Tim Searle

R&D Director

Tim Searle is R&D Director at Composite Integration, where he leads a specialist team focused on bridging the gap between good science and its practical use on the composites factory floor. He has almost 30 years in the industry. He started as a high-performance racing boat builder, then earned a degree in marine engineering and a Ph.D. in resin transfer molding (RTM) for marine propellers from Plymouth University. For 10 years he ran the commercial side of the university's Advanced Composite Manufacturing Centre, and he has trained more than 1,000 industry professionals through short courses. His work includes developing the resin infusion strategy for the Vestas AL40, once one of the world's largest wind turbine blades. He has also helped aerospace OEMs lower costs and improve quality as they move from autoclave processing to liquid molding. A regular conference speaker and expert witness, Tim works by the motto "build early and build often."