Francesco Flora

My academic background

I am a Materials Engineer and I graduated from the Università di Napoli Federico II I am currently finalising my Ph D course in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath, where my thesis focuses on advanced composite materials I have more than four years of research experience in design, manufacturing, mechanical and chemical testing, non destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring, finite element analysing of thermoset and thermoplastic composites

My research activity

I am working on the development of advanced materials for future aircrafts In the first innovation cycle, our research focuses on the development of innovative materials (active metasurfaces graphene based composites, etc capable of absorbing radar waves over a wide bandwidth and having tuneable electromagnetic properties, while considering the compatibility with the aerospace application and maintaining low levels of thickness and weight.

For me, the Leonardo Labs...

…represent the perfect match between the study of innovative ideas in the field of advanced materials and an industrial work environment that drives research results directly on real applications The Labs build a professional and stimulating environment, putting me in contact with experienced engineers and advanced projects on the one hand, and innovative base research and the academic world on the other, allowing me to grow professionally in an international company while continuing my passion for research Furthermore, I am surrounded by many young research fellows with visionary minds and this environment makes me feel part of a continuously fermenting idea generation pool, ready to find solutions for future challenges.

Advanced Materials, Digital Factory

Flora, F., Boccaccio, M., Fierro, G. P. M., & Meo, M. (2021). Real-time thermography system for composite welding: Undamaged baseline approach. Composites Part B: Engineering, 215, 108740.

Fierro, G. P. M., Flora, F., Boccaccio, M., & Meo, M. (2021). Real-time automated composite scanning using forced cooling infrared thermography. Infrared Physics & Technology, 118, 103860.

Flora, F., Pinto, F., & Meo, M. (2021). Manufacturing and characterisation of a new thermal pre-stressed carbon fibre-reinforced lattice core for sandwich panels. Accepted for publication at Journal of Composite Materials

Fierro, G. P. M., Flora, F., & Meo, M. (2019, November). Thermal wave imaging for defect determination during automated fibre placement. In 12th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring: Enabling Intelligent Life-Cycle Health Management for Industry Internet of Things (IIOT), IWSHM 2019 (pp. 2294-2301). DEStech Publications Inc..

Flora, F., Boccaccio, M., Fierro, G. P. M., & Meo, M. (2020, April). Non-destructive thermography-based system for damage localisation and characterisation during induction welding of thermoplastic composites. In Thermosense: Thermal Infrared Applications XLII (Vol. 11409, p. 114090I). International Society for Optics and Photonics.

Flora, F., Rizzo, F., Pinto, F., & Meo, M. (2021). Ultrasonic consolidation (UC) debulking of thermosetting prepreg for autoclave curing of composite laminates. Materials Today: Proceedings, 34, 106-112.

SPIE, Thermosense: Thermal Infrared Applications XLIII, from 27/04/2020 to 09/05/2020

ICCST, 12th International Conference on Composite Science and Technology, from 06/05/2019 to 10/05/2019