Off Highway

It is widely recognised that the adoption of hydrogen in land-based transport systems is likely to materialise first in off-highway applications, largely due to demands on uptime and reducing operational costs. The industry needs pressure vessels that can store the volume of hydrogen required. 

Composite battery enclosures for light duty mini earth movers, such as mini diggers and track barrows, are also becoming ever more important to provide a lightweight solution. Having the ability to reduce sealing surfaces and welds that are often porous in traditional metal enclosures is key. By using composites, we can increase the ability to contain thermal events and ensure that we can control thermal propagation into neighbouring structures.

With the adoption of hydrogen in off highway vehicles and the need for high volume storage, there is a need to develop a supply chain for this demand in the UK. The National Composites Centre is working with industry partners to find a solution for this. We have launched a three-year innovation programme that will see a team of composites specialists refine and scale the industrial processes needed to establish a commercial market for reclaimed continuous carbon fibre. With global demand for virgin fibre set to exceed supply by 2025, this could ease pressure on supply chains and see the UK take a leading role in defining a new era for composites.

The National Composites Centre provides specialised composites training - from the basic introductory courses on composite materials through to bespoke deep focus on a topic with customised content. Our training covers composite manufacturing methods, sustainability and digital methodologies that can be tailored for off-highway businesses.

Our aim is to equip your workforce with the skills needed to increase your profitability, your operational efficiency, your awareness to sustainable materials and to introduce new ways to design in composite materials that will reduce part-count and lineside complexity.

As one of the seven centres that make up the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the NCC has more 450 composite experts (and an additional 200 at the University of Bristol) that can support you with solutions for your business and product challenges.

We've invested over £200 million in cutting edge technologies within our two Bristol-based facilities since we began in 2011. Our portfolio has grown extensively: we’re working with companies of all sizes from micro-organisations and start-ups to some of the world’s largest and most respected innovators. With links to over 60 universities and academic institutions, we are in a prime position to accelerate your product development from low technology readiness levels towards a robust commercial offering. 

Working with the National Composites Centre could not be simpler. We can work with you and support your business through a variety of ways: from a standard contracting commercial basis through to supporting or leading bids into wider funding calls, and as a part of major collaborative research programmes.   

Our SME team offers dedicated support to help small businesses with innovation, giving access to our facility and expertise to increase the technology readiness level (TRL) of your products. In 2021, we secured over £7.5 million of grant funding and supported 169 SMEs. 

As part of the wider Catapult Network, the NCC fosters collaborations between industry, government, research organisations, academia and many others. Through this extensive network of organisations, we can help create the best environments for innovation, working with thousands of innovative businesses across a wide range of sectors, such as manufacturing, space, health, digital, energy, transport, telecoms, the urban environment and many others. 

The National Composites Centre offers a range of membership opportunities that give you access to 'beyond' state-of-the-art technology and the best composites engineering capabilities in the world, as well as expert advice from specialist engineers. Our Members are our closest customers – helping to steer our major R&D activities with multiple partners, allowing them to share the benefits of the programme outputs that have greater value as a collaboration. Find out how membership with the NCC can bring you added benefits.