Promising Future Expected for Thermoplastic Composites | Aviation International News

Promising Future Expected for Thermoplastic Composites

Advances in high-volume manufacturing and welding of thermoplastic carbon-fiber parts prompt OEMs to study further applications for the material.

GKN manufactures empennages with thermoplastic rudders and elevators in Papendrecht, the Netherlands. (Photo: GKN)

By Chris Kjelgaard

July 14, 2022

Long reliant on thermoset carbon-fiber materials for making very strong composite structural parts for aircraft, aerospace OEMs are now embracing another class of carbon-fiber materials as technological advances promise automated manufacture of new non-thermoset parts at high volume, low cost, and lighter weight.

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