Advanced Composites Technical Conference

The technical program covers mechanical behavior, reliability, failure analysis, and performance of advanced ceramics and composites; structural, environmental, and functional ceramic coatings; solid oxide cells; thermoelectric and thermionic energy conversion and thermal management; bioceramics; rechargeable energy storage; functional nanomaterials and thin films; advanced processing and manufacturing; porous ceramics; computational and data-driven materials design; production technologies; layered carbides, nitrides, and borides; nuclear fission and fusion materials; crystalline materials; additive manufacturing and 3D printing; geopolymers and sustainable construction materials; photonics and energy; ultrahigh-temperature ceramics; and molecular-level processing of functional materials. Focused themes include bioinspiration and green manufacturing; ceramic materials and integrated approaches for industrial decarbonization; smart powder processing of multifunctional ceramics and catalyst materials; ceramic/carbon-reinforced polymers; sustainable design and manufacturing of advanced ceramics for space applications; and critical-materials recovery and reuse. The program also includes a sustainability forum and a focused session on entrepreneurship and commercialization. The expo and poster program features ceramic and glass industry products, materials, processing and characterization tools, and scientific posters.

Technical programming covers aerospace materials and applications, including additive manufacturing; advanced forming and thermomechanical processing; aerospace coatings; AI and integrated computational materials engineering; composite materials and structures; emerging materials and processes; extreme-environment and gas-turbine materials; light alloy technology; low-cost manufacturing and affordable structures; materials characterization and failure analysis; modeling and simulation of manufacturing processes; multifunctional materials; residual stress for aerospace components; space and cryogenic applications; sustainable and enabling materials and processes; titanium alloys and manufacturing technologies; tribology and wear of aerospace materials; and welding and joining. The conference also includes keynote presentations, panel discussions, an exposition, and professional development opportunities. The detailed schedule and keynote lineup have not yet been published.

The event brings together the ACerS Annual Meeting, AIST Steel Properties & Applications, the TMS Fall Meeting, and the Advanced Materials Show. Planned technical symposia cover additive manufacturing, including modeling, AI and machine learning, process control, ceramic 3D printing, and qualification and certification of computational materials tools. Other materials topics include ceramics, glass, electronic and nanostructured materials, advanced alloys, and high-temperature phase transformations. Steel and ferrous-metallurgy programming addresses alloy design, steel processing and coatings, medium- and high-manganese steels, decarbonization, scrap recyclability, and materials for transportation, defense, energy, hydrogen, carbon capture, geothermal, and nuclear applications. Energy-focused symposia cover clean hydrogen, electrochemical storage and conversion, thermal management, and alternative-energy devices, including solid-state batteries, electrolyzers, fuel cells, and thermoelectric systems. Additional planned topics include corrosion and degradation in extreme environments, nuclear materials and waste-storage forms, and materials for advanced manufacturing. The co-located Advanced Materials Show focuses on high-performing materials technology and the materials manufacturing supply chain.

The technical symposia span ceramic and glass science, engineering, processing, and applications. Topics include ceramic interfaces and grain boundaries; oxide quantum materials; superconductivity, magnetism, and correlated phases; functional ceramics; extreme-environment and microelectronics materials; two-dimensional materials; high-entropy materials; bioceramics; glass surfaces and the glassy state; and computational modeling, data science, and AI/ML for materials discovery and manufacturing. Energy-related subjects include materials for energy storage and conversion, nuclear energy applications, protonic ceramic cells, and materials for a sustainable and resilient energy future. Manufacturing topics include advanced ceramic processing, additive manufacturing, glass manufacturing scale-up, and intelligent manufacturing. The additive-manufacturing symposium covers feedstock design, printing and post-processing, modeling, characterization, process-structure-property relationships, qualification, certification, scale-up, cost, reliability, and industrial implementation. The raw-materials symposium addresses material quality and variability, alternative and recycled feedstocks, sustainable sourcing, circularity, supply-chain resilience, resource security, and decarbonization.

The meeting showcases IACMI road-mapping efforts, advances in its technology areas, member successes, technical project updates, and workforce development initiatives. It connects decision-makers from major OEMs, small and midsize companies, government agencies, and academic institutions.

The conference program covers additive manufacturing, industrial 3D printing, and supporting technologies through technical presentations, real-world case studies, and strategic perspectives for manufacturers, engineers, product leaders, and decision-makers. Its nine tracks are Aerospace, Defense, Healthcare, Transportation, Energy, Consumer Products, Process Development, Materials Development, and Essential AM. The program also includes Executive Perspectives panel discussions on additive manufacturing trends, industry evolution, opportunities, and challenges. Event features include showcases for aerospace and defense suppliers, healthcare applications, startups, and local additive manufacturing service providers, as well as hands-on exhibits of additive manufacturing technologies and applications. Conference content is organized around evaluating possibilities and applications, implementing and integrating technology, and maximizing performance and efficiency.

The program combines technical and management sessions, exhibits, and presentations for foundry professionals, suppliers, casting designers, buyers, and OEM representatives. Topics include additive manufacturing, casting design and purchasing, engineering, environmental health and safety, ferrous and nonferrous alloys, Industry 4.0, marketing and sales, melting, molding, pouring, quality control, workforce development, and casting case studies, reshoring, material selection, and casting quality. The program also includes the Hoyt Memorial Lecture on integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) and artificial intelligence for sustainable metalcasting. Its themes include alloy design, process innovation, digital manufacturing, workforce development, and using physics-based ICME with AI and machine learning to improve casting development, manufacturing processes, and prediction of microstructure, defects, and mechanical properties.

The conference brings together engineers, designers, managers, and educators to exchange expertise, best practices, challenges, and application developments in additive manufacturing. The program includes keynote presentations, technical sessions, panel discussions, training sessions, hands-on workshops, the Technical Competition, the Innovators Showcase, and AMUGexpo. Tracks cover aerospace and defense applications such as flight-certified parts, satellite components, qualification, repair, and sustainment; automotive, infrastructure, energy, and battery applications; business topics including capital equipment, return on investment, market research, and mergers and acquisitions; and design, metrology, scanning, and in-situ monitoring. Other track areas include additive manufacturing education and standards; emerging technologies and research-to-industry translation; healthcare and dental applications; industrial automation, tooling, hybrid manufacturing, robotics, and digital thread; materials, powder recycling, feedstock innovation, heat treatment, and post-processing; manufacturing safety and cybersecurity; and simulation, AI, digital twins, and process optimization. Attendance is limited to individuals from organizations that directly own commercially available additive manufacturing equipment used in a professional environment.

The technical program includes a joint AeroMat symposium on advanced coatings for aerospace and industrial gas turbines, including thermal and environmental barrier coatings, turbine clearance control, load-bearing and tribological coatings, component repair, and cold spray for aerospace applications. Research and development topics include AI and machine learning for materials and process informatics; modeling and simulation; carbon neutrality, environmental impacts, and life-cycle analysis; characterization methods; cold-spray fundamentals and particle impact; aerosol deposition; novel coatings and feedstock materials; and hybrid, laser, and additive manufacturing processes. Application areas include automotive and medical uses; battery and sustainable-energy applications; electronics and semiconductor manufacturing equipment; thermal-spray additive manufacturing; equipment, powders, consumables, and economics; circular-economy repair and remanufacturing; and wear and corrosion protection across energy, oil and gas, marine, manufacturing, construction, and food processing. The conference also includes oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, keynote presentations, and an industrial forum. The co-located exposition features thermal-spray equipment, advanced surface solutions, additive manufacturing technologies, consumables, and applied research.