Aero-Tech’s RigiMill is a rare non-turnkey Modig installation in North America, but it was sure to send a programmer to Modig’s training for the machine’s nuances. “It’s kind of like you’re on a football team,” Simon says, “and that machine is the biggest guy on the team,” which is to say, the machine does provide high-performance roughing and finishing, but getting the best use out of it requires careful planning and adaptation. Images courtesy of Aero-Tech Engineering.

Monolithic Growth

Aero-Tech Engineering is a shop that plans for the long-term: Some of its contracts extend all the way to 2032. These parts, which can be anything from small machined parts to large-travel structural parts that require five-axis gantry mills, are generally made in lower volumes than many shops are accustomed to, but Thomas Simon, the company’s president and CEO, says this is largely due to the shop’s need to hold strenuous quality standards for many of its parts.

These parts can be made from MP35N, Inconel, titanium, stainless steel or a wide range of aluminum alloys including aluminum 7085. At their largest, they can be 11 feet wide by 50 feet long, while holding 0.002-inch straightness tolerances across that length.

The 85,000-square foot shop primarily uses three-, four- and five-axis mills, though the three-axis machines are largely used for support work. It also includes precision turning and grinding departments, as well as a 10-foot by 33-foot Flow waterjet machine which Simon says is the largest waterjet machine in the Midwest. The shop’s smaller parts tend to run on Haas and SNK machines, with some machines running higher volumes of five-axis parts being integrated into robotic cells paired with what Simon describes as a “beehive” of pallets. Hexagon arms perform many of the shop’s quality checks, while the shop uses CATIA for engineering and planning, Verisurf for quality control and Vericut for programming compliance.

For its longest, 11-foot by 50-foot structural parts, Aero-Tech has traditionally relied on four 5-axis gantry mills. These allow Aero-Tech to serve a niche market, and its workload of these parts grew along with awareness of the shop’s capabilities. Eventually, the volume of orders grew to the point that Aero-Tech needed another five-axis gantry mill — perhaps not as large, but extremely fast — to ensure consistent lead times. This requirement led the shop to Modig’s RigiMill MG.

With long parts and strict tolerances, spindle compensation is a vital feature for Aero-Tech. It makes use of spindle compensation features on both its original gantry mills and the Modig RigiMill.

Stability and Speed

In contrast to the other four gantry mills, Aero-Tech’s Modig RigiMill MG supports parts up to 5 feet wide and 40 feet long. But Simon says the machine’s smaller size is offset by the benefits of higher material removal rates. The machine’s maximum quoted material removal rate is 1,000 cubic feet of material per minute, but the shop tends to run it at a more conservative (and more sustainable) 620 cubic feet of material removal per minute. This “more conservative” number is also only conservative in comparison to its maximum number, as it is still nearly four times as fast as the other gantry machines’ material removal rates.

Part of what enables this higher material removal rate is the RigiMill’s ability to remove chips and heat from the cut. The machine uses a long auger system that can consistently remove chips to a twin-conveyor system, even at its high material removal rates. The shop also takes care to optimize programming for heat dispersal, though paradoxically, Simon says the machine is in the cut for such a brief time when operating at high material removal rates that the cutting tool does not have as much time to transfer heat and warp parts. Keith Lopez, president of Modig North America, adds that the brief amount of time the cutting tool is in the cut also makes much RigiMill MG work a good candidate for flood coolant, which further helps control thermal growth and prevent distortion.

Though its large-format gantry mills draw much attention, Aero-Tech Engineering also performs plenty of higher-volume work on its smaller five-axis machines. The shop pairs these with a robotic cell that to perform lights-out work, often proving efficient enough to complete work on its nightly pallets.

Results

Aero-Tech has seen 17% year-over-year growth in its business. Simon says most of this growth can be credited to coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic as an aerospace shop, but some credit still belongs to the shop’s burgeoning marketing efforts and the new business the RigiMill attracts.

Even though it can only reach its highest speeds on straightaways, Simon says the general agility of this machine has led to significant cycle time reductions. Customers and the shop are equally excited about the opportunities this speed unlocks, and Simon says the shop is interested in buying more RigiMills to handle its growing queue of jobs from customers looking to benefit from this rare specialization.

Source | Deutsche Aircraft

Deutsche Aircraft (Wessling, Germany) is developing the next generation of regional aircraft with the D328eco, a 40-seat, hybrid turboprop. Designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the D328eco is projected to have a 30% lower fuel burn per seat than older aircraft.

Established on the legacy of Dornier, Deutsche Aircraft also supports the global fleet of D328 aircraft. Manufactured in the 1990s and early 2000s, the D328 is certified in 85 countries and still operated by major airlines with a global fleet of more than 150 in-service aircraft.

Aernnova (Álava, Spain), a global composite and metallic aerostructures company (see CW’s plant tour), will deliver build-to-print assemblies for the empennage which includes the horizontal and vertical stabilizer made using advanced composites and a metallic tail cone.

“With more than 30 years of expertise in developing and producing composite aircraft structures, we are proud to contribute to the D328eco program,” says Ricardo Chocarro, CEO of Aernnova. “We value this new partnership with Deutsche Aircraft and the opportunity to support a next-generation regional aircraft that combines versatility with an innovative design.”

The empennage assembly is a critical structural component of the D328eco, contributing to aerodynamic performance and flight stability. Aernnova’s expertise in both composite and metallic aerostructures makes it a natural fit for this role.

“Welcoming Aernnova to the D328eco program is a significant step forward,” notes Nico Neumann,CEO of Deutsche Aircraft. “With this agreement, we have now secured 100% of our primary structure suppliers — an important milestone as we move from development into industrialization.”

With this partnership between Deutsche Aircraft and Aernnova, all primary structure partners for serial production have been secured. Composites will also be used in the D328eco’s fairings, landing gear doors and flight control movables, which will be produced by Aciturri (Burgos, Spain). Construction of Deutsche Aircraft’s 62,000-square-meter final assembly facility began in 2023 and will have capacity for 48 D328eco aircraft per year. The aircraft development program is positioned to advance through its next phases, aiming for entry into service in Q4 2027.

Goode introduced a new wave of adaptability to the shop’s leadership and a willingness to brainstorm and try new technologies and production processes. By the time he succeeded his father as president in 2023, the shop had taken its first steps into five-axis work, and by the time of my visit in 2025, MSP Manufacturing had adopted new ERP, AI systems and a new shop paradigm, with cobots and 3D printers planned for the near future.

On average, Johnny Goode says, MSP Manufacturing maintains a 50/50 production split between core parts and parts built to print. As the company’s core products are all aerospace parts, this exact split shifts depending on the performance of the commercial aerospace industry. For the first few months of 2025, this split was 30/70 in favor of parts built to print.

Foundations and Resets

The company was founded as MSP Aviation in 1943, when it made tachometers for fighter planes in World War II. After 59 years and some slow growth, Goode’s father purchased the aviation manufacturing company in 2002 to fill an industrial park he owned. Goode says that his father grew the business 1000% in revenue over a ten-year span, buying many of the core product lines that make up half of the shop’s usual production mix.

Goode himself started at MSP the end of 2019 as a business consultant, and the turmoil of the COVID pandemic caused Goode to suggest the shop expand its offerings to other fields like medical and woodworking. While the former is no longer a significant market for the shop, work in the latter persists, as does the shop’s rebranding to MSP Manufacturing.

Now, Goode estimates that at least 50% of the shop’s work is aviation-related, with an almost equally large share being defense work (or crossing between the two) and a much smaller portion of work for the firearm industry. The shop averages about 50% of its work being on parts where MSP is the only FAA-approved manufacturer, with the other half of this work going toward job shop work for defense and aerospace companies—although this balance can shift alongside aerospace production.

The shop primarily works with aluminum alloys like 6061 and 7075, but also does a fair amount of work in brass, titanium, copper, plastics, nylon and the occasional exotic alloy. It maintains a strong assembly department, as well as a department for secondary and finishing operations. But despite all this, when Goode first started with the company, it had been in technological holding pattern for several years, and was ripe for new equipment and processes.

Before its Nakamura-Tome lathe and paired Edge Technologies bar feeder arrived, MSP’s staff experimented with building its own bar feeder. While the result (which cost less than $400) is not sturdy enough to handle full unattended lights-out operation, it did help the MSP team learn how to increase lathe spindle uptime through automation and increase how many machines the operator could tend.

The Technological See-Saw

MSP Manufacturing’s modernization journey began with Haas UMC 750 and UMC 500 SS machines, which brought five-axis milling capability to a shop that historically only had three-axis capability. The UMC 500 SS also came with a 20-station pallet pool, giving the shop automation capacity, and a heat shrink machine for toolholder preparation. Goode also took a hard look at the shop’s old waterjet machine, finding that the shop only used half of its space. As such, he bought a new waterjet half as large, opening room on the 9,000 square foot shop floor for new equipment. The company would also soon invest in a Nakamura-Tome twin-spindle lathe with a bar feeder from Edge Technologies, which enabled it to run lights out.

Adding these capabilities to the shop floor was not the same as using them, however. Goode says it took about a year for the team to become comfortable programming for five-axis work and really start to use it — and then the potential to condense production schedules from some parts from six operations to two became apparent. The team quickly acclimated to the machine after that, putting enough jobs on the machine to justify the purchase of the second Haas five-axis machine.

This change in mindset, from doing things the way they’ve traditionally been done to being open to new possibilities, also helped smooth over the adoption of automation in the shop. Goode says it took a few months to really have the pallets sufficiently busy for lights-out automation, but that between buying the Nakamura-Tome lathe and its arrival, the team had developed a jury-rigged bar feeder. While that in-house bar feeder could not run full lights-out production, it did extend uptime on one of the shop’s lathes until the Nakamura-Tome and its Edge Technologies bar feeder arrived.

MSP has also updated its existing three-axis lathes with rotary tables to make them fourth axis-capable, and is updated all its workholding to common workholding from 5th Axis. Goode says that this should improve repeatability when moving parts between setups or machines, as the workholding is accurate to 0.0002 inch. He also hopes to equip a CMM with 5th Axis workholding to bring these same benefits to MSP’s quality department.

Goode describes the shop’s quality department as centrally important to the shop’s overall workflow, as it handles first article inspections, incoming and outgoing inspections for parts that require outside processing, and regular checks to ensure production is not trending toward errors. At the time of my visit, the shop’s quality department included a Faro arm, a Keyence image comparator suitable for small parts, a comparator, a manual CMM and many gages for specific measurements on the shop’s wide catalog of aviation parts.

Johnny Goode says the capabilities of MSP’s machine shop have outstripped what its quality department can measure. While this hasn’t yet been an issue for its current parts, which tend to have tolerances maxing out at 0.002” or 0.003”, it has prevented the shop from bidding on some parts. As such, the shop is planning to upgrade its quality department to meet these new tolerances—and the shop’s increasing part volume.

This lineup can meet most of MSP’s needs, but Goode says that machining department’s capabilities have outstripped the quality department’s, making some jobs it could otherwise complete impossible to quote and sometimes causing a bottleneck with the increased volume of parts coming through the shop. As such, Goode hopes to add a Hexagon CMM to this lineup soon, increasing the machine shop’s capability. He foresees this and other potential improvements in the quality department surpassing the machine shop’s capabilities, with the future improvements alternating between the machine shop and quality as each requires new capabilities to operate to its highest effect. This will soon include 3D printers, which Goode hopes to use for fixtures on machine tools and CMMs, as well as for printing demonstration and proof-of-concept parts.

Solving Programming’s Delays

MSP has also taken steps to update the software it uses and improve the efficiency of its operations. This has primarily played out in the adoption of two software programs: CloudNC’s CAM Assist and ProShop’s eponymous ERP software.

CAM Assist is an AI-powered programming software that, when provided with a model, tooling list and stock material, generates a suitable tool path and cutting parameters. CloudNC acknowledges that the end result is currently only compatible with three-axis or 3+2-axis work and that skilled programmers can often find optimizations, so CAM Assist tends to get about 80% of the way to a complete part program, but 80% of the way there can save hours of programming time. Goode says that during tests, his lead programmer manually programmed a demo part in about two hours. When his programmer used CAM Assist for the same part, the software generated a program in 15 minutes, with the programmer taking 10 minutes to optimize the result.

These time savings have held firm for MSP’s other compatible parts. Goode estimates that, on the low end, the software saves about 70% of programming time, and even the unoptimized results are useful for quoting and estimation. The cutting parameters the software provides have similarly proved a useful baseline for the shop, even as its programmers do need to spend time optimizing them. As Goode puts it, “It accelerates you . . . let’s say you’re running a 20-lap race. It almost takes you to that 19^th lap where you can just sprint one lap instead of having to run 20 laps.”

The benefits of this software also grow as manual part programming time grows. One mission-critical five-axis aerospace part MSP recently worked on required 14 hours of machining, and programming efforts were projected to take weeks, if not months. By automating the 3+2-axis programming for this part and only manually optimizing and programming the operations requiring simultaneous five-axis work, MSP was able to cut this time significantly and provide a much shorter delivery time in its bid. Even with a higher bid than some of its competitors, this delivery time won MSP the job. The shop completed the part months ahead of schedule, with Goode going so far as to say they programmed, machined, and post-processed the part faster than it would have taken them to program the part manually.

While CAM Assist has only been in place at MSP since mid-2024, the shop implemented ProShop as its ERP system in 2022. Goode says of the shop’s old ERP that its modules did not communicate between one another, making it difficult to get a high-level view of the shop’s production to schedule jobs and order materials. By contrast, Goode says ProShop links between different documents and views, makes revision changes obvious and simplifies cross-referencing inventory and work orders. He says he has paired the software with real-time analysis from Microsoft PowerBI, and MSP’s new visibility into order trends and core product availability has enabled the shop to schedule runs of these core parts in advance rather than interrupting other jobs to perform them.

MSP performs defense aviation work as well as commercial, such as flares shot out as countermeasures. When Goode marks defense aviation parts as mission-critical, he says his staff expedites these parts to get them where they’re needed.

