AZL launches three Joint Partner Projects, welcomes composites leaders participation

Source | AZL Aachen GmbH

AZL Aachen GmbH (Aachen, Germany) is launching three Joint Partner Projects (JPP) this July spanning automotive, space and defense sectors, and invites interested parties to join. 

High-value composite applications in space and defense

Space satellite. Source | SpaceX on Unsplash

The cross-industry collaborative project “High Value Composite Applications – A Joint Market and Technology Study on Opportunities for Fiber-Reinforced Plastics in Space & Defense Applications” brings together international companies to explore and quantify the potential of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) in space and defense, two dynamics markets with a rapidly growing demand for high-performance, lightweight, and modular components is accelerating rapidly in both sectors. This JPP aims to provide participants with a consolidated market and technology roadmap, combining deep technical insights with actionable strategic data.

The project will be executed as a pre-competitive, cost-shared initiative moderated and conducted by AZL. This format enables companies from across the value chain to jointly define focus topics, benefit from AZL’s expertise in market and technology analysis and contribute their own perspectives throughout the process. 

The project will begin with a Kick-off Meeting on July 15, 2025. All participating companies will have the opportunity to introduce their organizations, share their expectations and help define the specific scope of the study. Companies interested in participating are invited to request the detailed project description and schedule an individual consultation with AZL’s industrial services team.

Fire safety testing for EV battery casings

In response to the growing importance of thermal management and fire protection in electromobility, the “Thermal Runaway Testing for Battery Casings – Benchmarking Systems for High-Gradient Heating and Hot Particle Blasting” initiative focuses on developing and implementing a realistic and reproducible fire testing environment for structural and functional materials used in electric vehicle (EV) battery housing systems.

The project centers around the development and implementation of a new test bench that combines high-gradient flame exposure and controlled hot particle impact, mimicking the complex conditions of thermal runaway events in modern cell technologies such as LFP and NMC. This setup enables systematic benchmarking of materials under stress conditions that reflect actual applications in automotive, but also in other segments like aerospace, where efficient development of safe battery storage systems is essential. Participating companies will not only have access to the final benchmarking results but can also contribute material configurations for testing as part of the project.

Real cell testing. Source | AZL Aachen GmbH

Through tailored test profiles, thermal resistance and mechanical integrity of different materials will be compared based on application-specific scenarios. Detailed test documentation, including videos and thermal data, will be provided. The resulting matrix supports materials development, qualification and supplier evaluation, offering both strategic and technical value.

Within a predecessor collaboration involving a consortium of 24 industry players (including automotive OEMs like Audi, BMW, Tier suppliers and material producers), AZL’s team of experts developed an application relevant instrumented test method that enables testing of materials at different flame temperatures and simultaneously measuring the material strength under fire load.

In the project, more than 50 different materials (metals, plastics, fiber-reinforced, coated, compact, sandwich) were tested and benchmarked regarding their specific performance (survival at tensile load and 800°C, 100°C and 1200°C flame exposure; failure; areal weight; cost per area). This new project builds on these results, know-how and test infrastructure implemented. It enables participants to pool resources, validate their own solutions and gain insight into leading alternatives in the market. 

The project will officially kick off on July 15, 2025. At the initial meeting, partners will align on expectations, present their priorities and help refine the testing focus. Companies interested in joining are encouraged to request detailed project information or arrange an individual consultation meeting.

Thermoplastic pressure vessel production

“Thermoplastic Pressure Vessel Production – Benchmarking of Design-for-Manufacturing Strategies to Optimize Material Efficiency and Cost” will rethink vessel design and production holistically — aligning thermoplastic material properties with optimized design and manufacturing strategies to unlock their full economic and technological potential.

Winding of a thermoplastic pressure tank. Source | Conbility GmbH

This initiative brings together companies with shared interests to co-finance and co-shape the project. Under AZL’s coordination, participants will analyze current technologies, develop new design concepts for hydrogen and compressed natural gas vessels and benchmark the resulting configurations in terms of weight, cost, recyclability and production KPIs. AZL’s engineering team will provide access to simulation results, concept layouts and comparative evaluations based on a unified framework. Each partner can contribute input, benefit from consolidated expertise and gain early access to the results. 

The project will start on July 16, 2025. All participants are invited to engage in an interactive Kick-off Meeting to define key priorities and present their internal perspectives. Further project information or individual consultation slots are now available.

Interested parties should reach out to Philipp Fröhlig, head of industrial services (email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de; phone: +49 241 475 735 14)