Imagine if a plane's wing could tell you exactly where it is hurt or how it was made without you having to take it apart. This tech embeds tiny magnetic wires into the carbon fiber materials during manufacturing, acting like a nervous system. A handheld reader then 'talks' to these wires to track stress, heat, and damage throughout the aircraft's entire life.
Aerospace composite parts are difficult to inspect for internal flaws without destructive testing or expensive downtime. There is a lack of continuous data regarding a part's health from the moment it is manufactured until it is recycled.
A portable low-frequency reader system, ferromagnetic microwire sensors embedded in Non-Crimp fabrics, and a structural health monitoring algorithm.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with quality control of carbon fiber parts — this project developed sensorised Non-Crimp fabrics that provide real-time monitoring of fiber position and temperature. This ensures a higher quality build and creates an as-built digital twin for the customer.
If you are an MRO provider dealing with expensive and slow structural inspections — this project developed a portable low-frequency reading system. It allows for wireless structural health monitoring to identify damage and improve repair accuracy for complex parts.
If you are a recycling company dealing with unknown material histories in scrap composites — this project investigated the effect of sensing hardware on recycling methods. This helps in determining how to optimally recycle components and potentially reuse sensors.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or implementation costs are not provided; however, the project aims to deliver a more cost-effective quality assurance process.
The project has validated the system for carbon fabrics and composite structures, reaching TRL 3-4, indicating it is currently at a laboratory/small-scale validation stage rather than full industrial scale.
Based on available project data, specific IP or licensing terms are not disclosed, though the consortium includes 7 SMEs and 7 industrial partners who likely share the developed technology.
The system generates digital signals and data to create a digital twin that captures the structure's history from manufacturing through maintenance operations.
The project period is from 2022-06-01 to 2025-05-31, suggesting the technology is still in the development and validation phase.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 58% industry ratio, comprising 12 partners across 7 countries. The strong presence of 7 SMEs suggests a focus on commercial agility and specialized technical application, balanced by 2 universities and 3 research centers for the underlying physics of ferromagnetic microwires.
Contact IDEKO S COOP in Spain for licensing and partnership inquiries.
Contact us to connect with the INFINITE consortium for TRL 4 technology transfer.
