Composites Manufacturing Research & Development
Composites Manufacturing Research and Development are typically a crucial first step in developing a machine requirements document or understanding the complete ROI of automating the manufacture of a part or raw material. This is usually done in the context of a well defined trade study with clear stage gates and objectives.
Composite Automation is partnered with multiple companies that have the ability to help customers develop manufacturing processes and materials. These capabilities include fabricationg tools, slitting materials, producing prototypes, performing inspection, etc. Bring your problem to us so we can brainstorm a process development or trade study program for you.
SERVICES
Engineering services for designing high pressure vessels and developing generic machine requirements specifications.
Aragna Tech LLC delivers advanced engineering and consulting services for composite pressure vessels and automated manufacturing, guiding clients from concept to commercialization. With expertise spanning custom COPV design and simulation, factory layout and automation, and certification under DOT, ISO, ASME, and EC79 standards, the company ensures production-ready, compliant solutions. Aragna Tech also provides training, factory audits, market analysis, ROI modeling, and due diligence for M&A, investment, and legal cases, offering independent technical evaluations and expert witness services. Partnering with OEMs, investors, and manufacturers, Aragna Tech enables faster, more reliable, and cost-effective market entry. Learn more at www.aragnatech.com
Aragna Tech – Advanced Composites Engineering, Certification & Due Diligence Services
Aragna Tech LLC provides specialized engineering and consulting services for composite pressure vessels and automated manufacturing. We support clients from concept to commercialization with deep expertise in design, certification, process optimization, and investment due diligence.
Core Capabilities:
-
Custom COPV Design & Simulation: Expertise in Type II, III, IV, and V vessels, including finite element modeling, liner development, and structural optimization.
-
Factory Layout & Automation: End-to-end support for plant design, equipment selection, and integration of filament winding, curing, and testing systems.
-
Certification & Testing Support: Guidance through DOT, ISO, ASME, and EC79 pathways for hydrogen, industrial gas, and MEGC applications across North America, Europe, and Asia.
-
Training & Factory Audits: On-site and remote training for engineers and operators in composite processes, quality control, and cost optimization. Our audits identify opportunities to reduce waste, improve throughput, and enhance reliability.
-
Market Analysis & ROI Modeling: Strategic insight for startups, investors, and manufacturers, including market sizing, competitive benchmarking, and profitability modeling to support confident, data-driven decisions.
-
Due Diligence & Expert Witness Services: Technical evaluations for M&A, investment decisions, or legal cases involving COPV and MEGC technologies. We provide independent assessments, failure analysis, and validation of manufacturing capabilities or claims.
Aragna Tech partners with OEMs, investors, and composite manufacturers to deliver production-ready, compliant, and cost-effective solutions that accelerate time to market.
Learn more at www.aragnatech.com.
SERVICES
Engineering services for tool design and technical workforce
PCM Innovation and Lucas Industries offers fully integrated solutions in engineering and tooling. We are rich of 40 years of history and experience in our industry. Like you, we employ engineers, technicians, quality specialists, project managers, buyers and the list goes on. But there’s another side to PCM, we also have a vast array of employees that are on site, at our customers, to fill their specialized resource needs. Whether for short term or long term, we’re here to help, and rest assured, we can help you.
We understand this industry, we’re in it. Unlike any other outsourcer you’ve dealt with so far, we know the lingo. FAI, Catia, CMM, this all speaks to us. Tell us what you’re looking for, we’ll get you the candidate you need.
Technical workforce
- Full time resources at client site: we have a vast array of employees that are on site, at our customers, to fill their specialized resource needs. Whether for short term or long term, we’re here to help, and rest assured, we can help you.
