Wed, 27 May, 2026
Interested parties are invited to register for the PLEIADES project webinar taking place on 17 June 2026.
The EU—funded PLEIADES project is bringing together key technologies and disciplines to advance the use of composite aerostructures and promote the digital transformation of the aviation industry. Disciplines include the formulation and characterisation of new composite materials, as well as the automation of induction welding processes for composites - leveraging integrated sensing, disassembly of composites joints, healing and maintenance schedules. These are complemented by the development of passive PIC-based multi sensors, the development of a unified QA-SHM methodology, extensive modelling for induction welding and material development, plus healing, damage propagation, and de-icing models. These disciplines are being pursued with tangible use cases from the aerospace industry in line with the Clean Aviation partnership.
About the Webinar
The webinar is taking the overarching theme of, ‘Development of New Matrix Systems - Current Status of Vitrimer Development,’ and will include three distinct presentation topics:
- Powder Infusion Processing of Benzoxazine-Based Vitrimer Carbon Fibre Composites: Challenges, Process Optimisation, and Characterisation
(Prithivi Boylla: Centre for Materials, FEAS, Cranfield University)
- Benzoxazine-Based Vitrimers for Reprocessable Aerospace Composite Applications (Daniel Preston: Centre for Materials, FEAS, Cranfield University)
- Development of Advanced Multi-physics Model for Induction Welding of Thermoplastic and Vitrimer Carbon Fibre Composites (Dr. Israr Uddin: Brunel Composite Centre, Brunel University London)
Each of these presentations is concerned with vitrimeric resins, which have emerged as a promising class of thermosetting matrices, offering the recyclability and repairability of thermoplastics whilst retaining the mechanical performance characteristic of conventional thermosets.
These materials have the potential to improve material lifecycle, reduce waste, and enable damage repair in aerospace composite systems. However, there remain a number of challenges, such as the viscosity demands of conventional liquid composite moulding techniques like resin transfer moulding (RTM), which has created a need for the development and optimisation of a powder infusion manufacturing route. This event will also highlight the detailed development of an advanced multiphysics model for induction welding of both thermoplastic and vitrimer carbon fibre composites and the introduction of dynamic covalent chemistry into benzoxazine networks to produce vitrimeric materials capable of bond exchange at elevated temperatures.
Sure to be of interest to those involved in the aerospace industry, this webinar will take place from 13:00-14:30pm on 17 June, 2026.
You can find out more and register to attend, here:
https://www.twi-global.com/media-and-events/events-diary/pleiades-development-of-new-matrix-systems
PLEIADES has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101192721.