Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is a composite manufacturing process in which a robot lays down composite tape to build a composite laminate one tow at a time. AFP is interesting to SAM XL because it produces complex, lightweight structures.

Continuous Ultrasonic Welding (CUW) is a new thermoplastic composite welding process which uses ultrasonic vibrations to generate heat to melt the interface between two laminates, welding them together.

Robotic NDT is an interesting method for inspecting large composite structures. A robot on a mobile platform can manoeuvre itself around aircraft or wind turbine blades, and inspect non-flat surfaces. The robot could be equipped with cameras, depth sensors, ultrasonic probes etc.