A New Operational Paradigm

This last change with ProShop has led to several knock-on effects for the shop, directly changing how it operates and helping spur changes in shop culture. The machine shop is now often ahead of schedule, and between the benefits of CAM Assist and ProShop, Goode says MSP can avoid time crunches while maintaining a 97% on-time delivery rate — with Goode attributing most of that remaining 3% to delays in supplier deliveries.

Under Goode’s leadership, MSP is also pursuing more grants to modernize its shop. Goode says his father already had a good relationship with the Indiana Small Business Development Center, and the center’s RESTART Grant during the COVID-19 pandemic was one of the first Goode applied for. Despite some nerves about doing so, he ultimately found it simpler than some proposals he needed to make while working in law enforcement. This has held true to other grants as well, with Goode saying he spent four hours working on the grant application for the shop’s UMC 500 SS, and came away with $170,000 for it. While he admits that requirements for state grants have often been less stringent than the requirements for federal grants, both have been useful for the shop. In addition to the UMC 500, MSP has used grants to help pay for several in-development shopfloor AI projects, as well as CMMC certification and a broad spectrum of training.

Most of this training comes from the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership, on whose board Goode sits. Goode polls his employees on which aspects of manufacturing they feel they need to improve, and most of the training uses MSP’s own parts as examples. In the last few years, the shop has undergone internal audit, CAD/CAM programming, blueprint reading, GD&T and light print training.

Goode has built a culture where this level of honesty from staff is rewarded, not punished. Doing so (especially as he entered with no previous manufacturing experience) required him to work in most areas across the shop to understand them better and make an effort to listen to MSP staff about what they perceive as inefficiencies in the shop. It also required a mindset of accountability for staff at all levels of the company, and Goode notes that he has tried to uphold this even for himself. This has led to a culture where hearing someone complain about difficulties finding Allen wrenches led to MSP standardizing its work stations, and where Goode strives to be upfront about supplier delays to customers. As he puts it, “bad news up front is better than bad news the day the part’s supposed to be there,” and the shop maintains a lot of repeat business.

MSP Manufacturing can perform several post-processing operations, which Goode says are especially useful to customers in the defense industry for consolidating purchase orders. In addition to some heat treatment capabilities, the shop has an on-site paint booth and a greenhouse to improve curing times.

Planning for Tomorrow

MSP plans to maintain this business for a long time, and has developed an apprenticeship program to ensure it will have staff for the foreseeable future. Goode hires local teenagers for their last two years of high school, observing their willingness to learn, ability to learn and work ethic. If the apprentice shows promise and the shop looks to be doing well enough to hire new employees, MSP will pay for their trade school programs, with the apprentice agreeing to work for MSP for at least three years afterward. Goode says MSP is just starting to see the first beneficiaries of this program return to MSP, but the program itself has been extremely useful for handling the influx of work from MSP’s efficiency gains. The shop also offers tuition assistance for bachelor’s degrees in related fields, with Goode citing the examples of two current employees, one of whom is pursuing a degree in business administration while the other pursues a degree in mechanical engineering.

These programs — and the new equipment and software MSP has purchased and implemented — can look costly on the surface, but Goode says the last few years have hammered home that the cost of not making changes or investments can be much greater. The shop has become more innovative as a result of its new familiarity with advanced manufacturing technology, its parts have become much simpler to run, and it is more prepared to build out processes for repeat work than individual parts.

MSP has grown considerably in the last few years, and Johnny Goode says that the skills which enable machining success bear more similarity to the success skills he needed in the military and law enforcement than he expected. Adaptability to difficult circumstances and a willingness to brainstorm new solutions have been highly necessary — as well as his old standby, “don’t confuse good luck for good tactics.” After all, good luck is temporary, while good tactics make their own luck.

Source | Airframe Designs

Aerospace company Airframe Designs (Lancashire, England) is setting new quality levels as it grows its services in additive manufacturing (AM). The organization recently announced that it has aligned its material systems with the U.S. National Centre for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP), which works with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and industry partners to support its existing testing processes.

NCAMP sets its own benchmarks to qualify material systems and has created a shared materials database that can be viewed publicly. It is administered by Wichita State University’s (WSU) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR).

“NCAMP is a valuable benchmark for AM processes which we have closely aligned to and qualified our own processes using internal and external testing regimes,” says Garry Sellick, AM manager at Airframe Designs. “This means we can produce a part with consistent and repeatable quality, allowing us to analyze it with the confidence that it meets the required standards of our customers.”

Using industry-recognized ultra-polymers, Airframe Designs uses its AM expertise to produce diverse parts for the aerospace industry including radomes, electrical housings and air ducting.

As part of its commitment to the development of aerospace-level AM, the company has also recently invested in a new Markforged (Waltham, Mass., U.S.) X7 printer that is capable of 3D printing high-strength polymer parts that include continuous carbon fiber reinforcements.

Airframe Designs continues to grow its abilities to produce highly complex components to some of the largest aviation, defense and space organizations worldwide. Recent projects undertaken by the company include the delivery of 3D printed composite mold tools for the medical sector, 3D printed tool fixture clamps for the aerospace sector and 3D printed enclosure panels for a helicopter project.

Source | AkzoNobel

The Aerospace Coatings business of AkzoNobel (Reading, Pennsylvania) has once again achieved the highest supplier award in the Airbus Supply Chain & Quality Improvement Program (SQIP). The team attained “Accredited Supplier” status for its commitment to Airbus supply chain and quality continuous improvement projects.

The award acknowledges AkzoNobel’s ongoing focus on providing sustained performance over the last two years, aligned with agreed key performance indicators (KPIs), strong continuous improvements and a proven customer-oriented approach in line with Airbus targets and expectations.

It particularly recognizes the developments and process improvements across all AkzoNobel Aerospace sites and reflects the ongoing drive to further reduce supply chain and manufacturing risk. AkzoNobel has continued to make further improvements in the production, quality and application of its products.

Alexia Apostolou, Airbus key account manager at AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings, says the award is recognition of a journey of continuous improvement. “This is an achievement for the business and in particular our quality team for improving the quality standards and responses to Airbus, to the supply chain team for implementing actions to further improve supply and to our R&D and project management teams for their innovation in new product development and leading the projects to provide even greater success.”

(Left to right): Paolo Colombo, senior director A&D strategic initiatives and ecosystem, Altair; Luigi Carrino, president of the Campania Aerospace Technological District (DAC); and Salvatore Cristofori, senior sales director A&D, Altair. Source | Altair, DAC

Altair (Troy, Mich., U.S.), part of Siemens Digital Industries Software, is deepening its ongoing collaboration with Campania Aerospace District (DAC, Napoli, Italy) to accelerate digital transformation across Italy and Europe’s aerospace sector. The partnership aims to empower small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups by providing access to cutting-edge technology, driving innovation and enhancing competitiveness throughout the European aerospace supply chain.

DAC, established in 2012, constitutes an ecosystem of 300 stakeholders —  including 32 large companies, 123 SMEs, 15 universities and research centers such as CIRA, CNR and ENEA and 170 partners — providing synergy between public and private sectors to tackle complex challenges. DAC focuses on advancing four core aerospace areas: commercial aviation, general aviation, space systems and vectors, and maintenance and transformation.

Much of its research and activities have achieved this through the use of composite materials. Specifically, the TOP project (developing and applying innovative processes for manufacturing and assembling composite material aerospace structures), the TABASCO project (developing low-cost production technologies and processes for composite structures in advanced aircraft) and the REVAIA-2 Project (developing composite structures made of cellulose fibers and resins derived from natural materials). 

“For DAC, the collaboration with Altair Engineering represents a strategic initiative that reflects a specific vision for supply chain development: guiding SMEs and startups toward an advanced production model based on the systematic adoption of digital tools and integration with research,” says Luigi Carrino, president of DAC. “Thanks to this agreement, we offer our member companies not only facilitated access to high-level simulation and data analysis technologies, but also training programs and concrete opportunities for technological acceleration and growth, consistent with the level of large companies.”

A key challenge for many OEMs is maintaining digital continuity across their supply chains. SMBs frequently lack the resources, expertise or financial capability to implement the same technologies used by larger partners — often resulting in lower efficiency, longer lead times and reduced product quality. The Altair-DAC initiative directly addresses this gap.

Under the program, SMBs gain access to Altair’s simulation, data analytics, and AI technologies at discounted rates, enabling them to digitize engineering processes, improve efficiency and innovate faster. Startups are offered low-cost entry in their first year, followed by participation in Altair’s Aerospace Startup Acceleration Program from the second year and onward. Altair’s technology can also further bolster’s DAC’s work in composites design — enabling structural optimization, ply level optimization and more.

Source | AZL Aachen GmbH

AZL Aachen GmbH (Aachen, Germany) is launching three Joint Partner Projects (JPP) this July spanning automotive, space and defense sectors, and invites interested parties to join. 

High-value composite applications in space and defense

Space satellite. Source | SpaceX on Unsplash

The cross-industry collaborative project “High Value Composite Applications – A Joint Market and Technology Study on Opportunities for Fiber-Reinforced Plastics in Space & Defense Applications” brings together international companies to explore and quantify the potential of fiber-reinforced plastics (FRPs) in space and defense, two dynamics markets with a rapidly growing demand for high-performance, lightweight, and modular components is accelerating rapidly in both sectors. This JPP aims to provide participants with a consolidated market and technology roadmap, combining deep technical insights with actionable strategic data.

The project will be executed as a pre-competitive, cost-shared initiative moderated and conducted by AZL. This format enables companies from across the value chain to jointly define focus topics, benefit from AZL’s expertise in market and technology analysis and contribute their own perspectives throughout the process. 

The project will begin with a Kick-off Meeting on July 15, 2025. All participating companies will have the opportunity to introduce their organizations, share their expectations and help define the specific scope of the study. Companies interested in participating are invited to request the detailed project description and schedule an individual consultation with AZL’s industrial services team.

Fire safety testing for EV battery casings

In response to the growing importance of thermal management and fire protection in electromobility, the “Thermal Runaway Testing for Battery Casings – Benchmarking Systems for High-Gradient Heating and Hot Particle Blasting” initiative focuses on developing and implementing a realistic and reproducible fire testing environment for structural and functional materials used in electric vehicle (EV) battery housing systems.

The project centers around the development and implementation of a new test bench that combines high-gradient flame exposure and controlled hot particle impact, mimicking the complex conditions of thermal runaway events in modern cell technologies such as LFP and NMC. This setup enables systematic benchmarking of materials under stress conditions that reflect actual applications in automotive, but also in other segments like aerospace, where efficient development of safe battery storage systems is essential. Participating companies will not only have access to the final benchmarking results but can also contribute material configurations for testing as part of the project.

Real cell testing. Source | AZL Aachen GmbH

Through tailored test profiles, thermal resistance and mechanical integrity of different materials will be compared based on application-specific scenarios. Detailed test documentation, including videos and thermal data, will be provided. The resulting matrix supports materials development, qualification and supplier evaluation, offering both strategic and technical value.

Within a predecessor collaboration involving a consortium of 24 industry players (including automotive OEMs like Audi, BMW, Tier suppliers and material producers), AZL’s team of experts developed an application relevant instrumented test method that enables testing of materials at different flame temperatures and simultaneously measuring the material strength under fire load.

In the project, more than 50 different materials (metals, plastics, fiber-reinforced, coated, compact, sandwich) were tested and benchmarked regarding their specific performance (survival at tensile load and 800°C, 100°C and 1200°C flame exposure; failure; areal weight; cost per area). This new project builds on these results, know-how and test infrastructure implemented. It enables participants to pool resources, validate their own solutions and gain insight into leading alternatives in the market. 

The project will officially kick off on July 15, 2025. At the initial meeting, partners will align on expectations, present their priorities and help refine the testing focus. Companies interested in joining are encouraged to request detailed project information or arrange an individual consultation meeting.

Thermoplastic pressure vessel production

“Thermoplastic Pressure Vessel Production – Benchmarking of Design-for-Manufacturing Strategies to Optimize Material Efficiency and Cost” will rethink vessel design and production holistically — aligning thermoplastic material properties with optimized design and manufacturing strategies to unlock their full economic and technological potential.

Winding of a thermoplastic pressure tank. Source | Conbility GmbH

This initiative brings together companies with shared interests to co-finance and co-shape the project. Under AZL’s coordination, participants will analyze current technologies, develop new design concepts for hydrogen and compressed natural gas vessels and benchmark the resulting configurations in terms of weight, cost, recyclability and production KPIs. AZL’s engineering team will provide access to simulation results, concept layouts and comparative evaluations based on a unified framework. Each partner can contribute input, benefit from consolidated expertise and gain early access to the results. 

The project will start on July 16, 2025. All participants are invited to engage in an interactive Kick-off Meeting to define key priorities and present their internal perspectives. Further project information or individual consultation slots are now available.

Interested parties should reach out to Philipp Fröhlig, head of industrial services (email: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de; phone: +49 241 475 735 14)

Source | Carbon ThreeSixty

Carbon ThreeSixty (Chippenham, U.K.) announces its integral role in Advanced Structural Product Integrated Airframe (ASPIRE), a £12 million U.K. R&D program led by GKN Aerospace (Redditch, U.K.). The 3-year project was first announced by GKN at Paris Air Show 2025 and commenced in May 2025. It aims to develop and demonstrate next-generation composite wing and flap structures, accelerating the adoption of sustainable and high-rate manufacturing technologies in the aerospace industry.

In addition to GKN and Carbon ThreeSixty, ASPIRE brings together iCOMAT, Lineat, Pentaxia and the University of Bath, with program support from Axillium and co-funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). Carbon ThreeSixty’s expertise will be crucial in two key areas of ASPIRE:

Wingtip demonstrator. Carbon ThreeSixty will contribute to the development of full-scale composite wingtip demonstrators with sub-components. Irs specific focus will be on the integration of stitched deltoid noodles using recycled fibers, aligning with sustainable manufacturing goals and the reduction of aerospace’s environmental footprint.

Optimized composite flap. For this demonstrator, Carbon ThreeSixty will be responsible for the development of tailored fiber placed (TFP) structural brackets, contributing to the achievement lightweighting targets for next-generation single-aisle aircraft.

