On the sofa with… Rafael Mellado, CEO en Global Composites, S.L.

Advanced Manufacturing – What are the main trends in the resin sector today?

Rafael Mellado – The trend in Europe is evident, many sectors within the composites industry are demanding recyclable resins and more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes.

AM – Sustainability is one of the main challenges right now when we talk about composite materials, what actions are being carried out by Global Composites in this area?

R. Mellado – As Swancor distributors, we are proud to represent a brand that has developed the first 100% recyclable thermosetting resin with EzCiclo/CleaVER technology, which allows us to recover the raw materials used at the beginning of the manufacture of the composite part and recycle more than 95% of the materials used in its manufacture. A real revolution for the sector, we have had to wait a century for this to become a reality today.

At Global Composites we are committed to products, processes and services that are unique in the market, within a sector in which a shift towards sustainability is imminent, supporting the objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

AM – What do you think has been the most challenging project you have carried out at Global Composites?

R. Mellado – The biggest challenge we are tackling is the change of mentality within the industry, now we have more sustainable solutions and the change is a reality but the road is complicated, industries such as Naval, Mobility (Trains, Buses, Trucks or Automotive) are betting on using resins with low carbon footprint, low recycling cost, although it is true pushed by Europe to contribute to the lowering of the carbon footprint.

AM – As CEO of Global Composites, what is your day-to-day life like?

R. Mellado – Tackling new projects that are different from the traditional ones, with new challenges and raising awareness of new recycled and recyclable materials, helping customers to improve their processes and training their employees.

AM – Why do you think that meetings like Composites Madrid are important for the sector?

R. Mellado – In times of change and profound transformation towards sustainable models, such as those we are experiencing today, it is essential to create synergies with people who are also looking in that direction, each of the actors who are part of this sector have important things to contribute, finding spaces is essential to provide feedback, promote innovation and boost the sector.