Lightweight structures, manufacturing and characterisation of composite materials, experimental mechanics, process optimisation, automated tape placement, interface properties, 3D/hybrid composites, abrasive wear, impact (low & ballistic), high strain rate, failure analysis, aerospace, automotive, ballistic materials, recycling and circular economy

Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Organisation, Manufacturing & Service Systems Design, Materials, FRP Composites, Polymer Processing Technology, Kinematics & Dynamics, Impact Mechanics and Design

Dr. Aswani Kumar Bandaru is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Limerick, with over 13 years of experience in teaching and research in advanced composite materials and manufacturing technologies. He is a former Marie Skłodowska-Curie Career-FIT Fellow. He has held research and academic positions at the University of Limerick, Munster Technological University, and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

Dr. Bandaru’s research focuses on the design, processing, and characterisation of lightweight composite materials, with applications spanning aerospace structures, protective armour, and sustainable manufacturing. His expertise encompasses automated manufacturing methods, such as Laser Assisted Tape Placement (LATP), the recycling of aerospace composites, impact mechanics, high-strain-rate testing, and the development of sustainable protective structures. He has collaborated extensively with industry partners, including Airbus, on the design and manufacturing of composite wing box structures.

He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, contributed book chapters, and presented at leading international conferences. His work has been recognised with several awards, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Career-FIT Fellowship, the IIT Delhi Research and Innovation Award, and the Best Industry-Relevant PhD Award from the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT).

At the University of Limerick, Dr. Bandaru teaches modules on engineering materials, manufacturing, and industrial organisation. He supervises postgraduate and doctoral research projects, and actively mentors early-career researchers. He also engages in outreach activities to promote engineering education.

Dr. Bandaru holds a PhD in Applied Mechanics from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an M.Tech. in Machine Design from IIT Roorkee, and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Andhra University. His research has been widely cited, with an H-index of 20.