“This collaboration with GKN Aerospace and the other consortium members represents a significant opportunity to push the boundaries of composite technology,” notes Andy Smith, director, CSO at Carbon ThreeSixty. “Our contributions in processing recycled fibers and TFP are central to developing lighter, stronger and more sustainable aerospace structures. We believe ASPIRE will be instrumental in shaping the future of efficient and environmentally responsible flight.”

The ASPIRE program will deliver three full-scale composite wingtip variants for structural testing to ultimate load, providing invaluable data for validating new technologies in highly relevant test conditions. The program focuses on automation, sustainability and manufacturability.

The Cirrus SR G7+ aircraft. Source | Cirrus Aviation

At the end of June, Cirrus Aircraft (Duluth, Minn., U.S.) announced the expansion of its Grand Forks manufacturing facility. The aerospace company will invest $13 million to add 30,000 square feet to the current 165,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. The expansion will support Cirrus’ manufacture of its best-selling single-engine piston aircraft, the SR Series, and the best-selling jet, the Vision Jet, with additional equipment, storage, technical tools, as well as new jobs expected to be added over the next 5 years.   

“We have worked closely with the Grand Forks legislature and community,” says Zean Nielsen, CEO of Cirrus. “Cirrus is deeply committed to safety, innovation, quality and contributing to the long-term economic vitality of the region.” 

Cirrus opened its composite production facility in Grand Forks in 1994 and launched its general aviation composite piston aircraft, the SR20, shortly after. The first SR20 was delivered in 1999. The following year, Cirrus received an FAA type certificate for the SR22 composite piston aircraft with a larger wing, increased fuel capacity and more powerful engine. That airplane became what is said to be the world’s best-selling general aviation airplane in 2022 and has held that distinction since. In November 2024, Cirrus delivered its 10,000th SR Series aircraft. The company also produces the composites-intensive Vision Jet, first certified in 2016.

The SR Series and Vision Jet are embedded with advanced systems, including the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and Safe Return Emergency Autoland as standard equipment. The company offers a total safety solution from Cirrus Approach Flight Training to its worldwide Authorized Network of Flight Training and Service Centers. To date, Cirrus has delivered more than 11,000 aircraft, and the total fleet has surpassed 18 million flight hours. 

The Cirrus Grand Forks expansion is expected to be completed in Q2 2026.  

The Clean Sky 2 Passenger Cabin Demonstrator features biocomposite interior panels plus myriad other components and systems, enabling a full suite of tests, such as those conducted at Fraunhofer facilities (right). Source | Clean Aviation, Leonardo, Fraunhofer

The Pax Cabin Demonstrator — developed under the Clean Sky 2 Regional Aircraft (REG) Integrated Aircraft Demonstrator Platform (IADP) — showcases sustainable, passenger-focused cabin innovations for regional turboprop aircraft, combining lightweight structures, environmentally friendly materials and human-centric design. Results include:

• A weight reduction of 8% for major cabin components, which contributes to long-term fuel savings — up to 22% over a 30-year aircraft lifespan — and direct reduction in CO_₂ emissions.
• Successful Integration of eco-friendly, biocomposite panels met stringent aviation flammability and safety standards, offering a low-impact alternative to conventional materials. These panels would reduce 75 megatons of CO_₂ emissions over 20 years for next-gen aircraft.

CW reported on this development in 2018. With completion of the Pax Cabin Demonstrator, this program’s success is now reported in Clean Aviation’s June 2025 newsletter. This ground-based test platform simulates the real-world interior environment of a regional turboprop aircraft and showcases how future cabins can enhance passenger wellbeing while slashing environmental impact.

“The Passenger Cabin Demonstrator is a full-scale, 7.3-meter-long, 3.4-meter-diameter fuselage barrel, equipped with major structural elements including: composite-stiffened panels, frames, pressure bulkheads, window frames and doors, as well as passenger and cargo floor grids,” explains Vittorio Ascione, Clean Sky 2 – REG IADP project manager at the Aircraft Division of Leonardo (Rome, Italy), the topic manager for this project. “The [Pax Cabin] Demonstrator is fitted with five seats per row, and though it was structurally similar to the Fuselage Structural Demonstrator, this one went further: it included interior components and systems, making it much more complete and complex.”

The fully integrated interiors and systems were also designed using a human-centric approach, focusing on increasing comfort through noise and vibration reduction while applying environmentally friendly materials to reduce cabin weight and minimize emissions.

A cabin concept built for the future

Cabin noise and vibration tests in progress at Leonardo facilities. Source | Clean Aviation, Leonardo

The Pax Cabin Demonstrator is an immersive mock-up that enables rigorous testing to assess noise levels, vibration, thermal comfort, air quality and overall passenger wellbeing, all critical elements in developing the necessary cabin environment for next-gen aircraft.

To validate innovations, the demonstrator underwent two test campaigns. Acoustic and vibrational tests were conducted at Leonardo VEL facilities in Pomigliano d’Arco, Italy, using external sources to replicate realistic cruise conditions. Vibrations were measured using accelerometers embedded within the seats, while “shakers” were used externally to simulate the effects of real in-flight dynamics.

A cylindrical shroud is lowered around the Passenger Cabin Demonstrator to replicate ambient conditions around the “aircraft” cabin exterior. Source | Clean Aviation, Fraunhofer

Afterward, comfort and wellbeing tests were conducted at the Fraunhofer Institute facility in Holzkirchen, Germany. A group of 73 participants were subjected to simulated flight conditions — including noise, vibration, thermal environment and lighting. In response to questionnaires about their comfort levels and overall wellbeing, 94.5% said they would be willing to fly on such an aircraft in real life.

Biocomposite interior panels

A defining feature of the Pax Cabin Demonstrator is its use of advanced, eco-compatible materials and manufacturing processes. Cabin components including biocomposite panels contribute to an 8% weight reduction compared to interiors based on early-2000s technology. 

By applying these lightweight designs, significant fuel savings could be achieved over a 30-year service life. Use of bio-based materials — which was shown to outperform conventional interior panels in environmental impact categories such as climate change — could impact >75 megatons of CO_₂ emissions across the global aviation sector in the next two decades.

A key challenge for new aircraft cabin interiors is the stringent flammability regulations. The biocomposite cabin panels passed multiple rounds of flammability, smoke and toxicity (FST) testing. Fire-retardant coatings, partially composed of renewable constituents, were developed to ensure compliance without relying on halogen-based chemicals.

A key step toward technology readiness

The project’s scope was designed to achieve TRL 6. Instead of isolated component testing, the demonstrator offered an integrated platform to measure system-wide performance, enabling realistic evaluation of interior architecture and environmental systems. All tests confirmed that the demonstrator met or exceeded the expected benchmarks, confirming that the proposed solutions are technically mature and ready for further development toward in-flight application.

Ascione notes this project had many key achievements, including integration of all myriad parts — structural, systems and interiors — from multiple partners into one cohesive unit. “This demonstrator brought together a high level of complexity, cross-functional collaboration and real-world performance in both physical and passenger comfort terms,” he adds.

Looking forward, the Pax Cabin Demonstrator provides a solid foundation for next-generation cabin innovation. It acts as a reusable platform to explore further advancements in aircraft systems, from enhanced thermal management to next-gen sensor technologies for onboard climate control. It also opens the door to deeper studies into crew interfaces, passenger feedback loops and modular interior configurations.

Fraunhofer and Leonardo are indeed already collaborating on a thermal management project called the TheMa4HERA Project that leverages the facility of the Pax Demonstrator. The project aims to demonstrate the dissipation of heat for systems and for power storage/generation in batteries, and for use in APU and fuel cells in hybrid-electric regional aircraft.

Collaboration and leadership

The success of the Pax Cabin Demonstrator is the result of extensive collaboration across leading aerospace organizations in Italy and Germany with links to stakeholders in France, the Netherlands and the U.K. The complementary grant agreements of COFRARE 2020, FUSINBUL, WINFRAME 4.0, TOD and SPARE contributed to structural components including frames, pressure bulkheads, window frames, doors and floor grids under the REG IADP WorkPackage 3.2. Key cabin components were developed under the CASTLE core partner agreement, coordinated by Geven S.p.A.

“This demonstrator was not only in the Clean Sky 2 Regional Innovative Aircraft Demonstrator Platform [REG], it also incorporated a lot of contributions from the Airframe Integrated Technology Demonstrator, which developed the panels and various elements of the cabin interiors,” says Clean Aviation project officer Costin-Ciprian Miglan. “We had many challenges, successfully mitigated by the consortium.” He adds that even though having the final demonstration spread across two platforms made it more complex, having “multiple platforms, countries and organizations contributed to the project’s success.”

Source | CIRA

The nose and body flap of the Space Rider, designed by CIRA (Capua, Italy) and manufactured in collaboration with Petroceramics (Stezzano, Italy), have successfully passed their dynamic structural qualification campaign, confirming the full integrity of the components ahead of the flight unit's manufacturing.

This achievement marks a key milestone for the Space Rider, to be the first European reusable space transportation system, developed under the European Space Agency (ESA) program with Thales Alenia Space Italy as the prime contractor. (See CW’s article on the Space Rider’s complete TPS).

“The Space Rider nose is one of the most difficult technological challenges we have faced so far," says Giuseppe Rufolo, CIRA program manager. “The success of these tests is the culmination of 4 years of intense work and paves the way for the completion of the Space Rider TPS.”

“The completion of the dynamic qualification of the ceramic-based composite nose is a key milestone for the Space Rider program,” adds Daniele Francesconi, Thales Alenia Space Italia program manager. “This achievement is [thanks to] the successful collaboration between the research center and small- and medium-sized industries in overcoming major technological challenges, which are essential for the atmospheric re-entry of reusable space vehicles.”

According to Aldo Scaccia, ESA Space Rider space segment manager, this qualification represents a major advance for Space Rider. “The nose, a crucial part of the vehicle’s thermal protection system [TPS] for the hypersonic atmospheric re-entry, is essential to the mission’s success.”

The nose is one of the most complex components of the vehicle’s TPS, featuring a structure that integrates around 1,200 elements. At the heart of the system is a 130-centimeter-diameter dome made from ISiComp ceramic matrix composite (CMC) — said to be the largest ever made using liquid silicon infiltration (LSI) technology. ISiComp is a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon/silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) CMC developed jointly by CIRA and Petroceramics. Weighing just 40 kilograms, the nose can withstand temperatures of up to 1650°C, maintain its aerodynamic shape with deformations of less than 1 millimeter and withstand launch loads.

Measuring 900 × 700 millimeters with a mass of just 10 kilograms, the ISiComp body flap assembly (BFA) features a complex geometry capable of ensuring the aerodynamic performance and thermo-structural characteristics necessary to withstand a demanding combination of mechanical and thermal loads, with temperatures reaching up to 1650°C.

The particular configuration of the flap and the interface system, with metallic supports and bearings, creates a strong coupling of the structure with the vibro-acoustic stresses of the Vega-C rocket. This makes laboratory tests critical, as they must be both representative and safe for the integrity of the component.

Efficient, robust testing and qualification

The Space Rider project team at CIRA has developed an advanced methodology to define nominal load profiles, mitigating the amplification of dynamic stresses induced by laboratory tests. Based on load monitoring using accelerometers and FEM analysis, this methodology reduces uncertainties and generates test profiles representative of operational conditions. This approach is said to represent a significant evolution toward efficient and robust dynamic qualification, contributing to ensuring the safety and reliability of the Space Rider during its missions.

The methodology was applied to the dynamic testing campaign on the “Qualification Model” of the body flap, the first component of the Space Rider TPS to be qualified. The dynamic testing campaign, conducted by the CIRA Space Qualification Laboratory, assessed the behavior of the nose and BFA structures under vibrational loads representative of launch conditions. Its success demonstrates the effectiveness of an implementation model that leverages synergies between design expertise and experimental capabilities.

Dual-zone hot bonder (left) and multizone repair system (right). Source | Heatcon Composite Systems

Heatcon Composite Systems (Seattle, Wash., U.S.) is presenting the HCS9200B dual-zone hot bonder and HCS9306R multizone composite repair system.

The company is a global manufacturer and supplier of aerospace composite repair equipment, providing a full range of hot bonders, accessories, technical and training services, and materials for the repair of composite structures. Heatcon has been involved in the support of advanced composite repairs since 1978, committing its time and product development to improving these processes.

Heatcon specialize in working with aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), defense organizations, commercial airlines and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities by providing them with the expertise and tools to repair composite flight controls and other main aircraft parts. Its experience and knowledge enables Heatcon to continuously provide innovative solutions for the advancement of composite repair technology through products like the HCS9200B and HCS9306R systems.

The HCS9200B hot bonder is a compact, dual-zone composite repair system engineered for precision, portability and ease of use. Featuring digital control of temperature, vacuum and cure time, it ensures accurate, consistent results for critical composite resin and adhesive curing applications. Each zone can operate independently or in conjunction, offering maximum versatility for complex repair scenarios. It delivers reliable performance in both hangar and field environments.

The HCS9306R multizone composite repair system is a mobile, rack-mounted solution engineered for precision and versatility in complex composite curing applications. Featuring six independently controlled zones, it delivers accurate, synchronized heat management for large-area or thermally challenging repairs. Zones can operate independently following separate cure profiles, or in coordination under a common cure cycle — offering maximum flexibility for diverse repair scenarios. The HCS9306R streamlines shop and manufacturing repairs with scalable, high-performance control in one integrated system.

Source | Continuous Composites

On June 9, Continuous Composites (CCI, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, U.S.) was awarded a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project in collaboration with Aurora Flight Sciences (Bridgeport, Va., U.S.), a Boeing company, to develop next-generation fuselage structures for launched effects. The project, which originated as a Navy-funded initiative, was successfully transitioned to the Army following the completion of Phase One and is now entering Phase Two with a $2 million contract.

The initiative focuses on enhancing the structural integrity of systems designed to be launched from canisters — similar to missile deployment systems — and aims to set new performance benchmarks for these air-launched platforms. Aurora is providing critical flight load data and geometric designs, which Continuous Composites will use to develop optimized fuselage structures through its patented CF3D technology.

