The American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) has announced the finalists for the 2021 Awards for Composites Excellence (ACE), sponsored by Composites One. The prestigious composites industry competition recognizes outstanding achievement and innovation in design, manufacturing, and market growth. The winning entries will be announced in-person at CAMX-The Composites and Advanced Materials Expo in Dallas, TX.

2021 ACE Finalists

Design: Innovation in Green Composites Design

  • Additively Manufactured Foam Biocomposites for Lightweight Structural Applications; Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Vitrimers: Reprocessable Thermosets Unlock the Circular Economy for Composites; Mallinda Inc.

Design: Most Creative Application

  • 2K Ambient Curing Technology Engineered for Unrivalled Application Flexibility and Superior Performance; L&L Products
  • Large Pultruded FRP Multi-Story Frame in Region of High Seismicity; Frost Engineering & Consulting and University of Notre Dame
  • 3D Printed Sand for Fast, Cost-Effective Architectural Restoration; ExOne
  • A Novel Method for Producing Unsupported 90-Degree Overhangs in Large Scale Thermoset Printing; Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Manufacturing: Equipment and Tooling Innovation

  • The Vanguard System - Individual Tow/Position Closed Loop Tension Control; Montalvo
  • Large-Scale Additive Manufacturing Resin Transfer Molding for Hydroelectric Turbine Blades; The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Adapa A/S - Adaptive Moulds - 3D Automated Reconfigurable Mould Surfaces for Laser Guided Curved Panel Fabrication; Adapa A/S and Metyx USA
  • Direct Melt Impregnation Thermoplastic Composite Line; Cygnet Texkimp
  • Computer Aided Process Planning for Automated Fiber Placement; University of South Carolina
  • Massivit 10000 – Digitalizing Tooling for Composites Manufacturing with Advanced Additive Manufacturing; Massivit 3D

Manufacturing: Material and Process Innovation

  • Carbon Fiber Products Manufacturer; Devna Composite Inc 
  • Achieving Thermoset AFP Speeds with Thermoplastics; Victrex
  • Polyimide Aerogel Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) for Aerospace and Defense; Blueshift Materials, Inc.
  • Vitrimers: Reprocessable Thermosets Unlock the Circular Economy for Composites; Mallinda Inc.
  • Innovative Hole Making Process in Woven Composite Laminates; North Carolina A&T State University

Market Growth: Composites Sustainability

  • RC Boat Produced Using 100% Recycled Fiberglass Composites; The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Vitrimers: Reprocessable Thermosets Unlock the Circular Economy for Composites; Mallinda Inc.

Market Growth: Infinite Possibility for Market Growth

  • Self-Healing, Waterproofing, and Anti-Corrosion Electronic Coating; NanoFlowX
  • PUPI Fiberglass Transmission Crossarms; GEOTEK and PUPI
  • Functional Graphene Products by Mito Materials Increase Lightweight and Performance Capabilities in Skis and Beyond; MITO Material Solutions

For more information on the 2021 Awards for Composites Excellence, please visit http://go.pardot.com/e/545842/2021-ACE-finalists/42w8dn/690957405?h=zR_wvA4FMfr7-eICuaZte-Q9oRUxiqk3oNaQlJ89btA.