About SAM XL: Accelerator of innovation
SAM XL has been the leading expertise center for Smart Advanced Manufacturing with XL robots since 2018. We connect top-level research from TU Delft with real-world industry applications, creating smart and future-ready production systems. Our approach is pragmatic: small steps, big impact.
What is a fieldlab?
SAM XL is a fieldlab, but what exactly is that? The Delft University of Technology fieldlabs are hubs where companies, researchers and students develop, build and test new technology. In a fieldlab, all parties involved learn how to apply innovations in practice. This speeds up the step from idea to working solution and shortens the development time toward a commercial application.
Facilities
We are located on the TU Delft campus, close to the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. Our facility is a 2000 m2 research and development lab, with several robot cells and automation labs. We bring you at the centre of the vibrant Delft start-up community and Delft University of Technology, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and InHolland University of Applied Sciences.
"There’s a reason we say: test before you invest!"
Team
CEO
Hein Koelman
Business Controller
Eveline van Kan
Event and Office Manager
Claudia Kemper
Project Officer
Heleen Woldhuis
Robotics Software Engineering Leader
Aashish Vatsyayan
Materials & Process Engineer
Abhas Choudhary
Automated Manufacturing Engineer
André Florindo
Technical Project Manager
Antoine Dunand
System Integrator and Robot Safety Expert
Berthil Grashof
Manufacturing & Automation Engineering Leader
Bram Jongbloed
Robotics Software Engineering Leader
Dave Kroezen
Automated Manufacturing Engineer
Emma Tobin
Robotics Engineer
Eugenio Bernardi
Associate Research Engineer
Johan van Stuyvesant Meijen
Tech Transfer Officer
Joris Koopman
Business Developer Civil Engineering
Maarten Bakker
Program manager
Martin Kampinga
Education and Research Technician
Menno Verkade
Communications advisor
Nadia Haïfi
Associate Research Engineer
Nigel van Nierop
Robotics Software Engineer
Nikhil Sethi
Robotics Software Engineer
Nithish Kumar
Additive Manufacturing Engineer
Sungi Han
Software Automation Engineer
Syrine Zbidi
Robotics Software Engineer
Thomas Hettasch
Senior Robotics Software Engineer
Wouter Caarls
Interns & students assistants
Intern Continuous Ultrasonic Welding
Hubert Hakk
Quadruped Robot Intern
Iwan van Bezouw
Intern Continuous Ultrasonic Welding
Mathéo Maisonneuve
Assistant Communication
Mickey Gielen
Board
Dean of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft
Henri Werij
Faculty Dean of Civil Engineering and Geosciences and Professor of Coastal Engineering
Stefan Aarninkhof
Professor Aerospace Materials & Structural Integrity at TU Delft
Rinze Benedictus
Director Research, Development & Innovation at Damen Naval
Peter van Terwisga
Head of capabilities Technology Assembly & Metals GTC-NL at GKN
Anton Bakker
Technical Board
Professor Aerospace Materials & Structural Integrity at TU Delf
Rinze Benedictus
Researcher at the Delft Robotics Institute and the Delft BioRobotics Laboratory
Gijs van der Hoorn
R&D Manager KVE Composites Group/Daher
Maarten Labordus
Technology Director at GKN
Andy Francis
TU Delft experts
AI for Manufacturing Certification
Nathan Eskue
Professor of Aerospace Manufacturing Technologies
Clemens Dransfeld
Assistant professor in aerospace structures & materials
Daniël Peeters
Associate Professor in Aerospace NDT/SHM
Roger Groves
Director of TU Delft Robotics Institute
Martijn Wisse
TU Delft thermoplastic composite welding expert
Irene Fernandez Villegas
Partners
Participants
Technology partners
Supporters & network
SAM XL is the outcome of the Composite Automation Development Program (CADC), which was funded via the European Fund of Regional Development (EFRD): a programme to build, use and grow a fieldlab for smart composite manufacturing technologies. The CADC consortium comprises of TU Delft, Fokker-GKN, Airborne, Airbus Defence & Space Netherlands, Suzlon, TNO, GTM Advanced Materials and KVE.