Funding: ERA-Net MATERA, 6th Framework Programme
Region: International
Project period: 2008 – 2011
Partners: The research consortium is led by IMDEA Materials Institute and includes two manufacturers of composite materials and components (Secar from Austria and Gamesa from Spain) and two research institutions (Technical University of Vienna and FHOÖ Forschungs & Entwicklungs).
Principal Investigator: Dr. Carlos González (carlosdaniel.gonzalez@imdea.org)

The ultimate aim of this research project is to provide a knowledge-based engineering tool to assess the influence of manufacturing defects on the mechanical performance of advanced structural composites used in the strategic sectors of energy and land and air transportation across Europe. Today’s cutting-edge knowledge on the mechanical integrity of this class of materials lacks a fundamental understanding of the characteristics of the defects that are detrimental for a specific application. DEFCOM aims to apply a synergetic approach between modeling and experiments to advance in the understanding of high-performance composite materials and in the accurate prediction of their in-service behavior.

In addition to furthering the fundamental understanding of high-performance structural composites, the outcome of this project is of particular importance for the aeronautic, wind energy and transportation industries for quality control during production and in-service inspection during maintenance operations, as well as for the composite manufacturing industry.