As hydrogen adoption accelerates, the pressure is on to build lighter, safer, and more cost-effective storage vessels. Munich-based Cevotec addresses this challenge with Fiber Patch Placement (FPP), a precision automation technology that reinforces the dome sections of composite tanks, where stresses are highest and conventional methods fall short. As co-founder Thorsten Groene puts it, Cevotec provides “automation equipment to produce dome reinforcements on vessels,” solving a critical manufacturing gap in the hydrogen value chain.

 

For a deeper look at how Fiber Patch Placement is shaping the next generation of hydrogen pressure vessels, join Cevotec’s upcoming webinar

“Next-gen pressure vessels: A practical approach to dome reinforcements” on September 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM CET.

The session will cover design, simulation, production integration, and real-world savings, with insights from Cevotec, CIKONI, and Roth Composite Machinery. 👉 Register here: Next-Gen Pressure Vessels Webinar

 

From Research Project to Production Line

Cevotec launched in 2015 as a spin-off from the Technical University of Munich, initially aimed at commercializing a novel way to lay up composites using defined fiber patches rather than continuous tows. Supported early on by Airbus and other partners, the team quickly advanced Fiber Patch Placement from a lab-scale proof-of-concept to an industrially mature technology.

Originally designed for aerospace, FPP found new relevance around 2020 as demand for hydrogen storage took off. Groene recalls, “Hydrogen tanks were not our original focus, but the rise of the hydrogen economy made the need for industrialised dome reinforcement obvious.” He points to past U.S. Department of Energy studies that confirmed the technical value of dome reinforcement but highlighted the absence of a scalable production method.

That is where Cevotec saw opportunity. With a mission to “enable manufacturers to produce complex composites in high volume and superior quality,” the company set out to solve one of the industry’s most difficult automation challenges.

Less Material, More Performance

Most composite tanks, especially Type IV and V, are built using filament winding, a process that works well on straight cylindrical sections but struggles on dome ends where fiber orientation becomes critical. Cevotec adds a targeted FPP step before winding begins, placing high-angle fiber patches directly onto the dome area.

Groene explains that this addition “enables an adjusted, reduced winding program,” because the dome is already reinforced where it matters most. The result, he says, is straightforward: “You produce more vessels in the same amount of time. The vessels are lighter, they are cheaper, and they feature more storage volume.”

It is not a replacement for winding, but an intelligent enhancement. The FPP process handles complex geometries that traditional AFP or ATL systems cannot manage, using discrete fiber patches with flexible orientation. Cevotec’s SAMBA Pro PV production systems apply the reinforcements, while ARTIST STUDIO software handles the design and digital twin–based programming.

Real-World Results: A 300-Bar Demonstrator Tank

To validate its approach under real production conditions, Cevotec collaborated with Roth Composite Machinery and CIKONI to design and build a full-scale Type IV tank rated for three hundred bar. Three design iterations were tested. The first saved 27 percent of composite mass but only achieved 79 percent of the target burst strength. The second cut 21 percent of material and reached 91 percent. The final version, optimised for both strength and weight, reduced mass by around 15 percent while exceeding burst pressure requirements by 8 percent.

Groene notes that in this final iteration, “storage efficiency improved from 5.2 to 6.1 percent,” a 17 percent increase in usable hydrogen per unit of system mass. Equally important, “we maintained equivalent mechanical performance,” showing that material savings did not come at the cost of safety or reliability.

This material reduction adds up quickly. In a mid-sized commercial tank using 75 kilograms of carbon fiber, FPP could save over 100 tons of fiber per year at 10,000 units. That lowers cost, reduces resource demand, and improves the overall carbon footprint of hydrogen infrastructure.

Scaling With Pressure and Geometry

The larger and more pressurised the tank, the greater the benefit. Groene explains that “as the aspect ratio increases, so does the savings potential,” citing projected material reductions of up to 18.8 percent in long, high-pressure designs. Because higher pressures require thicker laminates, the absolute savings in both material and cost grow substantially with tank class.

This efficiency is not just economic, it is strategic. “About 60 percent of the total cost of a composite storage tank is basically the composite shell,” Groene says. And with carbon fiber demand rising in aerospace and renewable energy, “everything points towards a fiber shortage in the next five to ten years.” Material-efficient design is quickly becoming a competitive necessity.

Delivering Now, Globally

FPP is not an R&D concept, it is running in production. Cevotec has delivered and commissioned SAMBA Pro systems in the United States, Italy, Japan, and Germany. The company operates from its Munich-area headquarters and collaborates with regional partners in Japan, China, and North America.

For customers focused on transportation and distribution, such as truck, bus, and train operators, as well as tank producers for containerised vertical vessels, the impact is immediate. “We currently see the largest demand for medium- to large-sized vessels,” Groene says, “and if you take 15 percent material out, it pushes forward the hydrogen value chain because storage and distribution become cheaper and easier.”

Importantly, FPP fits into existing certification frameworks. “They still need to be certified according to the prevailing standards,” Groene confirms. “No compromise on safety.”

Reinforcement Where It Matters Most

While traditional AFP and ATL systems excel on flat or gently curved surfaces, they struggle with 3D contours like tank domes. FPP’s discrete-patch approach is ideal for these geometries, offering high placement accuracy at sharp angles and variable curvature.

Groene is clear about the positioning: “By reinforcing the domes, we have the opportunity to make every other step more efficient.” The winding process becomes faster and lighter, not because it is replaced, but because it is no longer overcompensating for weaknesses in the dome.

Cevotec’s Fiber Patch Placement is not just a clever tool, it is a breakthrough that helps solve one of the most pressing challenges in scaling hydrogen infrastructure. By automating a critical step that previously relied on manual intervention or overbuilt design, FPP delivers lighter, safer, and more cost-effective composite tanks. It is a small change to the process, but a big shift in what is possible.

Learn more about Cevotec’s approach to lighter, more efficient hydrogen tanks in the upcoming Next-Gen Pressure Vessels Webinar on September 25, 2025, at 2:00 PM CET.
👉 Register here