On Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, the Development Center for Maintenance of Composites (DCMC), in partnership with Aviolanda Aerospace and Fokker Services Group, hosted the 'Recycling of Composites in MRO' event. We were thrilled to welcome a large group of representatives from companies, research institutes, and government bodies engaged in maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO), composites, and recycling technology.The event featured insightful presentations from experts and industry leaders who shared their latest activities, ideas, and innovative research on composite recycling. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our contributors, including Aethos, Green Chemistry Campus, Delft University of Technology, Windesheim, ACRATS, TNO, and NLR - Netherlands Aerospace Centre, for their valuable contributions.The gathering concluded with refreshments, allowing attendees to connect, exchange ideas, and build new relationships, strengthening our collective network within the field of composites and recycling technology.Thank you once again to everyone who made this inspiring event possible. We look forward to continuing the conversation and advancing innovation in composite maintenance and recycling. Save the date for our next event on 'Automation of Composite Maintenance', which is planned on Wednesday, May 21st, 2025

Venue: Aviolanda Aerospace Business Park - Aviolandalaan 31, 4631RV Hoogerheide, Nederland Agenda DCMC event 13 Nov 2024 – Recycling of Composites in MRO 12:00     Registration & small lunch 13:00     Welcome DCMC 13:10     Introducing Aethos - Aethos 13:40     It’s not easy – Green Chemistry Campus 14:10     Composite recycling from an academic point of view – TUDelft 14:40     Reuse of traditional thermoset composites – Windesheim University 15:10     Coffee break 15:20     Removable repair patches – ACRATS 15:40     Pyrolysis of FRP and reuse – TNO 16:10     Durability of Composites – NLR 16:40     Networking & drinks 17:30     End of event

Dear relation, As the year draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on steps we've made in composite maintenance here at our development center. This year has been focused on the finalization of the OPZuid project ‘Building the DCMC’ which we started in 2017. Together with the project partners we have realized the main objectives of the project resulting in the final reports of innovation tracks and including the successful completion of research by two PhD-candidates of which one successfully defended his thesis at the Delft University of Technology last October. The second PhD-candidate will defend his thesis in the coming months. On September 28th, DCMC organized the final OPZuid event at our joint ACRATS/DCMC facility at Aviolanda Aerospace. The project partners presented the results of their work and achievements to a broad representation of the military and civil industry as well as representatives of local government and development organizations. The event also provided an opportunity for start-up parties to show innovative solutions on composite maintenance and applications which was well received by the attendees. The success of the project has also been recognized by Stimulus program management who represents the EFRO and Provincial subsidy authorities. Last week we received the final statement that the budgeted subsidies have been granted to the full and that the project objectives have been achieved. A big Thank You to all who have participated. Our collective efforts have been instrumental in achieving this success. As we look ahead to the coming year, let's carry forward this momentum, enthusiasm, and dedication. Together, we'll shape the future of composite maintenance, making strides that will not only benefit our center but also elevate the industry as a whole. For this effort we need to increase the network and make the connection for collaboration between innovators and operators. Last year, the next phase in the development of DCMC has been on the agenda of the DCMC Foundation therefore I am happy to announce that we have drawn the path forward as an active network organization with a clear focus on composite maintenance. In a separate announcement, published on our website, we have set out the details of this plan (ref. DCMC, The Composite Maintenance Network – Announcement – Development Center for Maintenance of Composites (composite-maintenance.com). I hereby invite you to read the document and hopefully will this result in your membership and participation…

DCMC II - Proposition 19 Dec 2023 DCMC reaches out to industry members to further expand the network with a clear focus in the expert field of composite maintenance, building a unique platform for the industry which aims to make maintenance processes more efficient, shorten the time it takes to implement new technologies and work on innovations that meet the sustainability of the industry and the aviation sector in particular. Please read the proposition which describes the network in more detail.