At present, there are no certification guidelines to orient the naval industry when certifying new designs using hybrid assemblies (adhesively bonded, composite to metal connections), which limits their application to secondary structures. In QUALIFY, a multi-scale testing plan will be implemented by a consortium of 11 partners, led by M2i, to provide reliable insights into the long-term performance of hybrid joints operating in demanding marine environments. This will ultimately enable the increased use of adhesively bonded hybrid structures in primary structures in shipbuilding, and will also generate spin-offs to other industries.
First meeting of project partners
The project partners held their first meeting on the 2nd and 3rd October, at DAMEN Shipyards in Vlissingen, the Netherlands. The planning of the activities was discussed in detail, and further discussions were planned with the participation of industrial players and classification societies in the consortium, to define the most suitable configuration to be tested in the project. More details about the project and its objectives can be found here.
