RVmagnetics and Testia launch ESA-funded PRETA MICOMSS project for embedded MicroWire sensors in composite tanks

RVmagnetics, a Slovakian developer of MicroWire sensor technology, and Testia, an Airbus subsidiary specializing in non-destructive testing, have launched the PRETA MICOMSS project, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). The 14-month initiative targets real-time mechanical stress monitoring and structural health monitoring (SHM) for aerospace composite structures, specifically embedding RVmagnetics’ passive MicroWire sensors into composite pressurized tanks during the manufacturing process. The project aims to demonstrate that these miniature sensors can survive the composite curing cycle and provide continuous strain and temperature data throughout the tank’s service life, eliminating the need for post-production sensor attachment or periodic manual inspection.

This partnership is significant for additive manufacturing because it directly addresses one of the industry’s persistent bottlenecks: embedding sensing capability into composite structures without compromising the manufacturing process or the part’s structural integrity. RVmagnetics’ MicroWire technology, which is essentially a glass-coated ferromagnetic wire thinner than a human hair, can be integrated during filament winding or automated fiber placement - processes that share toolpath and material deposition logic with directed energy deposition (DED) and large-format additive manufacturing. The project updates the aerospace qualification grind pattern: rather than waiting for a 10-year certification cycle on a new material or process, RVmagnetics is piggybacking on existing composite manufacturing workflows, which already have established qualification pathways. If successful, this could enable smart pressure vessels for hydrogen storage and satellite propellant tanks, where real-time SHM reduces inspection costs and improves safety margins. The ESA funding also signals that space agencies see embedded sensing as a route to lighter, more reliable composite structures - a demand vertical that overlaps with defense and energy for high-pressure gas storage.

For RVmagnetics, the practical next step is proving that MicroWire sensors survive the 180°C+ autoclave or oven cure cycles typical of aerospace-grade composites and that the sensor readout remains accurate after thousands of pressure cycles. The company must also demonstrate that embedding the sensors does not create stress risers or delamination initiation points in the composite laminate. If the PRETA MICOMSS project delivers validated test data, RVmagnetics will have a referenceable path into Airbus’s supply chain and the broader aerospace SHM market, which remains dominated by fiber-optic Bragg grating sensors and piezoelectric patches. The company’s challenge is scaling from lab prototypes to production-ready sensor spools that can be integrated into automated composite layup machines without slowing cycle times.