- Permanent design team in our offices
- Turn key solutions with project management and manufacturing
Engineering Services
- Project management with PLM software allowing multisite team
- Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
- Concurrent engineering by web conference
- Secured file transfer via FTP site
- 3D printing for rapid prototyping
- Reverse engineering with Laser Scanner (MetraSCAN)
- Laser Tracker (API and FARO)
- CMM Probe integrated in a large 5-axis CNC
- Photogrammetry (Handyprobe)
- CMM Arm (FARO Platinum 6)
- CE Marking Conformity
CAD Software
- Catia V5
- Siemens NX
- Creo
- SolidWorks
SERVICES
Mikrosam's Institute of Composites and Robotics is located adjacent to their Headquarters in Europe. The R&D laboratory has a wide range of R&D equipment and we have performed R&D for NASA as well as other clients at the lab. The machines available for process development cover all of the technologies Mikrosam provides: Automated Fiber/Tape Placement (AFP/ATL), Filament Winding (FW), Prepreg Making, and Prepreg Slitting. Mikrosam's team of composites experts engages directly with clients to understand the objectives of the research, help design the process development experiments and then invites clients to join, participate and observe the experiments. It's like having your own R&D equipment and personnel in your company. This enables clients to perform manufacturing and materials process development while reducing risk in the design of a part or selection of a machine intended for production.
- Thermoplastic Insitu Consolidation using AFP/ATL with laser heating
- Thermoset AFP/ATL trials
- Prototyping including tool production
- New product development
- New technology development
- Comparative analysis of concurrent technologies and machines
- Programming, testing and merging motion and process control platforms
- Software engineering
- Retrofitting
- Technical consulting
- Machine and software operation training
- Machine maintenance training
- Market research
MACHINES INSTALLED IN THE R&D LABORATORY AT MIKROSAM:
Single Spindle Filament Winding Machine with tensioned Creel
Single Spindle Filament Winding Machine with tensioned Creel
MSR-300 – 2
MIC-300-TC-one-step
MSR-300
Automatic-Towpreg-Placement-(model-MFP-DS-16T127)-1-
SERVICES
cevoLab – the FPP Competence Center
At the cevoLab, Cevotec's Fiber Patch Placement Competence Center, customers can develop their application with Fiber Patch Placement utilizing Cevotec’s technical experts and equipment. Testing and validating fiber patch technology for individual products is risk free. A full understanding of the manufacturability of a candidate part along with projected ROI can be distilled from the process. The comprehensive services include product development both for prototypes and for series production and extends from initial planning and design to the production of dry fiber, prepreg or multi-material laminates. The process also completes the development of a machine requirements document enabling the eventual procurement of a system. Depending on the requirements, Cevotec can offer both full-service options and the flexible integration of customer teams, to implement knowledge transfer at an early stage.
- Individual application development
- Machine customizations
- FE-simulation and laminate optimization
- Prototyping and small-scale series production
- Tailored patch grippers
- Proof of concept and prototype projects for parts already in production that needs automation or parts that are already designed and need to be industrialized
- Developing complementary automation technologies to support Fiber Patch Placement such as novel grippers or feeding units
- Materials evaluation to determine suitability for use in Fiber Patch Placement.
- Throughput and waste analysis
- ROI analysis
- Equipment maintenance & support services
- Software maintenance & support services
- Machine and software operation training
Equipment Customization
Based on the developed application, Cevotec can customize Fiber Patch Placement systems to customer requirements. This includes, as necessary, adaptions to the process, the robot configuration, the gripper technology, or the quality control systems. Of course, all adaptations are reflected in the Artist Studio software’s digital twin of the production system.
Cevotec SAMBA System and Software
Prototyping & small series production
Scaling up for aerostructures
Cevotec patch gripper
ARTIST STUDIO software modules
SAMBA Family Fiber Patch Placement Systems
The Fiber Patch Placement process
Cevotec Additive Patch Placement load path stiffness comparison
Cevotec FPP Process Steps vs Traditional Hand Layup of composite parts.
SERVICES
Contract Parts Inspection Services
Our inspection centers provide application-specific state-of-the-art instrumentation and automated systems that are utilized to solve known throughput and efficiency issues faced in the composite manufacturing sector, helping manufacturers meet their rate commitments.
Arcadia provides inspection of composite airframe components at its Nadcap certified facilities in Punta Gorda, Florida, Bethsalem, Pennsylvania and Tallassee, Alabama. Our Florida facility also provides inspection system optimization, consulting, design, upgrade, and integrated system manufacturing.(These Engineering Services are not covered under the Nadcap and AS9100D Including ISO 9001:2015 NDT Certified Services)
