INSIGHTS / News

SETsquared Surrey member, TISICS, has recently won a €2.5M programme form the European Space Agency in Holland. The contract is aimed at developing a method to filament wind TISICS metal matrix composite technology to make light weight high performance fibre reinforced titanium components for space. TISICS is working with a Surrey based SME Thinklaser Ltd on this innovative technology.

TISICS joined SETsquared 4 years ago with added support from a SEEDA seed-corn development fund. This enabled TISICS to work with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited to design, manufacture and test small gas pressure vessels for a technology demonstration satellite. Whilst the vessels passed the rigorous test regime they missed the opportunity to fly. However this led to a small R&D project with ESA and a larger programme with Airbus Space and Defence through an InnovateUK funded research programme. TISICS has been able to demonstrate its technology to both ESA and the UK Space Agency which in turn have supported this major programme to enhance European space materials technology.

SETsquared are helping TISICS with its longer term plans to raise investment for a UK production facility so that we can establish a world leading capability in fibre reinforced metal matrix composites for both space and aerospace.