Leonardo spa leverages its deep understanding of materials science and advanced chemical processes to develop cutting-edge solutions for the aerospace and defense industries. The company’s expertise spans the entire spectrum, from fundamental research on material properties to the design and manufacturing of complex components for a wide range of applications, including land and space platforms, aerostructures, and electromagnetic systems.
Leonardo is dedicated to the research and development of new materials, with a particular focus on composites. These advanced materials offer significant improvements in mechanical properties crucial for aeronautical applications while simultaneously reducing production costs. The company is actively exploring multi-functional structures that seamlessly integrate mechanical performance with specific physical, chemical, and system-level functionalities. These research initiatives delve into promising new technologies with the potential to revolutionize avionics and other critical areas.
A key area of focus is the development of thermoplastic matrix composites. These materials offer significant advantages over traditional thermosetting materials, including the ability to be repeatedly melted and reshaped, lower production costs, and enhanced quality and reproducibility. This makes them ideal for use in both internal components and primary structures like wings and fuselages.
Leonardo’s comprehensive expertise extends to a wide range of manufacturing processes, including calendering, extrusion, forging, milling, and drilling. The company also possesses advanced capabilities in heat treatments and surface treatments like anodizing and painting. A strong emphasis is placed on minimizing the environmental impact of these processes by eliminating harmful substances in accordance with REACh regulations. Automation of key production phases, such as stratification, autoclave curing, finishing, and assembly, is a priority area for ongoing research and development.
Leonardo’s research efforts encompass cutting-edge materials and technologies with far-reaching applications: graphene for enhanced radar stealth, ballistic defense, and thermal management; meta-materials for manipulating electromagnetic responses in optics and radio frequencies, miniaturizing microwave components, and controlling radiation emitted by radar and communication antennas; and novel composite materials with superior chemical, physical, and mechanical properties tailored for aircraft and aerospace applications.
The company is also actively exploring new materials suitable for high-volume production techniques like additive manufacturing and injection molding, ensuring cost-effective solutions for large-scale applications. Leonardo Labs, dedicated research centers across the company’s business areas, drive the development of advanced materials expertise and innovation.