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (SPE ACCE) is the interactive executive panel discussion, which gathers government and industry leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges for composites in ground-transportation and provides audience members with the opportunity to ask panelists their own questions. Given the radical change that has rocked the global automotive industry in the last year, this year's panel - on The Role of Composites in the New Automotive Landscape - promises to be especially energetic and interesting. The panel caps the first day's technical program, running from 4:00-5:30 pm on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and will be moderated by Dale Brosius, chief-operating officer-Americas & Europe, Quickstep Technologies, and SPE ACCE conference chair from 2006 through 2008. The panel will be followed by the conference's traditional networking reception sponsored by Quadrant Plastic Composites.

"The global automotive industry has undergone a massive upheaval in the past 12 months, and its future is still a bit cloudy," notes Brosius. "Major restructurings, ownership changes, and sizable government interventions have all combined with the global-economic crisis to reshape this industry at a pace and on a scale never before seen. When the dust settles, how will the industry move forward to meet the desires of the marketplace for functional, fuel-efficient vehicles? Will the 'new' auto industry be more global or more regional? Is it inevitable that small cars will dominate the market? What options, other than downsizing, exist for achieving higher fuel economy? Where do plastics - and more specifically composites - fit into spectrum of choices available to automakers? Will automakers be better positioned and more inclined to turn to 'clean-sheet' designs and market-disruptive technologies for their vehicles? And given that the supply community is at least as financially constrained as OEMs, what creative options exist to implement novel technologies like lightweight materials, particularly for structural components? These are just some of the questions we'll be asking our premier panel of executives from the U.S. Department of Energy, traditional and emerging automakers, and industry analysts during this year's panel discussion. Audience participation is strongly encouraged through an active Q&A session."

About the Panelists

Dr. David Cole, chair of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), is an internationally renowned speaker, writer, and expert on the automotive industry who was formerly director of the Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation (OSAT) at the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute. Cole has long organized the very influential annual Automotive Management Briefing held each August in Traverse City, Mich. He has also worked extensively on internal-combustion engines, vehicle design, and overall automotive industry trends. His recent research has focused on strategic issues related to restructuring of the North American industry and trends in globalization, technology, market factors, and human-resource requirements. Cole holds B.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics, an M.S.M.E. and a Ph.D. - all from the University of Michigan.

Jim deVries is staff technical specialist and manager-Manufacturing Research Department in Ford Motor Co.'s Research Laboratory, where he has spent the past 31 years coordinating various research programs for the automaker. His work on these programs has covered paint and adhesive interfacial chemistry characterization; surface-related phenomena associated with automotive materials; and, most recently, the development of advanced composites and lightweight material manufacturing processes. He coordinates long-range and applied research, both internally and through industry and government consortia. Many of his efforts have been directly transferred to Ford's vehicle programs. deVries graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1977 from Central University of Iowa with a B.S. degree in Physics. He briefly studied surface science at the University of Missouri-Rolla before joining Ford in 1977.

Barrie Dickinson, program director and director-Body Engineering for Roadster programs at Tesla Motors. Dickinson joined the startup automaker in the U.K. in 2004 as the organization's thirteenth hire and their first with a vehicle-engineering background. During his tenure there, he setup Tesla Motors Ltd., the U.K. vehicle-engineering center that developed the all-electric Roadster, and he oversaw engineering for the vehicle's carbon composite body. He moved to the U.S. in 2005 to help launch the Roadster and now is responsible for all Roadster programs. Dickinson previously worked for Lotus Cars Ltd. from 1997 to 2001, where he was involved in numerous programs for the automaker as well as for external clients (through Lotus Engineering), eventually becoming chief engineer-Body & Trim at Lotus. Dickinson began his career as a graduate trainee with Jaguar Cars, where he went on to become part of the team that launched the acclaimed 96MY XK8 luxury sedan. He holds an honors degree in Engineering Design and Manufacture from the University of Hull.

Mike Jackson is currently director - North American Vehicle Forecasts at CSM Worldwide where he is responsible for sales and production forecasting, industry surveillance, and product planning and vehicle-lifecycle analysis. He brings years of automotive experience with an emphasis on strategic-planning activities, international marketing, and product assessment. He is frequently quoted by leading print, radio and television media on the industry and the lightvehicle production environment. Prior to joining CSM, Jackson was lead marketing strategist for the North American operations of electrical system supplier, Alcoa Fujikura, Ltd. Before that, he served as marketing strategist at Faurecia, and also gained international industry experience while working in Germany for 2 years. Jackson holds degrees in Management Strategy from Eastern Michigan University and an M.B.A. in International Marketing from Wayne State University.

