Advanced composites are engineering materials made with two or more components. One component is a strong reinforcement fiber such as fiberglass, Kevlar, or carbon fiber. This gives the material its high strength and versatility, while the other principle component (called the “matrix”) is the agent linking the reinforcement parts together to form a composite.  When the reinforcement and matrix components are combined together their cumulative properties are superior to the individual materials.  Because of the need to produce products for the 21st century that are lighter, stronger and more versatile, the use of advanced composites will continue to expand into a variety of industries.

The composite industry is growing rapidly in Utah and nationwide. Utah has a strong composites industrial base, and new companies entering the area are further expanding the need for trained employees. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development is also actively involved in promoting Utah’s composites industry by bringing together the aerospace, defense and recreation industries as well as educational institutions to form partnerships that will fuel continued growth.

Trained technicians capable of working with composite materials are in great demand. OWATC is helping to meet the demand for skilled workers by providing students with a broad-based knowledge of advanced composites. Our program prepares students with hands-on training for variety of technician jobs available in the composites field. Our program has a well equipped training lab containing equipment, materials and training resources supported by industry.

This course focuses on both learning the basics and providing the fundamental training in a hands-on environment to provide the needed skills to move into the advanced composite workplace.  Areas of focus for the technician are developing composite lay-up skills and composite vacuum bagging training. This course provides simple and clear training for the person seeking the technical skills needed to enter the aerospace, or aircraft, or any industry using advanced composites.

Employer Advisory Team

• Air Force Research Laboratory
• TCR Composites
• Hill Air Force Base 309th Maintenance Wing
• Edge Composites

What's Happening in the Composites Technology program

Courses currently offered are Composites Technology Introduction, Fundamentals of Composites, Fundamentals of Lean Manufacturing, Material Science, Parametric Molding, and Parts & Assemblies (Solid Works).  Our focus is not only in having you learn basic theory but in provide practical hands-on training needed to move into the advanced composite workplace.  Areas of focus for the technician are developing composite lay-up skills and composite vacuum bagging training. These courses provide simple and clear training for the person seeking the technical skills needed to enter the aerospace, aircraft, or any industry using advanced composites. Some areas of training include:

• Proper procedures in handling and working with composites
• Roles of the matrix (binder) and reinforcement used in composites
• Formulations of matrices and reinforcements
• Strengths and weakness of composites
• Different types of composites and how each can be constructed to provide greater strength and durability to a part
• How composites work and what materials are needed to build and finish parts
• Different manufacturing methods in working with composites
• Different core materials and how they function
• In the future we will be adding additional  training in advanced composites and tooling, CNC part development, and instructions in software used in the composite industry

Your Instructor

Jim Hatch

Mr. Jim Hatch has helped design, develop, and test two major building systems and also has developed a home recreation system (H.R.S.).  Part of the design and development of the building systems included working with the mining industry, where research has gone beyond design to encompass material testing.

Mr. Hatch has been involved in the testing of a variety of materials such as: Class A & C fly ash, potash, glass centipheres, light weight cements, cellulose fibers, phanolic resins, aerated foams, composites materials such as Fiberloc, Dicillion 1000, Dicillion 2000, carbon fiber, and honeycomb materials.  Testing included material set times, manufacturing purposes, compression and fire resistance tests (both short and long term), determining densities, and formulating different types of composite materials.

Mr. Hatch has done research work with the following companies:  U.S. Army, Hewlett Packard, Sandia Corporation, Sylvania, Texas Interment, PolyOne, Geon Plastics, University of North Dakota, Bemus Manufacturing, Dicillion LLC, and TS Industries LLC.

Contact:
hatchj@owatc.edu
801-395-3788

Ed Sandoval

Ed has more than 20 years experience working in the composite industry both in manufacturing and in research and development.  He has worked for Hexcel, Composite Technology, Parsons of California (Hitco), Applied Aerospace Structures Corp.

Ed’s lab experience goes well beyond the normal skills of a composite technician to include testing graphite laminate specimen, acid digestion of graphite carbon, reactionary testing to a large variety of composite materials including viscosity measurements for resins and hardeners, time-temperature experiments. While at Hexcel, he helped develop some of the matrix material found in pre-preg composites today.

Contact:
sandoe@owatc.edu