Leveraging its expertise in fiber steering and topology optimization, CCI will engineer lightweight, high-performance fuselage designs that maximize internal volume, directly increasing payload capacity without compromising overall performance. This approach reimagines internal architecture, using less material while embedding greater strength into the design, reducing weight and improving efficiency for mission-critical aerospace applications.

“This collaboration represents a convergence of aerospace innovation and cutting-edge manufacturing technology,” says Steve Starner, CEO of CCI. The SBIR contract marks a pivotal step in scaling CF3D for high-performance defense applications, positioning CCI as a strategic supplier of lightweight, rapidly deployable aerospace solutions to the Department of Defense. This funding validates the potential of CF3D to revolutionize structural components for launched effects and other aerospace technologies.

 Source (All Images) | Advanced Ceramic Fibers LLC

Advanced Ceramic Fibers LLC (ACF, Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.) has developed patented processes and materials that enable ultra-high temperature (UHT) ceramic matrix composites (CMC) and metal matrix composites (MMC) for use in aerospace and defense, turbine engines, battery and power applications, as well as space vehicles and nuclear thermal propulsion.

Silicon carbide (SiC) coated carbon fiber filaments from ACF’s Direct Conversion Process (DCP). The base carbon fiber can be seen as the black center of each filament with a uniform white SiC outer layer (left). The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) taken by NASA Glenn at right shows a 0.03-micrometer-thick SiC coating on a carbon fiber. Source | ACF, NASA Glenn

The company was founded by Dr. John Garnier in 2012 after retiring from the Idaho National Laboratory (Idaho Falls), one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national labs known for its nuclear research. ACF’s Direct Conversion Process (DCP) claims to convert individual carbon fiber filaments with 50-300 nanometers of silicon carbide (SiC) or other metallic carbide (MC) to enable high performance in CMC up to 3500°C and beyond.

DCP carbon fiber to Fi-Bar

DCP was one of the company’s first patents, explains Ken Koller, CEO of ACF. “It takes carbon fiber and forms a very thin layer of SiC or MC on each individual filament in that carbon fiber tow.” The result is a product called FiBar that has integrated thermal protection enabling the carbon fiber to withstand temperatures up to 3940°C in vacuum. “If you had pure carbon fiber at 3500°C in a vacuum,” says Koller, “an inch of that material would vaporize in less than 3 seconds. But the SiC or MC that we integrate into the filaments now protects the fiber and suppresses that vaporization for tens of minutes.”

ACF can use 34 metallic carbides to produce Fi-Bar products using DCP.

Koller explains that DCP is a continuous process that is completed in seconds. “The resulting fiber tows are called Fi-Bar because they act like rebar to reinforce metal and ceramic matrix materials,” he adds. “Depending on the application requirements, we can use 34 of the metallic carbides in the periodic table, including tantalum [Ta], hafnium [Hf], zirconium [Zr], titanium [Ti] and others, to tailor the Fi-Bar for its intended use.” Note, carbides, borides and nitrides made with these elements are currently the most popular for achieving UHTCMC.

ACF reports another advantage of using DCP is that the integrated SiC or MC in the fiber tow also acts as the interfacial debond layer for the CMC. Though not required for CMC using oxide fibers and matrices, CMC using carbides do need it to ensure the good/not great adhesion between fiber and matrix that enables fiber pullout to reduce crack growth. This interfacial debond layer can also help non-oxide fibers resist oxidation. Traditionally, such coatings were achieved using a chemical vapor deposition/infiltration (CVD/CVI) process that is lengthy and expensive (see “A new era for CMC: Continuous fiber coating”). Supplanting this step by using a fiber already treated via DCP could thus reduce manufacturing time and cost.

Koller also points out that DCP enables highly tailored CMC, with different MC elements or recipes modified to meet specific applications and requirements. “For example, each one of these MC elements can apply unique properties to the fiber, such as conductive, catalytic or electromagnetic properties,” he says.

Any kind of carbon, PIP with 2-3 cycles

ACF can convert anything that’s carbon — tow, chopped fiber, braid or tape, says Koller. “We can also do PAN or pitch carbon fiber, as well as CNT [carbon nanotubes], graphene, graphene flakes or particles, which are basically additives that we put into the matrix to achieve some beneficial properties. He explains that DCP works well with so many different formats, because the MC follows the contour of the structures being coated, whether that’s a kidney-shape carbon tow filament or a graphene flake.

Spools of carbon fiber and woven fabric converted to Fi-Bar using DCP.

Fi-Bar maintains the high tensile strength of intermediate modulus or high modulus carbon fiber (800 ksi/5.5 gigapascals). “We can also design the fiber preform and fabricate the CMC with a strain-to-failure as high as 8%, while most other carbide CMC shows 2% or less,” notes Koller. “That’s a game-changer for higher toughness and more robust parts. This was validated by Naval Air Systems Command [NAVAIR] in a combined shaft bend test and FOD [foreign object damage] test where Mach 1 steel projectiles were fired at these materials followed by four-point bending tests per ASTM C1684.” 

ACF uses Fi-Bar to make CMC through a standard polymer impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) process, where reinforcements are infiltrated with pre-ceramic resin at room temperature and then pyrolized at temperatures ≥900°C to form CMC. “We infiltrate the carbon fiber with the UHTCMC matrix as a slurry and then make the composite using hand or press layup, pressure casting, winding or additive manufacturing,” says Koller. “We then pyrolyze the composite to form the CMC. The solids loading in the green CMC can be formed to as high as 60-70% solids level with the SiC/C filaments, then the number of PIP cycles required to achieve a dense CMC can be reduced from eight to nine cycles to as low as two to three cycles, depending on the part. This again reduces manufacturing time and cost.

”Another benefit is the volume percentage of carbon fiber can be as high as 70%, which enables higher composite load-carrying and thermal shock capacity for all the flavors of the carbide CMC — including C/C, C/SiC, C/C-SiC and UHTCMC.” He adds that UHTCMC would typically be a type of diboride with a lower volume percentage of fiber. “Some of the CMC we are producing using tantalum carbide [TaC] and other high melting point carbides can withstand even higher temperatures than diborides in oxidizing environments.” He explains this is because the carbides do not contain boron, which readily oxidizes in oxygen at elevated temperature if not protected.

Applications, commercialization

ACF has been awarded seven Phase I and three Phase II SBIR/STTR programs from 2014-2024. These include “Robust 2700 F MC/C Fiber Reinforced Matrices for Turbine Engines (topic N141-074),” a 2014-FY SBIR with the U.S. Navy, which included a Phase I to fabricate carbon fiber/MC test coupons for use in CMC matrices to be used in Phase II to develop new turbine engine designs using CMC parts with capability above 1480°C. Another project, “DIRECT TO PHASE II – Production of Silicon Boron Nitride (SiBN) Fibers for Ceramic Matric Composite (CMC) Radomes in Hypersonic Applications, Navy SBIR 23.1 (topic N231-D06),” was with the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) to develop advanced high-temperature ceramic fibers with high strength, low dielectric constant, low loss tangent, high thermal stability and high oxidation resistance for missile and projectile system applications.

In 2020, five turbine engine vane designs made with different Fi-Bar CMC were tested to 1371°C, with one version reaching 1716°C.

In 2021, CW’s Hannah Mason reported on ACF’s continued work with the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) toward CMC components for turbine engines and also with Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) to explore use of CMC for the Interstellar Probe concept being developed with NASA (see “Researchers work to develop UHTCMC …”). This vehicle could be the first to approach the speed of light for space travel.

In its work with ONR, five NASA-designed turbine engine vanes made with different iterations of ACF’s Fi-Bar CMC were tested up to 1371°C. One version was able to reach 1716°C with no significant damage.

ACF has produced and tested (left, clockwise) UHTCMC fasteners, nose tips, C/TaHf samples and cross-sections of turbine engine vanes.

ACF also worked with ONR to explore UHTCMC fasteners. The image at left shows a demonstrator fastener that withstood 600 pounds of load in testing at 2000°C as well as projectile testing at Navy facilities. “The ONR chief scientific officer that performed the FOD testing was amazed at how well it performed,” says Koller. “We made these using PIP with five cycles. They have no environmental barrier coating [EBC] or thermal barrier coating [TBC] because the CMC made with Fi-Bar is also self-repairing. When impact damage occurs at elevated temperature, the composite will reform a thin external oxide layer, once again protecting the underlying composite.

“We recently responded to a request from a customer,” he continues, “and made carbon/TaHf nose tips sized roughly 1-inch in diameter and 1.4 and 1.7 inches long. These are the highest temperature materials known. We made each nose tip in a day from green bodies casted as blocks containing short fibers and matrix, but these were just in-house R&D and not optimized. We have also made turbine engine vanes for military aircraft turbine engines which were tested successfully.”

As explained in the 2021 CW article, for the Interstellar Probe project, ACF worked with Johns Hopkins APL to produce CMC samples that were tested using vacuum heating and plasma torches. “They demonstrated the ability to survive at least up to 2900°C,” says Koller, “with potential for even higher temperatures.” Hannah Mason noted that APL’s initial report concluded:

“The results of this Phase I project have demonstrated the potential for development of an entirely new class of materials with UHT capability.”

“We are enabling materials and parts that show much higher temperature capability than metals or other CMC,” says Koller, “as well as greater resistance to corrosion, fatigue and oxidation. And we can tailor dielectric and electromagnetic properties, which is key for many aerospace, defense, energy and consumer electronic applications.”

While many other CMC producers are focused only on SiC or oxides, notes Koller, “ACF’s use of DCP enables a palette of unique metal carbide ‘enabled’ reinforcements to be made using much lower cost carbon fiber from many existing high-volume suppliers. We are now installing individual direct conversion processing systems each capable of producing larger daily quantities of Fi-Bar product specific to individual client applications and needs for affordable, lower-cost and higher-performance continuous and chopped fibers.”

Coriolis C3 machine with robot carrier. Source | Coriolis Composites

Automated fiber placement (AFP) machine supplier Coriolis Composites (Quéven, France) launches the C3 dockable AFP head — available in 16 × ½" or ¼’" — which is compatible with robots or gantry systems. This latest product range extension builds upon the company’s experience with machines currently producing flying parts for commercial, space and defense. 

Coriolis’ AFP solutions are capable of addressing all part types, from complex geometries (with the C1.2 range) to large components (with the C3 and C5 ranges), with a high level of industrialization. The C3 head takes from technologies used on these existing systems. Designed for long-term use, it is qualified for both current and next-generation aerostructures for a wide range of composite part like fuselage sections, wing spars and wing skins, pressure bulkheads and many others.

Source | National Composites Centre/2020

For example, the C3’s feeding/clamping and cutting unit is coming from the C1.2 machine, with a 0.5' material tow width. The dockable head — quick coupling technology to ensure fast and reliable head changes for flexible manufacturing to maximize machine availability — has already been validated on Csolo and C5. Similarly, C3’s AFP “nose” with cutting module has been validated on the C1.2 and C5. The AFP nose incorporates a robust cutting module, capable of 100,000 cuts per blade. It supports both adding and cutting fiber at a speed of up to 1 m/s by respecting the aerospace accuracy requirements.

The C3 is compatible with Coriolis’ online automatic inspection system (AIS). Its ergonomic design is designed for operator comfort and efficiency, offering frontal access to all components so that maintenance and cleaning operations can be performed without any tools (Level 1 and 2). This intuitive and user-friendly design minimizes downtime and ensures a faster learning for new operators. Additionally, it features a motorized module for backing film. The re-winding design provides consistent backing film management and includes a backing film detection device to guarantee part integrity and enable rapid operator intervention. While providing accurate pressure control of the dancing arm for fiber tension, the C3 head also gives users direct measurements as close as possible to the layup, enabling precise compaction control.

Coriolis offers expertise in both low-rail and high-rail gantry systems, providing a comprehensive solution for diverse applications.

Unboxing of the Argo 1000 Hypermelt, what CRG Defense says is only the second in the U.S. Source | CRG Defense

Defense innovation company Cornerstone Research Group Inc. (CRG, Miamisburg, Ohio, U.S.) is adopting a new name, CRG Defense, to reflect the company’s evolution into a next-gen defense tech platform business, one that integrates problem-solving, product development and manufacturing to (learn more below). Alongside this announcement, CRG Defense has become the second U.S. company to acquire the Argo 1000 Hypermelt a large-format 3D printer from Italian manufacturer Roboze (Bari). The system enhances CRG Defense’s ability to produce aerospace-grade polymer and composite parts at scale and serves as a new asset for partners seeking to enter or grow within the U.S. defense and aerospace sectors.

The Argo 1000 Hypermelt uses fused granulate fabrication (FGF) to produce high-performance thermoplastic components with accuracy and repeatability. Its build volume of 1,000 × 1,000 × 1,000 millimeters (~ 39 × 39 × 39 inches) enables the production of large, complex parts and assemblies that meet demanding aerospace requirements. According to 3D Printing Industry, the Hypermelt uses “a broad spectrum of advanced materials, super polymers like PEKK and Ultem 9085, composites like carbon fiber-filled PEEK and PA, elastomers, recycled materials and bio-based polymers.”

“This gives us immediate production capability while we continue developing our next-generation additive manufacturing [AM] technologies,” says Ian Fuller, strategic director and AM mission area lead at CRG Defense. “It also allows us to support organizations that want to bring advanced materials, such as fiber-reinforced PEEK, PEK and PEI, into secure production environments without building that infrastructure from scratch.”

The acquisition builds on CRG Defense’s ongoing $2.5 million U.S. Air Force contract to design a large, ultra high-temperature 3D printing system for future aerospace applications. That project, funded by the Air Force Rapid Sustainment Office, focuses on producing components capable of withstanding extreme operating conditions at a scale previously not achievable with AM.

In parallel, CRG Defense says the Argo 1000 Hypermelt provides a fully operational, production-ready solution that can meet today’s manufacturing needs in defense, aerospace and adjacent industries such as oil and gas, motorsports and automotive.

CRG Defense offers more than technical capability; it also provides a fast track into defense manufacturing. With existing contract vehicles, long-standing partnerships and a secure, U.S.-based production environment, the company enables commercial innovators and foreign-friendly firms to transition their technologies into government programs without starting from scratch.

