Isabel Martín, a pre-doctoral researcher at FIDAMC, has taken part, alongside Jorge Martínez from Sonaca, in two presentations focusing on the manufacture of aeronautical components using thermoplastic composite technologies.
FIDAMC took part in ITHEC 2026 (International Conference and Exhibition on Thermoplastic Composites), which was held on 28 and 29 October in Bremen (Germany). This international event brings together specialists from industry, technology centres and universities to share the latest advances in thermoplastic composites, their manufacturing processes and their industrial applications.
The eighth edition of ITHEC combined a scientific and technical programme with an exhibition featuring companies and research centres, specialist presentations and networking opportunities. Automation, high-productivity manufacturing and the development of lightweight and sustainable structures were among the key areas of interest at this international forum.
Two presentations on the manufacture of aeronautical components
One of the key highlights of FIDAMC’s participation was the presentation of two technical papers by Isabel Martín, a PhD researcher at FIDAMC, together with Jorge Martínez from Sonaca..
The presentations addressed two specific applications of thermoplastic composite materials in the aeronautical sector:
- “Manufacturing Process of a Thermoplastic Composite Access Door for Auxiliary Power Unit Maintenance”, focusing on the manufacturing process for a thermoplastic composite access door designed to facilitate maintenance tasks on an aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU).
- “Manufacturing of a Thermoplastic Composite Aileron Demonstrator by In-Situ Consolidation”, dedicated to the manufacture of an aileron demonstrator using consolidation, a technology that enables the integration of stages in the thermoplastic composite manufacturing process.
Both presentations provided an opportunity to share the technical advances developed in collaboration with Sonaca and to demonstrate the potential of these technologies for the manufacture of aeronautical components.
Innovation in composite materials: FASTER-H2 and the ELEMENT programme
FIDAMC’s participation in ITHEC has also formed part of the dissemination of the work carried out within the FASTER-H2 project and the ELEMENT programme, in collaboration with Sonaca Spain.
FASTER-H2 project is a European research and development project coordinated by Airbus and supported by the European Union’s Clean Aviation initiative. Its aim is to develop and validate technologies for a new generation of short- and medium-range aircraft designed for hydrogen integration, addressing aspects such as fuselage and tailplane architecture, systems integration, and the optimisation of materials and manufacturing processes.
In this context, thermoplastic composite materials and advanced manufacturing processes are areas of particular interest due to their potential to promote automation, improve production efficiency and develop lightweight structures with new possibilities for reuse and recycling.
In-situ consolidation, the focus of one of the presentations, is a technology of particular relevance for moving towards more integrated and efficient manufacturing processes. Its application to aeronautical components enables research into new solutions to meet the sector’s demands for performance, quality and productivity.
The presentation of this work at ITHEC has provided an opportunity to raise the profile of the applied research carried out by FIDAMC in collaboration with its industrial partners and to exchange knowledge with the international community specialising in composite materials.
Meetings to foster collaboration
In addition to the technical presentations, our participation in ITHEC has included highly productive meetings and discussions with professionals and organisations in the sector. These discussions have enabled us to share experiences, learn about new areas of development and strengthen opportunities for collaboration around thermoplastic composite materials and their applications.
Participation in this type of international forum forms part of FIDAMC’s commitment to innovation, technology transfer and the development of advanced solutions for the aerospace industry.
See you at ITHEC next year!
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