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AD&P; > February 2014 > NOTABLE Carbon Fiber SMC Cuts Part Weight Up to 60% "It's a good time to be in the automotive composites business," says Frank Macher, chairman and CEO of Continental Structural Plastics (CSP; cspplastics.com). Macher, a man with more than 45 years of experience in automotive, isn't ofering up empty platitudes, or resting on previous success either (i.e., in 2013 CSP produced more than 125-million lb. of sheet molding compound that's used for notable cars, like the fenders for the C7 Corvette and the underbody shield for the Mustang). He sees continued growth as lightweighting continues. A few years ago, Macher says many OEMs considered composite materials too expensive for many applications. Now: "No one is shirking at cost," he says. With business booming, CSP's company scientists, engineers and chemists have developed a carbon fber SMC they're working to optimize inside a new 29,000- ft² R&D; and prototype center north of Detroit. The SMC material currently in production is made with glass bubbles and already saves weight compared to steel or aluminum for body panel applications, but using carbon fber trims additional pounds. KEEP THINGS MOVING. GET YOUR BUSINESS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION at THE GREATEST SUPPLY CHAIN SHOW ON EARTH. MODEX 2014. Find out where the industry is headed with the brightest minds in the supply chain. Enjoy three powerful perspectives in our keynotes: • Lee Scott, former Walmart President and CEO will speak on global business and supply chain innovation. Collocated with MODEX 2014 "We see a 30% to 60% weight save by switching to carbon fber SMC," says Michael Siwajek, CSP's director of research and development. Currently, the company has a 40-piece trial of Lincoln MKS hoods with inner panels made from a carbon fber SMC material (the outer is made from CSP's glassbased SMC material). The carbon fber SMC provides up to a 42% weight savings compared to the existing conventional SMC hood in production on the MKS sedan. • Edward H. Bastian, President of Delta Airlines will deliver "Shipping Trends for Global Supply Chains." • George W. Prest, CEO, MHI and Scott Sopher, Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP will preview the MHI Industry Report on industry trends and issues. Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia March 17-20, 2014 MODEX is where effciency meets productivity and insight has no bounds. It's where manufacturing and supply chain professionals gather to meet 800 of the leading equipment and system providers. See them all. In person, in action. And gain insight from the top minds in the industry at the MODEX Supply Chain Conference including more than 150 education sessions. Streamline your operations. Improve visibility. Maximize effciency. Get started at the greatest supply chain show on Earth. Register to attend for FREE at modexshow.com 18 Even though the new R&D; center opened in December 2013, Siwajek and his team are already looking toward expanding capabilities, including resin transfer molding and thermoplastic composite development. Siwajek says CSP intends to add equipment including a larger press for molding prototype automotive parts, and a second compounding line for carbon fber SMC fabrication.—ZP