Daniel Stefaniak, department head at the DLR German Aerospace Center appointed visiting researcher at TU Delft

We welcome Daniel Stefaniak, who was appointed visiting researcher at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. He is department head of the Center for Composite Process Technologies at the German Aerospace Centre in Stade.

Daniel Stefaniak studied mechanical engineering at the University of Hannover and obtained his PhD at the University of Braunschweig, investigating the improvement of the residual strength of unidirectionally reinforced plastic laminates by metal layering. He has since worked in different positions at the DLR German Aerospace Center. He was team leader for multi-material systems and later business unit manager wing at the DLR Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems. In 2021, he was appointed Head of the department Composite Process Technologies at Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems (DLR German Aerospace Centre) and Head of Center for Lightweight-Production-Technology (ZLP®), Stade, Germany. His early research investigated the structure-property relationship of composites with metal hybridization, leading to relevant hybridization technologies. In his current responsibility, the ZLP addresses the manufacture of very large, complex components in high-production fibre placement processes and sensor-guided component-specific control of thermally inert curing processes in autoclaves and open moulds. The researchers in Stade are also working on fully automated manufacturing of high-volume components using dry textile semi-finished products in the resin transfer moulding process.

For his part time assignment, Daniel Stefaniak joins the Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies Group. We look forward to further strengthening synergistic activities between our institutions.