Scope

Materials and processes engineering is involved with both technical and quality aspects during all stages of a project starting from purchase orders up to and including delivery to the customer:

Problem analysis & requirements flow-down
- identification of critical material and processes aspects
- identification of need for alternative / new materials and processes and subsequent development/ qualification programs
Interpretation of requirements into design concepts
- support to selection of materials and processes
- support to selection of production processes
Detailed design, verification and qualification
- engineering programs on material and processes (definition, execution, analysis, reporting)
- qualification programs on material and processes (definition, execution, analysis, reporting)
Production
- review of production drawings
- production support
- trouble shooting
Shadow engineering
- managing of special processes at subcontractors
Documentation of knowledge
- generation of specifications (materials, processes, procurement, testing)
- generation of company standards
- library / database on material and processes
Help desk function
- all company questions related to materials and processes
- trouble shooting

Materials and Processes techniques

In the design and production process the materials and processes engineering department makes use of their experience and knowledge of:

Wide range of materials and their applications (such as metals, plastics, composites, adhesives, pottings, sealants, foams, coatings, paints, lubricants, wires, mechanical parts, thermal protection materials)
Wide range of processes (bonding, machining, forming, heat treatments, surface conversion treatments, composite manufacturing, coating, painting, crimping, soldering, brazing, welding, thermal spraying, laser treatments, cleaning, testing)
Material properties (mechanical, thermal, thermo-optical, electrical), including properties at high and low (cryogenic) temperatures
Composite structures:
- designing in composite materials
- reinforcement fibers (carbon, glass, aramid, PE, boron), matrix materials, honeycomb/composite skin
  products, hybrid materials (ARAL, glare)
- composite manufacturing processes/ methods (tape laying, winding, autoclave, oven, RTM,
  pultrusions)
Design, analysis, production and test of adhesive bonds
Test methods (mechanical destructive/non-destructive, thermal, electrical) and test houses
National and international standards (NEN, MIL, ASTM, DIN) and handbooks
Trouble shooting (fault-tree analysis, materials and processes problem solving) + FAR's
Electrical bonding / lightning protection for aircraft and spacecraft
Material damage analysis
Thermal protection methods

Materials and Processes tools

Databases

Examples

Aerospace structures: various Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 composite parts (internal / external)
Rigid Solar arrays: large (1x5 m) panels made of honeycomb / ultra-thin (0.15 mm) composite skin
Flexible blankets array
Development of co-cure processes for CFRP panels (2 x 3 m)
ASAR program: wound composite structures (150 x 100 x 1000 mm)
Solar panels: qualification of various thin skin composites skin materials (UD tape, weave)
Ariane launcher program: qualification of peenforming process, ring-shaped forgings (diameter up to 5.5 m), thermal protection application process, welded structures
ERA program: heat treatment of large forgings
Cooler projects: development/qualification of black paints at 80K, thermo-optical mirror coatings (vacuum deposited aluminium and gold), glass fiber reinforced tubes with bonded metallic end-fittings
Trouble shooting: various bonding problems, surface analysis (SEM, XPS)
Battle field surveillance: design/development of high altitude long endurance objects
Automobile industry: design/development of composite energy absorbers
Lightning protection of Fokker 50, Fokker 100, Gulfstream V and windmills