UPFRONT A Letter from the Editor
Watch for promise, peril of multifunctional materials
P
eople working in aerospace and defense are in an enviable position: The critical nature of
what they make commands R&D cash aplenty. At the same time, they face inimitable pressure: The governments delivering that investment demand durability and reliability in the most challenging environs imaginable. In this issue’s cover story, we learn
from Vorbeck Materials President John Lettow that the DOD is about to pony up more R&D money to facilitate the combination of new fibers and fabrics with “the latest in simulation and structural design—to come up with whole new concepts and plans to redesign aerospace vehicles and other types of structures with … new capabilities—not just stronger materi- als but multifunctional materials.” Today, separate systems on aircraft
Smart Manufacturing Editorial Staff
EDITOR IN CHIEF Brett Brune
313-425-3253
bbrune@sme.org Adv
S anc EDITOR Editorial Staff
SISTANT EDITOR IN CHIEF ed Manufacturing Media
Kristen Golembiewski 313-425-3259
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James D. Sawyer 313-425-3053
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EDITOR IN CHIEF
SENIOR EDITOR Sarah A. W
Bill Koenig ebster 313-425-3252
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swebster@sme.or SENIOR EDITOR
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James A. Lorincz 440-779-6946
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SENIOR EDITORS
Bill Koenig 313-425-3058
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bkoenig@sme.orgg EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Advanced Manufacturing Media Editorial Staff
might handle communications, sound incoming-missile alerts and provide stealth capabilities. “In the future, all of those systems are going to be integrated into the skin of the aircraft, such that you have one nearly invisible system that can perform a number of different functions,” he said. Making multifunctional materials
reliable is sure to be a challenge for years to come. And so it is encour- aging to see firms like Vorbeck and Nanocomp Technologies joining Ad- vanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), a group of 89 manufactur- ers, universities, and non-profits. These firms know that when
electronics are built into a textile structure, the results from electro- static discharge threaten to fry them. They know how hard it is to weave a metal into fabric that is environmen-
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DIGITAL EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR
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Although reasonable efforts are taken to ensure the accuracy of its published material, SME is not responsible for statements published in this magazine. Readers are advised that SME shall not be liable to any person or company for losses or damages incurred as a result of accepting any invitation or offer contained in any advertisement published in Smart Manufacturing. Copyright © 2016 by SME. Photocopy information: Users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center, 21 Congress St., Salem, MA 01970, can purchase copies at $2.00 each referring to serial fee code 0361-0853/88/$2.00. All other photocopying without the permission of SME is
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tally tough and able to flex a lot and provide electrical grounding. Nano- comp makes a fabric that’s electrically conductive, “so you don’t have to im- pregnate metal materials into another material,” CEO Peter Antoinette said. Nanocomp’s fabric can dissipate the buildup of electrostatic energy. It also blocks electro-magnetic interfer- ence. So it is a shield and an antenna. The use of co-existing, embedded
antennas is mushrooming, and they can interfere with each other. So RF isolation and shielding is essential. When the world moves beyond
strap-ons like smart watches and the true wearables begin to interact with the smart grid and smart home, “we will have to build in intelligent ways of shifting frequencies and preventing interference,” Antoinette said. Godspeed.
Brett Brune Editor in Chief
Summer 2016
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