JEC Group, the largest organisation exclusively dedicated to the composites industry, has announced the ten winners of its prestigious 2014 JEC Americas Innovation Awards programme, which highlights the most pivotal advances in composites design, manufacturing and application.

JEC will recognise the ten winning companies and their innovation partners during the third annual JEC Americas exhibition that will be held from 13-15 May at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

Winners

For this year’s programme, JEC compared applications from dozens of international companies for recognition in ten competitive categories.

The winners include:

• Raw Materials: TSE Industries (USA) – VOC- and BPA-free bio-based polyurethane spray layup reinforcing resin;
• Reinforcements: Stäubli (Germany) – double rapier weaving machine for economic production of locally adapted 3D weaves;
• Software: Plataine Technologies (USA) – integrated production optimisation – new technology bridges the gap between CAD and ERP;
• Processing: EADS (Germany) – Fibre Patch Preforming (FPP) technology;
• Automation: Technische Universität Braunschweig (Germany) – form-flexible perform-end-effector (FormHand);
• Automotive: FRIMO Group (Germany) – technical demonstrator Street Shark;
• Ballistics: PPE (France), Cedrem (France) – BBOX high-energy absorber for the defence and security market;
• Construction (JEC Composites Magazine Special Prize) : Kompetenzzentrum Holz (Austria) – non-combustible composite for decorative façades;
• Sports & Leisure: BComp (Switzerland) – first ukulele made of natural fibre Ekoa composites;
• Wind Energy: Owens Corning (France/USA) – innovative wind turbine blades manufactured with glass fabrics.

Recognition

Since its launch in 1998, JEC’s Innovation Awards programme has recognised over 700 companies and their partners for their industry-leading contributions toward improving composites technology and enhancing value for end-users.

“The American market has traditionally been at the forefront of composites both in terms of manufacturing and innovation. The Americas continue to be a key engine for innovation, investment and the commercialization of cutting-edge composites technology. The US is a key geography for the global composites industry as it represents around a third of its value, $22.5 billion on an overall of $70 billion,” said Frédérique Mutel, President and CEO of JEC Group.

“The JEC Innovation Awards Programme continues to identify and celebrate the very top innovators from the Americas and abroad to help fulfil JEC’s mission to share the latest industry advances with the global composites community. From environmentally friendly bio-based resins to cutting-edge personal protection to innovative musical applications to integrated software and performing processes, the products and technologies highlighted in this year’s competition are incredibly rich and varied.”

Dedicated support

Reflecting JEC Group’s 20-year history of dedicated support for this region’s composites industry, the JEC Americas Exhibition and Conference is the only composites event that brings together leaders from the full spectrum of the global composites value chain, both upstream and downstream.

This year, JEC Group will leverage its new relationship with Messe Frankfurt, to co-locate the JEC Americas Exhibition and Conference with Messe Frankfurt’s Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas shows.

www.jeccomposites.com