We’ve been focusing so much on composites for this issue that I’m seeing them everywhere! For example, it occurs to me that suppliers and manufacturers in the ceramic industry join together as a team in order to produce the high-quality, next-generation composites required by industries such as aerospace, automotive, and defense. And, after all, isn’t a team essentially a composite composed of different participants working together? It’s essentially composites creating composites! OK, I’m getting a little carried away.…

Attendees of Ceramics Expo 2016 will have the opportunity to network and learn how they can best meet each other’s needs for current and future ceramic applications. The event is free to attend and will include exhibits, a two-track conference, and myriad networking opportunities.

One particularly exciting technology that will be highlighted at Ceramics Expo is ceramic matrix composites. “Ceramic matrix composites have been under development for the last 30 years,” says Doug Freitag, technical director for the U.S. Advanced Ceramics Association. “In the last five years, we’ve seen a significant turn of events in that they’re really becoming commercial.” In “Ceramic Matrix Composites at Ceramics Expo: "Hotter, Faster and Lighter,” key industry players share their thoughts and highlight what they’ll be discussing during the “Developing the Supply Chain for Ceramic Matrix Composites” track at Ceramics Expo.

Also, please be sure to take a look at our “composite” covers for the March and April issues. Like most materials used to create composites, these covers work just fine by themselves while providing increased functionality and effectiveness when brought together. I’d love to hear what you think.