Mon, 08 December, 2025
TWI’s Non-Metallic Innovation Centre (NIC) has been named among the finalists for the annual JEC Composites Innovation Awards, organised by JEC World.
The awards were created in 1998 to identify, promote and reward the most innovative composite solutions from around the world. In 28 years, the awards have recognised 269 companies and 811 associated partners for the excellence.
The latest edition of the awards has seen 154 applications submitted from which 33 finalists were selected, with a winner due to be chosen in the following categories:
- Aerospace – Parts
- Aerospace – Process
- Automotive and Road Transportation – Parts
- Automotive and Road Transportation – Process
- Circularity and Recycling
- Digital, AI and Data
- Maritime Transportation and Shipbuilding
- Pipes, Tanks and Hydrogen
- Railway Vehicles and Infrastructure
- Renewable Energies
- Sports, Leisure and Recreation
The NIC project that has been nominated has been created in partnership with Aramco and Future Pipe Industries to modify a traditional metal welding technique to coat thermoset composite parts with a layer of thermoplastic polymer, allowing the polymer-coated parts to be joined using a conventional polymer welding approach. Aramco have funded the project and Future Pipe Industries have provided the pipes to work on.
Combining induction welding with a novel adaptation of rotary friction welding, the technique can join thermoplastic and thermoset composites without altering either material, and overcoming stringent temperature-control challenges, enabling a reliable hybrid composite joint.
The benefits of this work include:
- Improved joint reliability (fewer leaks)
- De-skilled installation
- Increased joint performance
- Reduced carbon footprint vs metallic pipes
- Versatility / repairability
We now look forward to the winners being announced on 12 January 2026 at the JEC World Premiere in Paris.
You can find out more about the JEC Composites Innovation Awards, here: https://www.jeccomposites.com/press/jec-world-2026-reveals-the-list-of-finalists-for-the-innovation-awards/