#Composites

2020-06-18

Hans-Christian Früh appointed new Project Manager of Composites for Europe

New name, new concept and a new face: Composites for Europe, previously COMPOSITES EUROPE, is now also re-pitching itself in personnel terms. Dr. Ing. Hans-Christian Früh will become the new Project Manager of Composites for Europe, to be held as a business summit for composites in Stuttgart from 10 to 12 November. The 35-year old succeeds Daniel Schäfer who will rise to another professional challenge.

“Hans-Christian is a composites man through and through. His CV reads like he is “re-engineering personified” at Composites for Europe,” says Goetz-Ulf Jungmichel, the Event Director in charge of materials trade fairs organised by Reed Exhibitions Deutschland. This, he adds, is specifically due to his broad-based thematic background in diverse composite applications and to his feel for challenges in this industry.

Hans-Christian Früh, who studied mechanical engineering and aviation and aerospace technology at RWTH Aachen, comes with expertise that predestines him for this new task. Born in Mülheim Früh received his doctorate for a thesis on automated handling in composites production. In parallel, Früh headed the research department “Automated Composites Production”.

Here research focused on the automation and digitization of composites. His research activities were accompanied by international industry projects in the fields of automotive and aerospace. At the same time, Früh with a passion for aviation and music, worked on projects for electrically propelled aviation devices and carbon-based musical instrument making.

Hans-Christian Früh (c) 2020 Composites Europe

MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

MEL Composites is supplying advanced composite materials and process consumables to ELA Aviation for the production of its next-generation gyroplanes. The collaboration underlines MEL Composites’ growing role in advanced aerospace mobility, providing lightweight materials designed to improve aircraft performance, manufacturing efficiency and structural reliability.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

JEC World 2026 confirms its standing as the unmissable event for composites and their applications

JEC World 2026 confirms its position as the leading global event for the composite materials industry and its applications across multiple sectors, bringing together the entire composites ecosystem in Paris for three days of business, innovation, and collaboration. True to its Pushing the Limits motto, the 2026 edition delivered outstanding results despite travel disruptions worldwide. The numbers speak for themselves: more than 1,400 exhibitors from over 50 countries, including over 150 first-timers, presented a global panorama of products, equipment, and services across the entire composites value chain.

KARL MAYER strengthens partnerships in the composites industry at JEC World 2026

KARL MAYER further strengthened its role as a reliable and competent partner to the composites industry at JEC World 2026. The global market leader in textile machinery manufacturing used the trade show to meet key customers, establish numerous new contacts, and engage in in-depth technical discussions.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.