IComp has a comprehensive suite of state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for composite materials research. In the modern laboratories located in UL, UCD, AIT and NUIG, IComp has full capability in all stages of composite materials R&D including processing and manufacturing, testing, characterisation and simulation. The table below gives an overview of our equipment and facilities but these lists are not exhaustive.

Please contact us if you have a query about something not listed here.

Processing Testing Characterisation Simulation
ATP (Automated tape placement) Straining frames Rheometry Part modelling, design & optimisation
RTM (Resin transfer moulding) Hydraulic testing Spectroscopy Liquid resin infusion simulation
Autoclave (400°C) Fatigue testing Contact angle analysis Finite element analysis (micro & macro structure)
High-temperature VARTM High-speed cameras Surface and porosity analysis Molecular dynamics
Melt spinning Impact testing Thermal analysis – TGA & DSC Computational fluid dynamics
Dedicated preparation rooms Coating and wear resistance measurement HPLC (Chromatography)
Cutting facilities Adhesion testing X-ray tomography
400°C High-precision hydraulic press Erosion testing NDT equipment including laser shearography and ultrasonics
Furnaces Mechanical strength, tensile, compression and flexural analysis Nano-indenter
Vacuum ovens Shelf-life analysis Optical microscopy
Coating deposition facilities Accelerated weathering SEM/ EDX, TEM, AFM
Injection moulding Surface and thermal analysis XRD, XPS
Blow moulding MFI (Melt flow indexer)
Thermoplastic compounding equipment DIC (Digital image correlation)
Extruder
Hot drape former
3D Printers
Laser scanner