In addition, the company highlights its compression molding expertise for fiber-reinforced primary aerospace structures. Some of the platforms over the years include the XRQ-73 Shepard, Raytheon Mald J, Bombardier Global, GA SkyGuardian, SpaceX Falcon 9, V-22 Osprey, Airbus A380, Pilatus PC-24, CH-53K, Boeing EcoDemonstrator and more.

Source | Dassault Aviation

Dassault Aviation (Paris, France) and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL, New Delhi, India) have signed four Production Transfer Agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India. This facility represents a significant investment in India’s aerospace infrastructure and will serve as a critical hub for high-precision manufacturing.

According to Airframer.com, the Rafale is an omnirole, delta wing combat aircraft with twin turbofan engines. Seventy percent of the aircraft’s wetted area is made from composites — 50% of the fuselage is carbon fiber with aluminum-lithium alloy side skins. The wings are predominantly composites with titanium slats, Kevlar wing root and tip fairings. The single vertical tail fin is carbon fiber with honeycomb core in rudder. Engine and wheel doors are also carbon fiber.

Under the scope of the partnership, Tata Advanced Systems will set up a production facility in Hyderabad, India, for the manufacture of key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage and the front section.

The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in FY 2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month.

“For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France,” says Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “This is a decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India. Thanks to the expansion of our local partners, including TASL, one of the major players in the Indian aerospace industry, this supply chain will contribute to the successful ramp-up of the Rafale, and, with our support, will meet our quality and competitiveness requirements.”

Source | Embraer report

Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) has published “Market Outlook 2025,” its annual 20-year forecast for commercial aircraft deliveries in the sub-150-seat category.

The report estimates 10,500 orders for new jets and turboprops through 2044. It also presents analyses of global influences and trends in seven world regions that impact the demand for new aircraft. Because of its growing prominence in commercial aviation, statistics for China are detailed separately in this year’s market outlook for the first time.

The document also analyzes demand for cargo aircraft, including a forecast for passenger-to-freighter conversions.

The overall forecast for the number of new sub-150-seat aircraft remains almost unchanged from Embraer’s previous estimate. Arjan Meijer, Embraer president and CEO of Commercial Aviation, attributes the consistency of the estimate to the longevity of social, supply chain and geopolitical trends Embraer identified during the pandemic.

“Five years after the onset of the pandemic, many of the structural changes it triggered have proven to be quite long-lasting,” says Meijer. “In our first post-pandemic market outlook, we highlighted the transition from globalization to a more polarized geopolitical outlook. Today, as countries and regions pursue greater strategic autonomy, the demand for regional access will continue to grow. We believe mixed fleets that combine small and large narrowbody aircraft are essential for that long-term growth. They provide the versatility needed to better match capacity with demand, expand networks and support national and regional development goals.”

Embraer shares some of the highlights of its 20-year commercial market outlook below:

• World passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) is forecast to grow 3.9% annually through 2044. China will lead among seven global regions. The annual RPK regional growth rate is ranked as follows: 5.7% China; 4.7% Latin America; 4.4% Africa; 4.4% Middle East; 4.1% Asia Pacific; 3.1% Europe and CIS; 2.4% North America.
• The RPK share by the end of 2044: 39% Asia Pacific; 37% Europe and North America.
• Global demand for new aircraft with up to 150 seats: 10,500 units, 8,720 jets and 1,780 turboprops.
• Market value of all new aircraft: $680 billion.
• Jet deliveries — 8,720 (% share) — by region: 2,680 North America (30.7%); 1,990 Europe and CIS (22.8%); 1,500 China (17.2%); 1,050 Asia Pacific (12.1%); 770 Latin America (8.8%); 380 Africa (4.4%); 350 Middle East (4.0%).
• Turboprop deliveries — 1,780 (% share) — by region: 640 Asia Pacific (36.0%); 280 North America (15.7%); 260 Europe and CIS (14.6%); 220 Africa (12.4%); 200 China (11.2%); 160 Latin America (9.0%); 20 Middle East (1.1%).

The complete Embraer “Market Outlook 2025” can be downloaded here.

Source (All Images) | Azista USA

Azista USA is the U.S. subsidiary of Azista Industries (Hyderabad, India), a diversified conglomerate with roots in Azista Aerospace (Ahmedabad, founded in 2014) and Azista Composites (Hyderabad, founded in 2020). The company’s U.S. operations, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, are focused on expanding partnerships and domestic capabilities in support of both defense and commercial aerospace markets. “Azista Composites is India’s partner for hypersonic technologies,” says Jairam Chintalapati, business development manager for Azista USA.

 

Azista offers a range of high-temperature and pre-ceramic resins and foams (top) as well as a full process chain for ceramic matrix composites (CMC).

The company supplies a variety of high-temperature materials to global markets. These include bismaleimide (BMI), cyanate ester and hot-melt phenolic prepregs and phthalonitrile (PN) resins and prepreg.

These are also offered as pre-ceramic polymer systems, part of its portfolio enabling ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials and parts. This portfolio also includes PN and carbon foams, 3D woven and 2D stitched preforms, and a variety of process capabilities, including polymer impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP), liquid silicon infiltration (LSI), chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) — including a patented film boiling CVI process — as well as initial pyrolysis/graphitization and final machining for a complete process chain.  

“We have demonstrated our capability to make carbon/carbon [C/C] parts and also have systems to make silicon carbide [SiC] CMC as well,” says Chintalapati. Currently, these materials and parts are manufactured in India, but Azista USA is exploring domestic capabilities as it works to expand applications and partners in the U.S.

Hot-melt phenolic prepreg

Phenolic resins have a long history in fire-resistant and high-temperature composites, including automotive and aircraft interiors applications. “Phenolics have always been solvent-based resin systems, with a cure process that generates significant volatiles,” notes Chintalapati. Phenolic cure typically involves a condensation reaction where phenol and formaldehyde molecules link together, releasing water as the primary byproduct. This results in processing challenges, including how to minimize porosity in finished laminates.

“Azista has developed a solvent-free phenolic system, with a formulation that has close to 0% volatiles,” he adds. “It is processed in a way that is very close to addition polymerization, similar to epoxy. So, it is much easier to use, to make aircraft interior panels, for example, eliminating traditional porosity issues while retaining the good thermal and mechanical properties of phenolics.” The glass transition temperature (T_g) is around 160°C and typical cure is at 170°C.

Azista USA is supplying customers with hot-melt phenolic prepreg that handles more like an epoxy prepreg. It is safe to use, a nonhazardous material to transport and eliminates the extra precautions typically required to work with phenolics. Azista can also supply phenolic film that customers can use to impregnate their own fiber reinforcements.

“Another advantage of this prepreg is that we are able to make extremely thick ablative components without using a hydroclave,” says Chintalapati. A hydroclave is similar to an autoclave, but uses pressurized water instead of pressurized air and much higher pressure — typically 6.9 megapascals (1,000 psi) compared to 0.3-2.0 megapascals (50-300 psi) for autoclaves — which produces high-quality, void-free, thick laminates. “These ablative components are typical in thermal protection systems [TPS] for space and defense applications,” he explains. “We are working on advancing this technology in a program with the Indian government.”

Phenolic resins are also a workhorse system when creating carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites that are then graphitized to form C/C composites for brake pads and discs, rocket nozzles, radomes and other spacecraft structures, for example. We’ll come back to this in a minute.

PN prepreg

Another key material that Azista USA offers is PN, a thermoset composite matrix said to provide not only the fire resistance of phenolics, but also the excellent heat resistance and mechanical properties of polyimide (PI) resin, plus the machinability and low water absorption of cyanate ester. “PN was originally developed by the U.S. Navy in the 1980s,” says Chintalapati, “but today, we are one of only two or three players in the global market providing commercial-grade PN resin systems, which offer the highest temperature resistance in thermoset polymers. Ours is designed to have a T_g of 435°C with long-duration in-service capability of 350-400°C.”

Phthalonitrile (PN) composite components made using resin transfer molding (RTM) and 3D woven textiles achieve densities of 1.43 grams/cubic centimeter. The U and grid parts are 25 millimeters thick and the block is 1 cubic foot.

He notes these resins meet MIL-STD-2031, which outlines the stringent fire, smoke and toxicity requirements for composites used on submarines.

“Our PN also has good dielectric properties for high-temperature radomes,” says Chintalapati. “We are offering prepreg as well as liquid resin for resin transfer molding [RTM] and infusion processes. The resin has a viscosity of 75 centipoise at its cure temperature of 180-200°C. We have found use cases around aircraft engines and have worked in a project to replace titanium engine pylon parts with PN composites.”

What about PN’s traditional downside of brittleness? “It can be an issue at room temperature,” Chintalapati concedes. “For certain applications, we use optimized cure cycles or add fillers to help avoid microcracking.”

Work with NLR

The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), headquartered in Amsterdam, with significant composites capabilities also in Marknesse, has also worked with Azista’s PN resins. In one project, NLR had already demonstrated the feasibility of manufacturing high-quality PI laminates using a powder coated semipreg and wanted to use the same approach for PN.

“Similar to the PI resin, the Azista PN is solid at room temperature and can be ground down to powder and applied on the dry reinforcement,” explains Ronald Klomp, R&D engineer composites at NLR. “Using this approach, we manufactured the dry semipregs and manufactured test laminates with up to 24 plies as well as a manufacturing demonstrator component. The low initial cure temperature of the Azista PN allows the use of standard autoclave bagging and also 3D printed tooling. We presented the results of this work at SAMPE Belfast 2024.”

Sitting atop a 3D printed tool, NLR produced this carbon fiber-reinforced PN composite nacelle using dry semipreg with Azista resin. Source | Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR)

The 3D printed tooling came into play in 2023, when NLR completed its work on the Clean Aviation project TRAIL (Tiltrotor Nacelle Innovative Lightweight Structure). With the objective to design and manufacture a high-performance, low-cost and lightweight nacelle structure for next-generation tilt-rotor aircraft, a complex-shaped scale model of a nacelle structure was vacuum-injected with BMI resin using a 3D printed tool. Klomp notes the tool was printed using a CEAD (Delft, Netherlands) 3D printer and Dahltram tooling resin from Airtech International (Springfield, Tenn., U.S. and Luxembourg). This tool was then used to cure an eight-ply carbon fiber-reinforced PN component made with the Azista resin. “An ultrasound C-scan of the cured part showed that the laminate had good quality,” says Klomp.

Micrographs of glass fiber-reinforced PN (top) and carbon fiber-reinforced PN (bottom) laminates made using Azista resin. Source | Royal Netherlands

“NLR has continued further investigation and development of PN composites,” he continues, which includes flexure and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) testing at elevated temperatures (320°C).

“PN resins are known to be quite brittle and a key aspect in the development of high-quality laminates seems to be tuning the post-cure cycle to avoid premature microcracking,” explains Klomp. “NLR is investigating the use of this specific resin for various high-temperature applications and also intends to investigate the fire performance of this resin, which has a proven high char yield.” He notes that NLR has performed in-house thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) tests to 900°C to confirm this and that it is also investigating the potential of graphene-modified PN resin, including manufacture of several test laminates as part of the ongoing EU project GIANCE.

Converting polymers to CMC parts

The phenolic and PN materials that Azista USA is offering are being used not only for CFRP and other fiber-reinforced polymer composites, but also to create pre-ceramic preforms that are then pyrolized and densified into CMC. Although phenolic, with a char yield of ~60 wt%, is the traditional pre-ceramic resin matrix used for C/C composites, PN offers a char yield of 72%.

This is a graphic from K3RX (Faenza, Italy) showing the polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process, where reinforcements are infiltrated with pre-ceramic resins at room temperature and then carbonized to form C/C composites, for example, requiring 4-10 cycles of impregnation and pyrolysis, depending on the materials used and desired density and porosity in the final CMC. Source | K3RX, “Near-zero erosion ultra-high temperature CMC”

“This enables us to reduce densification cycles from five to three,” says Chintalapati. Here, he is talking about creating C/C using the PIP process, where high char content resin is used to infiltrate a fiber preform at room temperature and is then pyrolized at high temperatures (e.g., 900°C). However, to reach the required density and lack of porosity in the final CMC, infiltration and pyrolysis must be repeated as many as 10 times. Chintalapati is noting that by using PN, Azista has been able to produce C/C parts with only three densification cycles.

“And the microstructure of the resulting C/C is very close to that obtained using CVI,” adds Chintalapati. CVI was one of the first processes used to create CMC and involves injecting a reactive gas like methane (CH₄) into a reactor at high temperatures, resulting in the formation of a carbon matrix — an SiC matrix is also possible depending on the gas used — all through the porous preform, eventually building a dense CMC. Although CVI is an extremely slow process, taking weeks to months, it does avoid problems associated with liquid processes such as microcracking and damage to fibers. Traditionally, PIP and other liquid processes have produced a less dense and pure matrix compared to CVI. Thus, Azista’s ability to use PN to achieve a CVI-like microstructure in C/C but with a much faster and less expensive process is indeed very interesting.

Azista also converts PN into a porous foam used to produce composite parts and can do this with its other high-temperature resin systems, for example, using its hot-melt phenolic to produce carbon foams. 

This C/C cylinder is made using carbon foam sandwiched between C/C skins made using two plies of carbon fiber/PN prepreg bonded using PN adhesive. The cured composite was then carbonized.

Chintalapati points to a CMC cylinder made with PN foam and carbon fiber/PN prepreg.  This lightweight part (0.3 grams/cubic centimeter) measures 300 × 300 millimeters with a thickness of 20 millimeters. “This was made to demonstrate our CMC capabilities,” says Chintalapati. “We used PN foam and two plies of carbon fiber/PN prepreg for the skins. There were bonded together using PN that we formulated as an adhesive. We then cured the layup in a mold at 180-200°C followed by a 2-hour freestanding post-cure at up to 350°C. We then converted into a C/C using a carbonization furnace at 1000-1200C.” Azista is currently performing tests on these and other C/C parts, he adds.

