New material solutions from Material ConneXion to be featured at IBEX

BROOKLIN, Maine – Material ConneXion’s cutting-edge interactive Materials Library will be featured at The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX). This must-see exhibition will feature fabric and material solutions ensured to make an impact in the marine industry. The Material ConneXion display will be located in the Composites Pavilion on the show floor at the Tampa Convention Center, September 30-October 2.

“The boating industry, given its nature, is one of the most in need of high performance materials that can resist the most extreme elements both for the interiors and exteriors of its structures,” said Dr. Andrew H. Dent, VP Library and Materials Research at Material ConneXion. “At Material ConneXion our library hosts more than 7,500 innovative, sustainable and advanced materials and we can cross-pollinate between industries, offering the boating world performance materials, surfaces, coatings that were developed for other industries but that can be applied differently”.

Material ConneXion consists of an international team of experts, bridging the gap between science and design to create practical manufacturing solutions. During IBEX Sarah Hoit, Materials Specialist, with a Masters of Science from North Carolina State University, College of Textiles, will hold two sessions per day presenting innovative materials. Sarah will do a hands-on presentation by inviting attendees to touch and feel material samples for which she will explain technical properties, innovative traits, suggested applications and interesting facts. Each presentation will feature ten materials that range from surfaces, sustainable textiles, innovative coating systems to materials that have developed for packaging, fashion, architecture but that can be applied to the most diverse design worlds. The presentations will last 15 minutes each and will take place daily at the Material ConneXion booth (#1041) at 11.30 am and 2.30 pm.

“We are thrilled to be working with Material ConneXion to provide our attendees with the opportunity to be educated on the immense number of advanced and innovative materials available to the boatbuilding industry,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX Show Director. “Attendees and exhibitors should plan to visit this display and learn directly from leading material engineering experts about current and future trends and advances within the material world that might create better products, and improve the overall boating experience for consumers.”

In addition to the Material ConneXion there will be other live demonstration areas at the show including the IBEX 3D Digital Workshop, where attendees will see ongoing demonstrations of 3D printing and scanning technologies applicable to the marine industry; and The Connected Boat, a dynamic interactive display demonstrating how various vessel subsystems can be interconnected using existing network technologies. The event will also feature on-water displays where companies including Elco Motor Yachts, Honda, JL Audio, JL Marine Systems, Mercury Marine, Nauticus, SeaStar Solutions, Simrad-Navico, Torqeedo Inc, UFLEX USA, Veedims, Volvo, and Yamaha will showcase their products directly from the water on their boats.