Nowadays, there are many possibilities of use of composite materials. Some market segments sectors as aerospace and automotive industry, among others, are particularly sensitive to new technological developments.

Step by step, new materials and processes, each time more competitive, open different options for redesign present products and examples like the BMW i3 is a paradigm.

In this context, TECNALIA and the Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB) of the University of Stuttgart have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly promote collaboration in research and exploitation of new technologies related to manufacturing of advanced composite structures.

TECNALIA and IFB will join efforts such as active promotion of new research projects, preparation of a common offer to provide complete solutions and services to industrial customers, common exploitation of already developed assets and exchanging of students and Young researchers for training purposes and to work together in specific common projects or fields of common interest.

The main objective of this agreement is to create a highly specialized working team between TECNALIA and IFB (which have been already working successfully together in different activities and projects) oriented to composites development and manufacturing. 

Both organisations, with similar strategies in this field, will investigate in new dry fibre preforming technologies (new textile technologies, draping process characterization and simulation, preforming optimization, automation, etc.) but also other technologies for other phases of the OOA composites manufacturing processes (novel heating/activating technologies, permeability assessment, filling and curing process monitoring, thermoplastic RTM, etc.).

The use of these technologies will be focused mainly on transport applications, mainly (but not exclusively) aeronautics and automotive sectors.