Azista has also developed a polycarbosilane polymer used as a precursor for SiC matrix. “We have a formulation that produces SiC matrix composites and a high molecular weight variant for making SiC fibers,” says Chantalapati. “We currently have four variants and are looking for partners to help us evaluate these materials.” Polycarbosilane has been available in the U.S. for decades from Starfire Systems (Glenville, N.Y.). “The advantage we offer is that we can tailor the polymer chemistry according to the needs and end goal of the user,” notes Chantalapati.

Full CMC process chain

Azista is vertically integrated, producing raw materials, resins, towpregs/prepregs to finished CFRP and CMC parts.

The full process chain that Azista has developed for CMC parts can start with design capabilities, including FEA and thermo-structural analysis. It then produces a wide rage of raw materials, as discussed above. “Thanks to our sister companies, we have a huge amount of infrastructure to produce resin systems and control purity levels to 99.9% purity,” says Chintalapati. “And we also custom formulate and tailor resins.”

 

Process chains (top) and equipment details (bottom) for Azista’s CMC parts capabilities.

“We have also invested in equipment, from prepreg and towpreg manufacturing, to RTM presses, autoclaves, filament winding machines and ovens,” he continues. “We have a needle punch machine to produce 2.5D and stitched preforms, as well as a carbonization furnace, graphitization furnace and our LSI and CVI equipment. Thus, we have everything under one roof, which significantly streamlines our parts production and development.” For CMC, these have mostly been used for small products and internal R&D, admits Chintalapati, “but now that we have characterized our materials and processes, we are scaling via programs with the Indian government. We are continuing to invest and have already set up large-scale equipment, including ICVI and carbonization, capable of processing C/C components up to 3 meters in dimension for aerospace and defense applications.”

Regarding the current concerns about security, Chintalapati points out that part designs do not have to be transmitted. “We can produce 3D blocks or shapes and send those to the U.S. for machining into parts.”

Film boiling CVI

Film boiling CVI is a CMC production technology that Azista has developed in-house. “It increases the densification rate for CVI,” explains Chintalapati. “For example, a typical rate for isothermal CVI is 0.015 millimeter/hour, but film boiling CVI can achieve densification at 1.5 millimeters/hour. With this 100-times increase, we were able to the reduce cycle time for manufacturing high-quality C/C by about 10 times.”

Azista also found using film boiling CVI produces a quite different microstructure and coefficient of thermal expansion compared to C/C made using traditional isothermal CVI. “Although this might not be optimal for all applications, we know the properties that are required or wanted for certain systems, and we can see there is an opportunity. We are in the process of completing a full characterization of CMC produced using film boiling CVI.”

Continued development, future growth

 

3D preform and C/C nozzle (top) and various carbon fiber/PN and C/C parts (bottom).

Azista Aerospace is manufacturing satellites at its Ahmedabad facility while Azista Composites has constructed two large facilities in Hyderabad. “The first one contains all of our R&D capabilities,” says Chintalapati. “The second facility is for parts production, including high-pressure, filament-wound hydrogen tanks and large polymer composite and CMC components.” So far, the facility has produced CFRP-skinned/aluminum honeycomb panels for satellites, CFRP pressure vessels and prostheses as well as carbon fiber/PN radomes, C/C rocket nozzles and jet vanes and carbon fiber/C-SiC brake discs.

Azista USA is actively expanding its presence in North America to support domestic partnerships, joint development programs, and U.S.-based manufacturing. With continued investment in advanced materials, scalable processing, and collaborative research, Azista is positioning itself as a global supplier of next-generation high-temperature composite solutions for aerospace, defense and space systems.

FACC, a composite components supplier and technology partner for Rolls-Royce on the Trent family of engines, extends this contract and forms new agreements with Kineco Aerospace (top right) and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (bottom right) in India. Source | Rolls-Royce, FACC AG, Kineco, TASL

FACC (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) has concluded a contract extension with engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce (London, U.K.). Thanks to new cooperations with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL, Hyderabad, India) and Kineco Aerospace (Goa, India), FACC’s global footprint in India will also be further expanded.

“We thank our global partners for the trust they place in FACC as an innovative aviation company,” says Robert Machtlinger CEO of FACC. “Based on new orders, our position as one of the leading aviation manufacturers will further expand and increase our order volume to more than $6 billion. This means that the long-term growth forecast in the aerospace industry is reconfirmed, the industry ramp-up is further secured and that our facilities are well utilized for years to come.”

Extension of partnership with Rolls Royce for another decade

FACC and Rolls-Royce have been partners for more than 25 years; many FACC products are currently used in all Rolls-Royce civil engines and are supplied by FACC to Rolls-Royce plants in England and Germany. FACC is a member of the British engine manufacturer’s High Performance Supplier Group and has received the Best Practice Award several times. As of January 2026, the cooperation agreement will be extended for another decade.

Expansion and strengthening of the supply chain in India

FACC and TASL, a subsidiary of the Indian industrial group Tata Sons, have been working together successfully in the production of composite lightweight components for more than 15 years. Besides the current business, where both partners have agreed to extend the partnership into the next decade, the partnership is further extended with a new contract for the production of aerostructure assemblies. Depending on production rates, the contract volume could represent a value close to or above $100 million.

Kineco Aerospace partnership, expansion of footprint in India

FACC and Kineco Aerospace — a part of the Goa-based Kineco Group — have signed a multiyear supply chain agreement, marking the start of a strategic collaboration in the sourcing of composite components for commercial aircraft work packages. The agreement initiates a 10-month phase of technical alignment, qualification processes and operational cooperation between the two companies. Upon successful execution, it is expected to evolve into a long-term relationship delivering value to both partners and global customers. With this collaboration, FACC further reinforces its global supply chain ecosystem in India.

Order backlog exceeds $6 billion

The aviation industry is currently fully booked for years to come, and FACC AG is also benefiting from this with a record order backlog. With the final commitments by airlines to OEMs at the 2025 Paris Air Show, orders worth more than $6 billion are now on the books as order backlog. This includes major aircraft manufacturers that rely on the expertise of FACC such as Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Collins Aerospace, COMAC, Embraer, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce. 

From left to right: Nolan Strall, business development director Fill USA and CSO Fiber Dynamics Inc.; Brennen Shelton, general Manager fiber Dynamics; Dr. Waruna Seneviratne, director of NIAR-ATLAS; Andreas Fill, CEO Fill GmbH; Darrin Teeter, founder and CEO/CTO, Fiber Dynamics; Mayor Lily Wu, city of Wichita, Kansas; Jerry Moran, U.S. senator, state of Kansas; Dr. John Tomblin, executive VP industry and defense, WSU-NIAR; Lukas Sumereder, global aerospace manufacturing systems director, Fill GmbH; and Pete Meitzner, Sedgwick County commissioner. Source | Fiber Dynamics Inc.

Fiber Dynamics (Wichita, Kan., U.S.), an aerospace composites company, and Austrian engineering company Fill (Gurten) have announced a strategic partnership to expand advanced composites manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.

The collaboration, supported by Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), represents a step in reshoring manufacturing and strengthening the U.S. aerospace supply chain. It will enable automated manufacturing of composite parts, from fiber to fully inspected finished parts, for both commercial aerospace and defense applications, as well as other high-performance industries. 

“With Fill’s automation technology and NIAR’s research depth, we’re scaling our processes and tooling capabilities to meet rising demand across aerospace and defense,” says Darrin Teeter, founder and CEO/CTO of Fiber Dynamics.

Founded in Wichita more than 34 years ago, Fiber Dynamics is recognized for its lost core tooling methodologies, which enable customers to manufacture integrated composite structures for flight control surfaces, propeller blades and other complex aerospace components in a single molding operation.

In 2024, Fiber Dynamics partnered with Fill USA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Fill GmbH, to help scale the company’s novel manufacturing and tooling processes and deepen its investment in the U.S. market. Through work with NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), Fill has already developed capabilities for the ultra high-rate manufacturing of thermoplastic composite structures. As the U.S. subsidiary continues to install systems in the U.S. market, it plans to expand its current brick-and-mortar presence and establish a U.S.-based Technology and Applications Center.

“The collaboration between NIAR, Fiber Dynamics and Fill is a prime example of how local businesses can use the expertise and technology available at NIAR to broaden their scope and capabilities and compete in the global market,” adds Dr. John Tomblin, WSU senior vice president for industry and defense programs, and executive director of NIAR.

On June 12, a Kansas delegation visited Fill’s Austrian headquarters ahead of the Paris Air Show, touring Fill’s facility, learning about its workforce development model and demonstrating Wichita’s commitment to global partnerships and economic growth.

Various cross-sections designed, along with the corresponding stress distribution within each section. Source | Flordia International University

Florida International University (Miami, U.S.) is participating in AnalySwift LLC’s (West Lafayette, Ind., U.S.) Academic Partner Program (APP) and is using VABS — AnalySwift’s high-fidelity modeling software for composites — for researching aerospace structures such as wings and antennas. The work is part of the university’s Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Laboratory within the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, which seeks to improve aerospace structure design and facilitate stress flow based on the principles of Constructal Law.

APP offers participating universities no-cost licenses of engineering software
programs VABS and SwiftComp so students, researchers and faculty can leverage the tools in their academic research.

The VABS program is a general-purpose, cross-sectional analysis tool for predicting structural beam properties and recovering 3D stresses, strains and strengths of slender composite structures. AnalySwift says it is a powerful tool for modeling composite rotorcraft (helicopter, air mobility, unmanned aerial vehicles) and wind turbine rotor blades, as well as other slender composite structures, such as propellers, landing gear and high-aspect ratio wings.

“We are pleased that Florida International University has found VABS helpful in their design and analysis workflow as they improve longevity and functional capabilities of aerospace structures,” says Allan Wood, president and CEO of AnalySwift. “As a versatile, cross-sectional analysis tool, VABS delivers high-fidelity results early on to help computationally resolve engineering challenges, reduce trial and errors and arrive at the best solution more quickly.”

Hadi Ebrahimi Fakhari, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering at the university explains their research project, which focuses on developing a constructal design approach to identify configurations for aerospace structures that maximize longevity, enhance safety and expand functional capabilities. “I support this work through a combination of finite element analysis [FEA], theoretical analysis and experimental validation,” Ebrahimi Fakhari explains. “In the FSI Laboratory, we analyze the forces and boundary conditions generated by airflow and use them as inputs to study structural responses. Our goal is to improve designs by facilitating smooth stress distribution and preventing stress concentrations, with a primary focus
is on aerospace structures, particularly wings and antennas.”

Professor Pezhman Mardanpour, director of the FSI laboratory, describes how his team incorporated VABS into their workflow. “They first designed the cross-section and used VABS to obtain the stiffness matrix. Then, they used another tool to determine the trimmed shape and flutter speed. Finally, they performed stress recovery using VABS once again.”

Source | General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

Unmanned aircraft systems and related mission systems company General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI, Poway, Calif., U.S.) has announced the investment in another Dutch business, Arceon (Delft, Netherlands), following the inaugural Blue Magic Netherlands (BMN) event in November 2024. 

GA-ASI selected Arceon following a compelling pitch the company made during the BMN event, and after detailed business and technology discussions with GA-ASI and GA’s affiliates, General Atomics Energy and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems. Arceon joins Emergent Swarm Solutions and Saluqi Motors, companies also receiving investment from GA-ASI.

Arceon is optimizing high-performance ceramic composites through its fast, scalable and cost-effective melt infiltration process. Its Carbeon carbon-ceramic components — engineered for applications such as nozzles, nozzle extensions, leading edges, nose caps and airframes — are tailored to meet the increasing and rigorous demands of the space and defense sectors (read more here).

“We are honored to collaborate with General Atomics in advancing hypersonic development,” says Rahul Shirke, founder and CEO of Arceon. “This milestone marks our official entry into the U.S. defense sector, presenting an opportunity to demonstrate our technology on a global stage.”

According to Brad Lunn, managing director for GA-ASI, Arceon’s composite material technologies could have a broad range of applications for GA, from high-temperature engine exhaust materials to hypersonics and fusion containment.

GKN Aerospace has taken a major step forward in the industrialization of additive fabrication (AF), with the Fan Case Mount Ring (FCMR) program progressing toward full rate production by the end of 2025. The company is already delivering at volume from its Trollhättan facility in Sweden, with output set to ramp up from around 30 units per month currently to 40 per month by year end.

Earlier this year, GKN Aerospace marked its 200th delivery of an additively fabricated ‘hot size ring’, the core structure of the FCMR, to its Newington facility in the U.S. for final machining. The company is on track to deliver run rate volumes to support the increasing market demand of the GTF engine for the Airbus 220 and Embraer 195-E2.

With the additively manufactured FCMR now in serial production, and key additive insertion activities for GE Aerospace now also underway, current results demonstrate around 40% material waste reduction per part compared to traditional manufacturing methods. In the future, GKN Aerospace expects to achieve more than 70% material savings, while reducing end-to-end lead times from nine months to as little as four weeks.

In the past 12 months, GKN Aerospace has achieved several key additive certification and technology milestones. These include FAA approval for its first additively fabricated critical structural component and successful delivery of its largest ever all-additive component: a large-scale, titanium engine case for the CFMI RISE technology demonstrator. Produced using fully automated direct energy deposition, the structure met casting-quality standards and demonstrated the full design and build potential of large-scale additive fabrication.

Joakim Andersson, President Engines, GKN Aerospace, says,
“This is a turning point for aerospace manufacturing. With the FCMR programme at industrial scale, we are proving not just the technical capabilities of additive fabrication, but its real-world impact on sustainability, lead time and cost as well as bringing predictability to our supply chain. Our recent achievements underline GKN Aerospace’s leadership in developing and certifying advanced fabrication technologies for next-generation engines — and this is just the start for this transformative technology.”

This ramp-up follows GKN Aerospace’s $50 million investment in 2024 to expand its world-leading sustainable additive fabrication capability, focused on increasing capacity and accelerating industrial application across civil and military engine platforms. This expansion will accelerate from 2026 due to the modular additive fabrication production concept, which enables the rapid deployment of the technology in other sites globally.

