MENLO PARK, CA—In a 1994 interview archived by the Silicon Valley Historical Association, Apple founder Steve Jobs recalls how, when he was in high school, he cold-called Hewlett-Packard's co-founder Bill Hewlett to request some leftover electronic parts and, to his surprise, Hewlett picked up the phone. The executive then offered the young man an internship.

If it rolls, floats or flies, lightweighting is one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers today. The push for new materials is forcing engineers in a variety of industries to explore cost-effective alternatives and develop new assembly processes.