FAUNO: Innovation in the Manufacture of Composite Materials for the Aeronautical Industry

FAUNO: Innovación en la Fabricación de Materiales Compuestos para la Industria Aeronáutica 

The FAUNO project is a cutting-edge initiative in the aeronautics industry that aims to revolutionise the manufacture of composite materials. This ambitious project, launched in November 2023 and scheduled for completion in June 2025, is dedicated to developing a new generation of multifunctional moulds and tools through the use of Multi-material Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology. 

FAUNO's main goal is to optimise efficiency and sustainability in the production of composite materials, especially through out-of-autoclave (OoA) manufacturing processes. These methods significantly reduce resource consumption and improve productivity. One of the processes highlighted in FAUNO is Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI), which allows obtaining high quality moulded parts with excellent mechanical properties, reducing the environmental impact and energy cost in production. 

This innovative project has the collaboration of leading companies in the sector, including INESPASA, SMART MATERIALS 3D, NEXUS PROJECTES and IDAERO. FAUNO also benefits from the experience of renowned research centres such as AIMEN and IMDEA Materials, which play a key role in the development of new materials and advanced manufacturing processes. 

One of the main challenges of FAUNO lies in the research of multifunctional materials, as well as in the optimisation of the design and manufacture of moulds through Additive Manufacturing. IDAERO, one of the project partners, is developing advanced multiphysics simulation models and digital twins to predict the thermo-mechanical behaviour of the moulds, in close collaboration with the AIMEN and IMDEA Materials research centres. These models will improve the precision and efficiency of additive manufacturing processes, ensuring better quality in the final products. 

With the advances achieved in the FAUNO project, it is expected that additive manufacturing technology applied to the aeronautics industry will enable a significant leap towards intelligent and advanced manufacturing. The developments achieved will not only increase efficiency in the production of composite materials, but will also contribute to sustainability in a key sector such as aeronautics. 

FAUNO is a project subsidised by the CDTI and supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, framed within the Aeronautical Technology Programme, which is part of the State Programme to Catalyse Innovation and Business Leadership of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2021-2023. It is also part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the Next Generation EU funds and the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, which aims to boost innovation and sustainability in the industry at national and European level.