Research scientists and engineers from Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) attended the Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (CAMX) in San Diego this week and returned home with coveted accolades.
Waruna Seneviratne, senior research scientist and director of NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), received the Pioneer Award from the American Composites Manufacturer’s Association (ACMA); and a combined team from NIAR ATLAS and KraussMaffei received CAMX’s Unsurpassed Innovation Award.
ACMA’s Pioneer Award is presented to individuals who have developed, enhanced or created processes and/or materials that have advanced the composites industry.
Seneviratne founded NIAR ATLAS in 2018 and has built it into a world-renowned innovation center for advanced manufacturing, leveraging industry and government contracts to fund $80 million in equipment tailored to develop prototypes and solutions for advanced materials manufacturing. The lab employs 130 employees, including Wichita State students as apprentices gaining applied learning experience in Industry 4.0 technology.
"We are thrilled to recognize such outstanding individuals who have dedicated their careers to advancing the composites industry," said ACMA President and CEO Cindy Squires. "Their contributions have shaped the future of our field, driving innovation, collaboration, and growth. These awards are a testament to their commitment and leadership."
The CAMX Unsurpassed Innovation Award is presented to the composites product that clearly demonstrates a novel design that incorporates low-cost materials for high-volume applications or high-performance applications with low-volume materials that delivers a product that is innovative and has the potential to significantly impact existing or open new markets.
The joint NIAR/KraussMaffei Hybrid Overmolding of Aircraft Window Cover project carried out at ATLAS focuses on the development of a low-cost thermoplastic aircraft window cover to demonstrate high-rate manufacturing using hybrid thermoforming and injection molding over the thermoformed part.
The proposed thermoplastic solution is designed to eliminate wasted material generated when traditional metal covers are implemented in passenger-to-cargo aircraft conversions. It is a low-cost, lightweight, and high-rate alternative.
About NIAR
The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University provides
research, design, testing, certification and training to the aviation, defense, manufacturing,
and related industries. NIAR has a $350 million annual budget, a staff of 1,500 and
nearly two million square feet of laboratory and office space in six locations across
the city of Wichita, the Air Capital of the World. Core competencies include Industrial
Modernization of Materials and Manufacturing; Digital Transformation and Sustainment
Modernization; Test and Evaluation; Engineering, Certification, Modification and Prototyping;
System Automation and Digital Manufacturing. NIAR is a department within the division
of Industry and Defense Programs at Wichita State. wichita.edu/niar