Composite Materials 1

Welcome!

We’re excited to announce two new courses: Composite Materials 1 and Composite Materials 2. Composite Materials 1 is scheduled to launch in May 2026.

The new instructor is Lucía Díaz, who has led major glass-fibre repairs—including on naval vessels—and produced high-precision composite components for ferries and catamarans. In addition to being a Naval Architect and Marine Systems Engineer, she is Lloyd’s Register–certified in FRP vessel inspection and repair and holds a Master’s in Yacht Interior Design.

The Course

Composite Materials 1 focuses on the fundamentals of composite materials from a practical, technical perspective—always connected to real-world manufacturing, production, and typical applications. The course is designed for both students and professionals who want to build a solid understanding of composite materials and how they are used in actual manufacturing environments.

Across the modules, you’ll learn how composites are actually made, with a strong emphasis on production-driven thinking. Rather than diving deeply into material science, the course concentrates on construction details, design decisions that affect manufacturability, and the factors that influence quality, repeatability, and efficiency in professional production.

You’ll learn how to approach mould design for series production, which features and details can be integrated into moulds to streamline manufacturing, and what to consider when defining requirements, selecting a mould concept, or choosing a material system from a production point of view.

The course also covers the most common manufacturing defects—how to prevent them, how they are typically repaired in practice—and provides an overview of inspection and testing methods used for composite components.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a clear, well-structured foundation in composite manufacturing principles, enabling you to make informed, realistic decisions throughout design, production, and quality control.

What will you learn?

By the end of Composite Materials 1, you will be able to:

• Explain what composite materials are, where they are used, and why they are chosen in practice.
• Identify the main composite manufacturing processes and understand when each method is typically applied.
• Recognize the most common manufacturing defects, understand their root causes, and select practical prevention and repair methods.
• Understand which inspection and testing methods can be used for composite components, and what they are used to verify.
• Define clear requirements for mould ordering or in-house mould manufacturing, and evaluate mould concepts from a production perspective.
• Apply production-detail strategies that improve manufacturability, consistency, and final product quality.
• Use the knowledge from the course to propose realistic technical solutions for composite product manufacturing.

Course organization

The course is video-based and on-demand, allowing you to learn at your own pace, wherever and whenever you want.

It includes videos, quizzes, and downloadable materials, plus access to the course’s private virtual classroom, where you can interact with the instructor and other students.

After you complete all lessons, pass the quizzes, and have your final assignment approved, you’ll receive a Course Certificate.

– Resources:

• Video lessons.
• English subtitles.
• Downloadable materials.
• Quizzes.
• Final Assignment.
• Virtual Private Classroom.
• Course Certificate.

– Classroom:

– Prerequisites:

No previous experience with composite materials is required. However, having a basic technical background in engineering, naval architecture, or manufacturing will help you follow the technical explanations more easily. A general understanding of basic physics concepts (forces, loads, and material behaviour) is also recommended.

To enroll in this course, you must have at least a Navalapp “Subscriber” membership (free).