SPE ACCE 2023 provides combination of presentations, exhibits, networking

SPE ACCE included a track devoted to the sustainability of composite materials and processes with regard to the automotive sector. Photo Credit: CW

The 23^rd annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE, Danburgy, Conn., U.S.) Automotive Composites Conference and Expo (ACCE) event was held Sept. 6-8, 2023, at the Surburban Collection showplace Diamond Banquet and Conference Center in Novi, Mich., U.S. The theme of 2023 was “Composites: The Key to EV Auto and Air Mobility,” emphasizing the importance of composites to automotive electric vehicles (EVs) and the next wave of transportation — electric air transportation. The event was well-received and featured many educational and networking opportunities for more than 450 attendees, including 52 presentations for the technical program. Presentations ranged across a variety of topics, all relevant to composites.

There were also several awards ceremonies and competitions, including the Best Paper Awards, Student Poster Competition, Part Competition and Scholarship Awards.

The Best Paper Awards are given to those who have presented the best papers at the conference, recognizing excellence in technical writing. The winners received the highest average ratings by conference peer reviewers, including members of the ACCE planning committee and other industry experts. The authors of the papers were presented with certificates at the conference, and their papers were highlighted in the ACCE program schedule and will be published in SPE Automotive and Composites Division newsletters and other industry publications.

The Student Poster Competition features students from the U.S. and Canada presenting innovative research related to polymer composite materials and manufacturing technologies for automotive applications. The competition enables students to meet with people in the industry and learn about career opportunities. There are two categories under which students are awarded, the Graduate category and the Undergraduate category.

The Scholarship Awards featured the SPE ACCE scholarships and Dr. Jackie Rehkopf scholarships. Both scholarship programs are administered as part of the SPE Foundation. ACCE scholarships, presented in increments of $1,000 and $2,000, are awarded to students pursuing advanced studies in a composites-related field. Dr. Jackie Rehkopf scholarships are for $2,500.

The Part Competition features a panel of automotive composites industry experts from industry and academia who studied the nine nominations that were submitted prior to the event and subsequently reviewed on-site. Nominations were judged on the impact and trendsetting nature of the application, including materials of construction, processing methods, assembly methods and other enabling technologies that made the application possible. The People’s Choice Award was selected by vote of conference attendees.

Award and competition winners