Grob Systems Inc. will host its 5-Axis Live technology event at the company’s North America headquarters and production facility in Bluffton, Ohio on August 5, 2025. The event, which features 21 of the company’s industry partners, will include informative seminars and live five-axis machining demonstrations highlighting machining strategies for optimizing the production of complex aerospace, medical and mold/die parts. Tours will be offered of Grob’s 500,000-square-foot facility, which features vertically integrated manufacturing of machining centers and automation. The event is complimentary, and manufacturing professionals are encouraged to attend.

In addition to live demonstrations on a full range of Grob machining centers, other industry partners participating at the event are leaders in machining applications, software, cutting tools, automation design and integration and more. Partners include Allied Machine and Engineering, Benz Tooling, Blaser Swisslube, Blum-Novotest, Caron Engineering, Concepts NREC, Complete Capital Services, Emuge-Franken USA, Haimer, Harvey Performance Co., Heidenhain, Lang Technik-USA, Mapal, Koma-Precision, Open Mind Technologies, Rego-Fix, Renishaw, Seco, Siemens, Third Wave Systems and Zoller. Presentations will be conducted by Seco, Open Mind Technologies and Lang Technik-USA.

A broad range of Grob five-axis machining and automation solutions will be under power for attendees to see live demonstrations on a range of equipment such as Grob G150, G350 and G550 five-axis universal machining centers, including a turn-mill systems. Automation solutions include pallet and part handling/storage systems and robot systems. Grob will also have a customer panel available for attendees. There will also be an opportunity to learn how the Grob’s apprenticeship program supports manufacturing workforce development to address the manufacturing skills gap.

Grob Systems Inc. will host its 5-Axis Live technology event at the company’s North America headquarters and production facility in Bluffton, Ohio on August 5, 2025. The event, which features 21 of the company’s industry partners, will include informative seminars and live five-axis machining demonstrations highlighting machining strategies for optimizing the production of complex aerospace, medical and mold/die parts. Tours will be offered of Grob’s 500,000-square-foot facility, which features vertically integrated manufacturing of machining centers and automation. The event is complimentary, and manufacturing professionals are encouraged to attend.

In addition to live demonstrations on a full range of Grob machining centers, other industry partners participating at the event are leaders in machining applications, software, cutting tools, automation design and integration and more. Partners include Allied Machine and Engineering, Benz Tooling, Blaser Swisslube, Blum-Novotest, Caron Engineering, Concepts NREC, Complete Capital Services, Emuge-Franken USA, Haimer, Harvey Performance Co., Heidenhain, Lang Technik-USA, Mapal, Koma-Precision, Open Mind Technologies, Rego-Fix, Renishaw, Seco, Siemens, Third Wave Systems and Zoller. Presentations will be conducted by Seco, Open Mind Technologies and Lang Technik-USA.

A broad range of Grob five-axis machining and automation solutions will be under power for attendees to see live demonstrations on a range of equipment such as Grob G150, G350 and G550 five-axis universal machining centers, including a turn-mill systems. Automation solutions include pallet and part handling/storage systems and robot systems. Grob will also have a customer panel available for attendees. There will also be an opportunity to learn how the Grob’s apprenticeship program supports manufacturing workforce development to address the manufacturing skills gap.

Nick Niefield and Amanda Taylor. Source | HighTech Finishing

HighTech Finishing (Houston, Texas, U.S.) a provider of decorative metal plating for the aviation industry, announces the retirement of Rick Niefield, vice president (VP) of sales and marketing, at the end of 2025. After 24 years of dedicated service, Niefield leaves behind a legacy of growth, having played a key role in expanding the company’s market presence and strengthening customer relationships.

Stepping into this role is Amanda Taylor, who has been an integral part of HighTech Finishing’s sales leadership team. Taylor’s promotion to VP of sales and marketing reflects her deep industry expertise and commitment to driving innovation and customer satisfaction. Since joining the company, she has been instrumental in improving the customer experience and spearheading strategic growth initiatives.

“We are grateful for Rick’s contributions to HighTech Finishing. His leadership has been invaluable, and we wish him the best in his well-earned retirement,” says Simon Haining, president of HighTech Finishing. “At the same time, we are excited to welcome Amanda into this new role. Her vision and passion for the aviation industry make her the perfect choice to lead our sales and marketing efforts into the future.”

Through the remainder of 2025, Niefield and Talyor will share company responsibilities to ensure a seamless transition for customers and partners.

Source | Cambium

Cambium (El Segundo, Calif., U.S.) is showcasing ApexShield 1000, a phthalonitrile-based resin system that accelerates the fabrication of carbon-carbon (C/C) composite components for hypersonic and aerospace applications.

Cambium worked closely with the U.S. Navy, especially the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), to advance this technology, along with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), industry partners and the Biomanufacturing and Design Ecosystem (BioMADE). ApexShield 1000 high-temperature resin reduces polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) cycles from six to nine, down to just one to two, which Cambium says slashes production time by up to 80% compared to legacy systems. This advancement enables fabricators of hypersonic glide bodies, rocket nozzle extensions and ablative structures like solid rocket motor and VLS nozzles to move from months of production to just weeks.

ApexShield 1000 also reduces cost by enabling higher throughput using existing C/C manufacturing infrastructure. Designed for vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and resin transfer molding (RTM), the system features low-melt viscosity and is stable at room temperature, removing the need for freezer storage. It is already being produced at metric-ton scale and integrated into domestic supply chains, supporting Cambium’s mission to help U.S. defense manufacturers respond faster.

Visitors to Cambium’s booth can learn how this material is increasing production speed, scalability and supply chain resilience in thermal protection system (TPS) design and C/C part fabrication. 

Augsburg is a hub for both the aviation industry and composite materials technology. Source | Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH

In cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the MAI Carbon cluster of Composites United e. V. (CU) and bavAIRia e. V (the association of Bavarian aerospace companies), Hufschmied Zerspanungssysteme GmbH (Bobingen, Germany) invites industry to Aerospace Day 2025. The in-person event is taking place July 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Bobingen, Germany at Hufschmied’s technology center. 

Under the motto “Bringing together what belongs together,” high-profile keynote speakers and other experts from industry and research will highlight the challenges currently facing OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and how small- and medium-sized companies in particular can optimally leverage their innovative strength and expertise. Exhibitors and practical live demonstrations will illustrate how production technology is responding to industry trends.

Aerospace Day topics covered include material combinations — such as metals and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) — and the interaction between additive and machining processes. Live demonstrations will focus on efficient and stress-free aluminum machining using the example of an aerospace structural component, as well as the delamination-free machining of a CFRP component in a one-shot process that minimizes machining costs. Further demonstrations on 3D printing and machining of high-performance engineering plastics with tools from Hufschmied will focus on the cost-efficient and process-reliable production of drone components.

The following keynote speakers have confirmed their participation in the event:

• Norbert Peer, managing director, Premium Aerotec (Airbus)
• Andreas Ockel, chief operating officer, FACC AG
• Dr.-Ing. Andreas Erber, managing director, Mubea Aviation GmbH. 

Andreas Gundel, managing director of bavAIRia e. V., will open with a keynote speech, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Kupke, professor of fiber composite rechnology at the University of Augsburg and deputy director of the Institute of Structures and Design at DLR, will moderate a panel discussion.

Aerospace Day comes with an accompanying exhibition. Numerous companies are participating, ranging from machine tools and materials to clamping, measuring and CAM systems. These are partners with whom Hufschmied collaborates in the optimization of manufacturing processes. The following companies will be represented with information stands and some will also be involved in demonstrations: CMS, Grob-Werk, Hexagon, HRC | ACTC, KraussMaffei, Lehmann&Voss, MHT, Mitsubishi Chemical, Open Mind Technologies, Rego Fix, G. A. Röders, Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen, SoniCut, VisCheck, Weschu, Carl Zeiss IQS Deutschland, ZeroClamp and Zimmer & Kreim.

In addition, there will be an opportunity for attendees to prove themselves as future pilots in a flight simulator from H3 Grob Aircraft, and to take a close look at a drone from Team HORYZN and a test rocket from WARR Rocketry.

Registration for Aerospace Day 2025 is now open here.

The following day, July 11, Hufschmied will hold an open house from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To register, contact here. 

Source (All Images) | JetZero

JetZero (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.), the aerospace startup developing an all-wing airplane design, has announced Greensboro, North Carolina, as the location for its first advanced manufacturing and final assembly facility. Located on the Piedmont Triad International Airport grounds, the factory will produce JetZero’s Z4 blended wing body (BWB) aircraft, designed to transform commercial aviation through fuel efficiency, engineering, and an elevated passenger and flight crew experience. The aircraft will also be supported by composite materials qualified with Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.).

The new site will create more than 14,500 jobs, delivering positive economic impact on the region and providing opportunities for collaboration with academic and vocational training institutions. JetZero will be capable of producing up to 20 Z4 airplanes per month at the factory’s full run rate, expected to be achieved by the late 2030s.

“North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation,” notes Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero. 

The state’s aerospace ecosystem, access to world-class research, university and technical colleges, and commitment to bringing innovative businesses to the state were key factors in JetZero’s selection. The company is working closely with state and local officials on workforce development and training programs. Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the first half of 2026, with first customer deliveries in the early 2030s. 

JetZero is designing its greenfield factory to leverage the latest digital and industrial AI tools.

JetZero is taking a clean-sheet approach to designing and building the factory. Working with Siemens (Plano, Texas, U.S.), including its Smart Infrastructure, Electrification and Automation divisions, headquartered in North Carolina, JetZero is designing the greenfield factory to leverage the latest digital and industrial AI tools to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective production and operating model. Siemens also supports JetZero’s design/build/test model for the demonstrator aircraft, a full-scale prototype slated for first flight in 2027 — its tools will enable accelerated design, adaptable manufacturing and digital test, shaving years of development time while upholding high quality and safety standards.

Ultimately, the new facility in North Carolina will be the cornerstone of JetZero’s production, enabling the company to help airlines meet growing demand for air travel at a significant operating cost advantage. JetZero reports that the Z4 will deliver up to 50% better fuel efficiency due to its all-wing design, with lift provided by the entire wingspan and lower drag compared to a tube-and-wing aircraft. The Z4 will seat ~250 passengers and fly routes of up to 5,000 nautical miles, a combination of capabilities that airlines need to serve the “middle market” between high-density single-aisle aircraft and larger twin-aisle aircraft. Demand for air travel is forecast to double by the 2040s (compared to 2019 levels), while the aviation industry also aims to decarbonize operations by 2050.

“You can only grow and meet demand while also decarbonizing through innovation,” O’Leary says. “And while we’re at it, let’s make the flying experience incredible.”

Kennametal Inc. has added 12 × D and 50 × D solutions for its KenDrill HPR Solid Carbide Long Length Drills lineup, modernizing the deep drill offering with features such as a new point geometry and coating with four-margin lands for a much longer tool life.

The high-performance drills are well suited for aerospace, transportation, general engineering, energy and earthworks shops seeking increased wear resistance, toughness and durability.

The drills feature 135-degree HPR point with radius design at cutting edge corner; gashing; a KCK10A grade with ultra-fine grain substrate; a four-margin design; and highly polished surfaces.

“Kennametal is proud to close a gap in the KenDrill HPR platform with our latest 12xD and 50xD long length drilling solutions with proven features that will deliver upgrades including longer tool life, better hole accuracy and more when working with steel and cast iron,” says Scott Etling, vice president of global product management.

Business development engineer Keith Nerderman walks me through a Howco Group warehouse for storage of barstock, tubing and other materials en route to the Howco Additive facility. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

The first step upon arrival at Howco’s facility in Houston, Texas, is gearing up for a long walk by donning a visitor badge, safety glasses, a hardhat and a high-visibility vest. This ensemble is necessary for the journey through a large Howco warehouse and across a yard stocked with rows of shelves holding large metal bar and tubing, most of it destined for oil and gas customers in the area, and then into a second building where material is being honed and cut to size, to reach the additive manufacturing facility.

Howco Additive’s physical footprint is a near-perfect metaphor for its position within its parent company. Additive capacity lives within a 7,500-square-foot building that has been constructed, roof and all, inside this machining facility. The contract additive manufacturing business is embedded within, and to some extent sheltered by, its materials distributor parent Howco Group (in turn owned by Sumitomo).

Howco Additive occupies this building within a larger Howco Group facility. Established in 2019, the AM business was created from the ground up to serve new markets and clients with 3D printed parts. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

The AM operation’s purpose is not to be a literal walled garden, however. Howco Additive operates quite independently, and performs work that looks very different from the activities just outside its walls, but is intended to augment the primary materials supply business. Howco chiefly serves customers in the oil and gas industry, which ebbs and flows with oil prices. The establishment of Howco Additive is enabling the company to not only diversify its offerings for oil and gas customers, but also to enter into other markets, including hypersonics and commercial space.

AM From the Ground Up

The creation of Howco Additive dates back to 2019, when Howco decided to relocate heat treat equipment that had previously been located on the Houston campus and develop an AM service bureau in the newly available space. The company brought on Conrad Kao, an engineer with additive experience in oil and gas, to lead the company’s AM branch as additive manufacturing director.

Conrad Kao, additive manufacturing director, shows me the automated sieving station attached to this Nikon SLM Solutions laser powder bed fusion printer. Sieves dedicated to specific materials make it easier to change powders in the printers when necessary. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

“We basically got to build the facility from the ground up,” Kao says. To do so, he opted to purchase metal 3D printers from just one supplier, selecting SLM 500 and 280 machines from Nikon SLM Solutions. Howco Additive has four 3D printers running five different materials: Inconel 718 and 625, 316 stainless steel, Ti6Al4V, and C103.

(Howco Additive actually has a three-year exclusivity agreement with Nikon SLM Solutions to develop the print parameters for the new C103 niobium alloy, during which it is the only official user of this material outside of military contractors. Parameters will be released broadly at the end of the agreement.)

All of the printers are equipped with automated sieving stations from the builder, effectively making each machine a closed loop when it comes to powder handling and management. The sieving stations also serve an added purpose of enabling material swapping when necessary — as it is more practical to dedicate the sieves to specific materials than to lock the 3D printers down to just one alloy. Material changes aren’t that common, but can be accomplished in about two days with the sieving hardware change and careful cleaning of the build chamber.

