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
