Req 4 — Explore the Industry
This requirement gives you two paths to explore the composites industry beyond your workbench. You only need to complete one — choose the option that works best for your location and interests.
- Option A: Visit a company that manufactures or repairs composites
- Option B: Find and explore three composites-related websites
Option A: Visit a Composites Company
A facility visit lets you see industrial-scale composites work — the equipment, the processes, and the people who make it happen every day.
Finding a Company to Visit
Composites companies are more common than you might think. Look for:
- Boat builders — fiberglass boat manufacturing is one of the largest composites sectors
- Auto body repair shops — many repair fiberglass and carbon fiber body panels
- Aerospace manufacturers — if you live near a Boeing, Lockheed Martin, or Northrop Grumman facility, some offer tours or educational programs
- Wind turbine blade manufacturers — companies like TPI Composites and LM Wind Power operate plants across the country
- Custom fabrication shops — small businesses that make composite parts for racing, marine, or industrial clients
- Composite repair facilities — aviation repair stations that fix composite aircraft structures
What to Look For During Your Visit
Go in with questions ready. Here are topics that will impress your counselor and help you learn:
- What materials do they use? Which fibers, resins, and core materials?
- What manufacturing processes do they use? Hand lay-up? Vacuum bagging? Infusion? Autoclave? Compression molding?
- What PPE do workers wear? Does it match what you learned in Req 1a?
- How do they handle waste? Where do cutoffs, expired resin, and contaminated PPE go?
- What quality checks do they perform? How do they verify that a part is free of defects?
- What is the most challenging part of their work?
Visit Preparation
Get these ready before your visit
- Parent/guardian permission obtained
- Counselor has approved the specific company
- Notebook and pen for taking notes (phones may not be allowed in the facility)
- Closed-toe shoes and long pants (most shops require them)
- A list of at least five questions to ask
Option B: Explore Three Composites Websites
If a facility visit is not practical, you can learn about the industry through focused online research. The key word is focused — you are not just browsing. You are identifying three websites, studying them, and preparing to discuss what you learned with your counselor.
Choosing Good Websites
Look for websites from these categories:
- Industry organizations — ACMA (American Composites Manufacturers Association), SAMPE, JEC Group
- Technical publishers — CompositesWorld, Composites Manufacturing Magazine
- Manufacturer sites — Toray, Hexcel, Owens Corning, Solvay
- Research institutions — university composites research centers (Delaware, Stanford, Georgia Tech)
- Government agencies — NASA Composites Materials, FAA composites guidelines
Avoid generic encyclopedia articles. Your counselor wants to see that you engaged with sources written by and for the composites industry.
What to Document from Each Website
For each of the three websites, be ready to discuss:
- What is the website’s purpose? Who runs it and who is it for?
- What did you learn that you did not know before? Specific new information, not general impressions.
- How does the content connect to what you have already learned? Link it back to fibers, resins, safety, or applications you studied in earlier requirements.
With your industry exploration complete, it is time for the most hands-on part of the badge — building actual composite projects.