JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #109 - November/December 2016 - 17

Success comes when a strong supply chain is in place

and more on the possibilities
and solutions it provides. In
short, we need to be solution
enablers on top of being product manufacturers.
J.C.M.: What are the most
dynamic geographical areas
in terms of growth?
M.S.: One of the most exciting elements of this business
is the opportunities for dynamic growth. These opportunities include, but are not
limited to, growth in China,
the Middle East, and India.
In addition, Europe continues
to be a centre of innovation -
and consequently growth - for
the industry, and we expect
moderate recovery in North
America and some emerging
countries.
For our part, we have worked
to balance our resources to
meet capacity needs - through
our truly global footprint to
ensure that we are prepared to
support growth in these and
other regions of the world.
J.C.M.: Automotive, wind
energy, and building &
construction are great
markets for composites.
What do you expect from
them? What are their rivals
in terms of glass fibre consumption?
M.S.: The sectors you identified are indeed great markets for composites. We see
tremendous opportunities to
leverage the inherent qualities
of composites to address the
respective opportunities in
these markets. The benefits of
composites - durability, low
weight, freedom of design and
parts consolidation, to name
but a few - suggest that the
penetration of composites into
the materials industry should
be much higher than the 2%

Owens Corning WindStrand® fabric (for use in wind blade applications)

share that we have experienced
over the past decade.
In short, we believe that composites possess undeniable
- and unparalleled - advantages in comparison to more
"traditional" alternatives such
as steel, aluminium, concrete,
and wood. But to achieve the
level of growth I've described,
we must again "demystify"
composites.
In addition, we must identify
and capitalize on new applications with scale for sustainable
growth.
To enable this, we need to
think "solutions;" we need to
be solution enablers on top of
being product managers. And
we must build stronger supply
chains employing optimized
processes that enable the necessary scale to deliver solutions that are visibly standardized to the OEMs we desire to
serve.
J.C.M.: In the construction
sector, how can you cope
with the conservative mindset of steel users, especially
regarding concrete rebar?

M.S.: Infrastructure represents a key growth area for
composites moving forward,
and glass fibre-reinforced polymers (GFRP) possess attributes that effectively address
the durability and corrosion
issues commonly associated with reinforced concrete
structures. As you note, one
of the key challenges to taking
advantage of this growth opportunity is the existing mindset of steel users. Among the
keys to capturing this growth
will be increased awareness
and adoption of GFRP solutions in building codes, as well
as education about the benefits of GFRP attributes, such as
corrosion resistance, long service life, enhanced strength,
and ease of handling and installation, as demonstrated by
current and future projects.
Success comes when a strong
supply chain is in place, when
we invest further in our business, and when we collaborate
with our customers. Success
comes sooner when composite solutions become standardized, when we make it simpler

No109 November - December 2016

and easier for OEMs. And
success stays longer when it
is supported by an optimized
manufacturing process that
delivers scale.
To this end, Owens Corning
is part of the Bridge of the
Future project with the Florida
Department of Transportation
in the USA. We believe this
will serve as a state-of-the-art
example to illustrate the transformative benefits of composites in reinforced concrete
structures, and as a showcase
for the deployment of GFRP
solutions to drive national
standards.
J.C.M.: What are your main
lines of R&D at the moment?
M.S.: Our composites business benefits from dedicated
research and development
resources in five R&D centres on three continents. This
global footprint enables us to
effectively pursue R&D work
24 hours a day. From a product-specific standpoint, we
are focused on furthering our
capabilities in a variety of areas, including composites de-

/ jec composites magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #109 - November/December 2016