ComMUnion · Project

Laser-Based Joining of Metal and Carbon Fiber Parts for Lighter, Stronger Components

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you need to glue metal and carbon fiber plastic together — like welding a steel beam to a lightweight composite panel. Traditional methods are slow, expensive, and the joints are weak. ComMUnion built a robot system that uses lasers to texture metal surfaces and then precisely heat-bond carbon fiber tape onto them, creating joints that are over 30% stronger. Think of it like laser-engraving a grip pattern on metal so the plastic locks on perfectly, all done automatically by robots.

By the numbers

30%

Reduction in titanium and boron steel consumption

30%

Increase in mechanical performance of multi-material components

2,000

Target market companies

40M EUR/year

Projected revenue at 2% market penetration

EUR 4,863,011

EU contribution to the project

Consortium partners across 5 countries

TRL 7

Prototype demonstrated in operational environments

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturing lightweight, high-performance parts that combine metal and carbon fiber composites is expensive and technically difficult. Current joining methods are slow, produce weak bonds, and waste costly materials like titanium and boron steel. Automotive and aerospace companies need a faster, stronger, and more material-efficient way to produce multi-material structural components.

The solution

What was built

ComMUnion built a robot-based laser joining system that textures metal surfaces and bonds carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic tape onto them using controlled laser heating. The system includes on-line inspection, self-adaptive process control, multi-scale modelling tools, and quality diagnosis. A TRL 7 prototype was demonstrated in operational environments for both aeronautical and automotive pilot cases.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers working on vehicle lightweightingAerospace component manufacturers reducing titanium dependencyIndustrial robotics integrators offering advanced joining solutionsMetal fabrication companies adding composite capabilitiesDefense and marine manufacturers combining metal and composite structures

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers producing structural components

If you are an automotive parts manufacturer dealing with the challenge of making vehicles lighter without sacrificing crash safety — this project developed a robot-based laser joining system that bonds carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic tape directly onto metal parts. It demonstrated a 30% reduction in costly alloy consumption (titanium, boron steel) while increasing mechanical performance by over 30%, with a pilot case validated at TRL 7.

Aerospace manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Aerostructure manufacturers and MRO companies

If you are an aerospace component manufacturer struggling with the cost and weight of titanium structural parts — this project built a multi-stage robot solution that joins carbon fiber thermoplastic tapes to metal surfaces using laser texturing and controlled heating. The TRL 7 prototype was demonstrated specifically for aeronautical parts, reducing expensive alloy usage by 30% while maintaining or improving structural integrity.

Industrial automation and robotics

mid-size

Target: System integrators and manufacturing equipment suppliers

If you are a robotics integrator looking for next-generation joining solutions to offer your clients — ComMUnion developed a complete robot-based system with on-line inspection, self-adaptive process control, and multi-scale modelling tools. The consortium estimated a target market of 2,000 companies, projecting 40M EUR per year in revenue at just 2% market penetration within 5 years of commercialization.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this technology cost to implement compared to current joining methods?

The project data does not specify per-unit implementation costs. However, the objective states that reinforcement with carbon fiber thermoplastic tapes increases mechanical performance over 30% without cost increase compared to current methods. The 30% reduction in titanium and boron steel consumption directly translates to material cost savings.

Has this been tested at industrial scale or only in the lab?

ComMUnion reached TRL 7 with a public prototype demonstrated in operational environments for both aeronautical and automotive sectors. Two pilot cases were manufactured to demonstrate scalability of the joining process. This is beyond lab-scale but not yet full production deployment.

What is the IP situation — can my company license this technology?

The project involved 17 partners across 5 countries, with 12 industrial partners including 6 SMEs. The consortium developed a business plan for exploitation of results. Licensing terms would need to be discussed with the coordinator, ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE in Spain.

How does this integrate with existing production lines?

The system is robot-based and designed for automated tape placement with on-line inspection and self-adaptive process control. It includes tools for parametric offline programming to support integration. The multi-stage robot approach was specifically designed for manufacturability rather than pure research.

What materials does this work with specifically?

ComMUnion targets metal alloys (specifically titanium and boron steel) joined with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic (CFRT) composites. The laser texturing and cleaning system prepares metal surfaces, while laser-assisted tape placement bonds the CFRT layers onto the textured metal.

What is the realistic timeline to adopt this in my factory?

The prototype reached TRL 7 by the project end in May 2019. The consortium projected commercialization with a 5-year market penetration timeline after that. Based on available project data, the technology is past pilot stage but would require engineering customization for specific production environments.

Are there regulatory considerations for aerospace or automotive use?

The project demonstrated pilot cases in both automotive and aeronautical sectors, which are among the most heavily regulated industries. Based on available project data, certification for specific applications would depend on sector-specific standards (e.g., aerospace qualification processes) and would be part of adoption engineering.

Consortium

Who built it

ComMUnion assembled a strong industry-driven consortium of 17 partners from 5 countries (Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal), with a 71% industry ratio — well above typical EU projects. Of the 12 industrial partners, 6 are SMEs, showing a healthy mix of large manufacturers and agile technology suppliers. The coordinator is ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE, a Spanish metallurgical research association. With only 2 universities and 2 research organizations, this project was clearly built around commercial application rather than academic publication. The EUR 4,863,011 EU contribution funded an Innovation Action (IA), which is the EU's instrument closest to market deployment.

ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTECoordinator · ES
TECNATOM S.A.participant · ES
SYMVOULOI KAI PROIONTA LOGISMIKOU CONSULTING AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTS C.A.S.P. ANONYMOS ETAIREIAparticipant · EL
AUTOTECH ENGINEERING SLparticipant · ES
TRUMPF PHOTONIC COMPONENTS GMBHparticipant · DE
LUNOVU GMBHparticipant · DE
KEYSIGHT TECHNOLOGIES FRANCE S.A.S.participant · FR
ESI GERMANY GMBHthirdparty · DE
NEW INFRARED TECHNOLOGIES SLparticipant · ES
AFPT GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRAparticipant · PT
ACITURRI ENGINEERING SLparticipant · ES
PHILIPS GMBHparticipant · DE
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL
TOPSOLIDparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

The coordinator is ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE based in Spain. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See ASOCIACION DE INVESTIGACION METALURGICA DEL NOROESTE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how ComMUnion's laser joining technology could reduce your material costs by 30%? Contact SciTransfer for a detailed briefing and introduction to the research team.

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