Tadge Juechter is chief engineer-Cadillac XLR & Chevrolet Corvette, at General Motors Co.; a position he has held since 2006. Juechter has been with Corvette since 1993. His role as Total Vehicle Systems Engineer on the C5 program involved him in all aspects of the creation of the 97MY Corvette. He was also instrumental in putting the C5 Corvette Z06 on the street. In 1999, Juechter was promoted to assistant chief engineer and he held that position throughout the Corvette C6 development and launch. He currently spends his time working on continuous improvement for current Corvette models, as well as planning next-generation features and technologies. Prior to his work on Corvette, Juechter has held a number of engineering positions in Manufacturing, Product Design, R&D, and Vehicle Development. He has been with General Motors since 1977. He holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the University of Rochester (1979) and an MBA as a GM Fellow from Stanford University (1986).

Dr. Phil Sklad, is field technical manager-Lightweight Materials Program, Office of Vehicle Technologies for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a position he has held since 1993. Previously, he was technical project manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for activities sponsored by the DOE's Advanced Industrial Materials Program. Sklad joined ORNL immediately after graduation as a research staff member in the Metals & Ceramics Division (now called the Materials Science and Technology Division). He did a wide range of research there, including investigation of the relationship between structure and properties of alloys for reactor applications, advanced ceramic systems for energy applications, structural ceramics, and ion-implanted ceramics. Sklad holds B.S. (1968), M.S. (1972), and Ph.D. (1974) degrees in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Case Western Reserve University.

About the Moderator

Dale Brosius is chief-operating officer for Quickstep Technologies, an Australian company supplying rapid-curing technology for advanced composites. Prior to this, Brosius provided consulting services to the composites industry, working extensively in end use markets for carbon fiber, including aerospace, and was active in the development of the carbon fiber hood for the 04MY Le Mans Edition Corvette Z06. From 1979 to 1987, he worked for Dow Chemical in a variety of positions. He started with the company in 1979 as a manufacturing engineer and began working in the composites field in 1984 as a sales engineer and later as market development manager for Dow's line of epoxies and vinyl ester resins for the automotive market. While there, he was involved in the development of low-density SMC, filament-wound drive shafts, and liquid infusion of composite structures. Brosius holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA, served one term as chair of the SPE Thermoset Division, and is currently chair-elect for the SPE Composites Division. Additionally, he has prepared numerous marketing studies in the field of composites and has authored over 40 contributed articles for Composites Technology and High-Performance Composites magazines.

About the ACCE

The ACCE typically draws over 400 speakers, exhibitors, sponsors, and attendees from 14 countries on four continents with fully one-third indicating they work for an OEM involved in ground transportation or aerospace/aviation. Interestingly, over the past few years, the types of transportation OEMs represented at the show have continued to broaden beyond traditional automotive and light truck, to include agriculture, truck & bus, heavy truck, and aviation. This trend may indicate greater interest in technology sharing among transportation OEMs and suppliers.

Held annually in suburban Detroit, the ACCE provides an environment dedicated solely to discussion and networking about advances in the automotive composites industry. Its global appeal is evident in the diversity of exhibitors, speakers, and attendees who come to the conference from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia / Pacific as well as North America and who represent transportation OEMs and tier suppliers; composite materials, processing equipment, additives, and reinforcement suppliers; trade associations, consultants, university and government labs; media; and investment bankers. The show is sponsored jointly by the SPE Automotive and Composites Divisions.

The mission of SPE is to promote scientific and engineering knowledge relating to plastics. SPE's Automotive and Composites Divisions work to advance plastics and plastic-based composites technologies worldwide and to educate industry, academia, and the public about these advances. Both divisions are dedicated to educating, promoting, recognizing, and communicating technical accomplishments for all phases of plastics and plastic-based composite developments, including materials, processing, equipment, tooling, design and testing, and application development.

For more information about the SPE Automotive Composites Conference, visit the Composites Division website at www.4spe.org/communities/divisions/d39.php, or the Automotive Division's website at www.speautomotive.com/comp.htm , or contact the group at +1.248.244.8993, or write SPE Automotive Division, 1800 Crooks Road, Suite A, Troy, MI 48084, USA. For more information on the Society of Plastics Engineers International or other SPE events, visit the SPE website at www.4spe.org, or call +1.203.775.0471.

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