Nerderman, Kao and David Ramirez (far right) represent half of the entire Howco Additive team. They have cultivated an operation that is small but flexible, and one that can be highly responsive to customer needs with its four laser powder bed fusion machines. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

The facility also houses some postprocessing equipment on-site, including a Cut AM 500 GF Machining Solutions wire EDM for part cut-off, a five-axis Okuma Genos M460V-5AX CNC mill for finishing machining and a Nitrex/GM Enterprises vacuum furnace for heat treat, along with scanning and inspection equipment.

Postprocessing capability within Howco Additive includes a GF Machining Solutions wire EDM, Okuma five-axis machining center (top photo) and a Nitrex/GM Enterprises vacuum furnace. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

Prototypes and small runs of parts can be completely produced on-site, while the company works with suppliers for finish machining of larger batches. The goal, with any additive job, is to provide a turnkey process that results in finished parts for the customer.

It’s a setup that lends itself to flexibility, staffed by an equally nimble team. Howco Additive is staffed by just six people; in addition to Kao, I also met with David Ramirez and Keith Nerderman, both focused on business development; additional members of the team include two machine operators and an employee dedicated to machine maintenance.  

From Downhole Drilling to Space Exploration

The nimbleness of this team and facility is useful for the span of customers and parts that Howco Additive currently deals with. Oil and gas is a key market for the AM team, as it is for the Howco materials distribution business, and the AM team is currently in production of parts for a large oilfield services company as one of its clients. 

In oil and gas, additive manufacturing tends to take the form of smaller, more complex components, often for customers that are just starting out with this process. For oil and gas clients, Howco Additive has produced filters, manifolds, diverters and other such geometrically complex items. But winning at this work often involves a fair bit of education and collaboration with the customer to get to designs that are not only 3D printable, but worth printing. Howco becomes a bit of a consultant as well as a manufacturer in many cases.

For oil and gas customers, Howco Additive tends to serve a consulting role to develop suitable AM applications. Each of these centralizers would have taken 6 days to machine; using additive manufacturing, Howco can print and finish up to 20 of these parts in 4 days. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

On the other end of the spectrum, the contract manufacturer also deals with some customers that are very sophisticated in their understanding of AM already, but rely on Howco for overflow or dedicated production capacity. Its clients include, for instance, Houston-based Venus Aerospace, which is developing hypersonics for next-generation air- and spacecraft. The company has no metal 3D printing capacity itself, but leverages this technology for combustion chambers, injectors and more through AM service providers such as Howco Additive.

Combustion chambers, rocket nozzles and other combustion system components are a major market for Howco Additive’s services — as well as an area where C103 material is in demand. 
Source: Additive Manufacturing Media 

Another Houston-area example is Intuitive Machines, a commercial space company developing landers and rovers for use in lunar missions. A large percentage of each vehicle’s content is 3D printed for weight savings, and Intuitive Machines uses two of its own laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printers to develop these parts. However, its design needs are so demanding of these machines’ capacity that many production parts are ultimately outsourced — often to Howco. In these cases, the contract manufacturer receives a fully developed part, ready for production.

The advantage that companies such as Venus Aerospace and Intuitive Machines find in working with Howco Additive is the chance to continue advancing development by outsourcing the additive manufacturing to a company that is solely focused on this. It is also speed — Howco Additive is small enough and flexible enough to meet sometimes challenging deadlines. In one case, for example, the company produced replacement brackets for an Intuitive Machines vehicle when its landing destination, and therefore camera angle needs, changed. Howco received the new files, printed and shipped the new brackets to Cape Canaveral, where the vehicle was waiting, in less than 24 hours.

A Business Within a Business

Being an additive manufacturing business within a business has both its pros and cons. The legacy Howco business imposes some infrastructure requirements such as enterprise-wide software that is not particularly well-suited for additive, for instance. But on the whole, the relationship is a highly positive one, and the additive team members — many of whom have come from startups — appreciate the stability it provides and the focus it enables.

Although supplying finished additive parts requires a different approach than selling bulk and near-net materials, Howco Additive aims to offer a traceable, reliable product to customers in the same way that its parent company does. The AM business analyzes every batch of material that comes in, and inspects every part before it leaves the facility. Source: Howco

As the contract manufacturer looks outward, there are benefits here too — including access to existing Howco customers, and getting the benefit of the doubt from potential new ones.

“People take us more seriously knowing that we’re part of Howco,” Kao says. Still, the additive capacity is not widely known yet, and part of the business’s future growth will come from marketing and finding ways to get out in front of more potential customers.

Howco Additive is in a building mode right now. Ideally, the company envisions a future where there is more ongoing production work, and fewer last-minute deliveries. If it succeeds, the potential for expansion is large.

“We have acres of space on this campus,” Nerderman says. “If additive really takes off, we can expand out of this building “

“Expansion plans are in the future as the business grows,” Ramirez adds, “we can replicate this model at other Howco sites around the world.” There could one day be Howco Additive locations in the United Kingdom, Singapore and beyond, providing production metal 3D printing services globally.

Mikrosam and Qarbon Aerospace team during FAT Mikrosam’s facility in Macedonia. Source (All Images) | Mikrosam

Mikrosam (Macedonia, Prilep) has successfully commissioned a robotic automated fiber placement (AFP) work cell at Qarbon Aerospace Inc. (Red Oak, Texas, U.S.), which will help Qarbon meet the evolving demands of the aerospace industry for faster rates of manufacturing lightweight, strong parts.

The Libra-series AFP system is specifically designed to elevate Qarbon Aerospace’s R&T capabilities, enabling the production of high-performance thermoplastic composite (TPC) parts with precision and efficiency. The work cell’s key features include: 

• Multi-material AFP head. This is capable of processing thermoset, thermoplastic and dry fiber unidirectional (UD) prepreg tapes, ensuring versatility and flexibility in production.
• Advanced heating systems. Integrated laser heating with multiple pyrometers and fast thermal camera for thermoplastic, and IR heating for thermoset prepregs ensure optimal material consolidation and quality.
• Quality control system (QCS). Real-time monitoring and reporting of production parameters for traceability and quality assurance aligns with the aerospace industry’s stringent standards.
• MikroPlace software. The offline programming and simulation tools for seamless part design and production planning enhances efficiency and reduces production time.
• Flexible upgrades. Options for automated head exchange, tool rotation axis and compatibility with wider tapes (½ inch) for future scalability are available to remain adaptable.
• Automatic head exchange system. Enables Qarbon to upgrade the AFP work cell in the future with additional AFP heads or end effectors.

The AFP work cell has been tailored to Qarbon Aerospace’s specific requirements. Its scope of supply includes a multi-material AFP head, equipped with laser heating and compaction during the placement of the tows while maintaining constant tow tension to ensure precise material placement. The system’s ability to handle complex geometries, coupled with its closed-loop thermal control, ensures consistent quality and reduces material waste — critical factors for aerospace applications.

Mikrosam’s AFP system.

“We are thrilled to support Qarbon Aerospace with this AFP solution to accommodate different manufacturing processes and materials,” says Vele Samak, vice president at Mikrosam. “Combined with Qarbon’s know-how in producing thermoplastic parts, we believe this addition will speed up parts development and open new markets.”

The installation of Mikrosam’s AFP work cell at Qarbon marks a major milestone in the company’s effort to advance its composites manufacturing capabilities, particularly for thermoplastic technologies like induction welding and Helios ice protection.

The AFP system supports active R&T projects while positioning Qarbon to transition advanced TPC processes into future production programs. “This system is a strategic investment in our future,” adds John Hannappel, research and technology manager at Qarbon Aerospace. “It not only advances our ability to develop and validate thermoplastic technologies, but also strengthens our position to support future defense and commercial programs with scalable, high-performance solutions.”

Qarbon Aerospace has also partnered with Toray Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, Calif., U.S.), leveraging its high-quality composite materials — and Toray Cetex thermoplastic prepregs and UD tapes in particular — to further enhance the performance and reliability of the aerospace components it produces. The Cetex brand features optimal resin distribution and highly consistent fiber alignment, making the material well suited for large structural components while eliminating processing steps and minimizing overall costs. It is offered in a wide range of fiber-resin combinations and meets aerospace OEM’s strict specifications.

Engineer at the NCC’s ultra high-rate deposition (UHRD) fiber line. Source | NCC

The National Composites Centre’s (Bristol, U.K.) aerospace innovation capabilities have received a major boost through new investment to expand its technologies for high-value aerostructures, including next-generation wing technology and other critical structures to support future aircraft platforms.

The NCC’s £15.8 million High-Rate Manufacture Capital Acquisition Project (HRMCap) was awarded by the Department for Business and Trade, Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), and Innovate UK. The investment will be used to enhance the NCC’s open-access technologies with a suite of 12 customer-ready capabilities to de-risk and accelerate innovation in high-rate large composites structure manufacturing.

While strengthening the U.K.’s position as a hub to develop and mature composite technologies for aerospace applications, the investment will also enable the NCC to push the boundaries of current practice to increase production rates and the performance of products, and accelerate the uptake of composite materials into current and future aircraft generations.

Mike Biddle, executive director net zero, Innovate UK, notes that it will benefit applications and programs for ultra-high-rate next-gen wing manufacture, composite fan case production and advanced air mobility structures.

Traditional aerospace primary structure carbon fiber technologies typically deliver between 8-13 articles per month, dependant on material. However, the upcoming narrowbody aircraft requires production capabilities that reach or exceed rates of 60 articles per month. NCC’s expanded solution resolves this by further developing its ultra high-rate deposition capabilities and supporting processes. Beyond anchoring future wing manufacturing in the UK, HRMCap’s multi-sector capabilities will deliver impact in wind energy, defense and other sectors.

NCC is working with a dedicated UK Industry Advisory group to design, build, test and commission the new capabilities to ensure HRMCap’s specification meets industry needs and is ready for use. Innovating for industry, NCC’s open access high-rate manufacture technologies are available to manufacturing companies, primes and supply chain companies that could benefit from enhanced support of industrial R&D. Organizations interested in accessing NCC’s innovation capabilities can enquire via aerospace@nccuk.com.

Nikon SLM Solutions and ArianeGroup have entered a strategic partnership to support the production, with exclusive initial machine delivery, of ultra-large-scale components over 1 cubic meter, using metal additive manufacturing via powder bed fusion. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both companies and sets a new benchmark in the aerospace and defense sectors.

With this partnership, Nikon SLM Solutions will keep demonstrating advanced additive manufacturing technology to highly complex, large-format components needing to meet stringent quality and productivity requirements, unlocking new possibilities in functional integration and performance optimization.

The powder bed fusion technology employed for this ultra-large-format metal 3D printing ensures precise layering of high-performance materials, enabling the production of geometrically complex parts at previously unattainable scales.

“Ariane Group is a key global player in the space industry. Our collaboration with ArianeGroup demonstrates the effectiveness of our technology and shows how Nikon SLM’s innovations can meet the demanding needs of strategic, high-tech customer,” says Julien Frugier, sales manager, Nikon SLM Solutions.

This partnership is a clear demonstration of how additive manufacturing continues to evolve as a foundational tool for the space industry. By minimizing assembly needs and enabling lightweight, high-performance components, Nikon SLM Solutions’ technology provides ArianeGroup new opportunities to enhance lead time and reduce costs on complex, ultra-large-scale hardware for liquid propulsion critical applications.

Source | Otto Aviation

Otto Aviation (Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) has launched the Phantom 3500 business jet. Touted as “the first true aircraft of the sustainability era,” the aircraft reportedly offers up to 60% lower fuel burn and 90% less emissions when using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compared to similar-sized jets (such as the Bombardier Challenger 3500 or Embraer Praetor 500 and 600). This is partly due to its design, achieving transonic super-laminar flow with the help of AI-supported aerodynamics and a seamless composite fuselage. Also enabling the aircraft’s sustainability is the Williams International (Pontiac, Mich., U.S.) FJ44-4 QPM engine, which can use 100% SAF and integrates the auxiliary power unit (APU).

Source | Otto Aviation

The Phantom 3500’s design will further reduce aerodynamic drag and also improve fuselage integrity by eliminating windows. Instead, HD display panels will offer what CEO Paul Touw describes as a “super natural infotainment system” that eliminates glare and augments the view from every seat, including a synthetic environment similar to Google Earth and streaming of movies that “goes way beyond just a window.”

As explained on the Otto Aviation website by Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief of Aviation International News (AIN), the Phantom 3500 airframe is all-composite, and Leonardo (Rome, Italy) will build the fuselage at its facility in Grottaglie, Italy.

The Phantom 3500 will offer seating for nine with a cabin height of 6 feet 5 inches (~2 meters) and is designed to cruise at over 600 miles per hour with a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles at altitudes of 51,000 feet. Operating costs are expected to be half those of other super-midsize jets.

Otto Aviation announced it will build the aircraft at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, investing $430 million and relocating its headquarters to the site. Initial flight tests are planned for early 2027, with certification and entry into service expected by 2030.

Development history, laminar flow design

According to Thurber’s article, Otto Aviation has been working on the Phantom 3500 for 3 years, moving forward from its previous development of the Celera 500 aircraft. By January 2025, the company had completed the Phantom 3500’s conceptual design and systems requirement review. It then began announcing suppliers, including Advanced Integration Technology (AIT, Plano, Texas, U.S.) as its tooling and automation partner for production systems. AIT will provide assembly and joining systems, metrology tools and scalable automation cells.

Source | Otto Aviation

Thurber also reports the Phantom 3500 design is supported by $25 million worth of wind tunnel testing, according to Touw. This includes wing cross-section tests at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California and high-speed tests at the European Transonic Windtunnel (ETW, Cologne, Germany). All of the tests were successful, says Touw, noting the company’s drag predictions and ETW results were within a couple of percent, giving confirmation of the super-laminar flow design.

“Natural laminar flow allows us to make the wing bigger without the consequence of more drag,” Touw notes in Thurber’s article. “Because of that big wing, we can take off and land out of shorter runways than a Challenger 3500 or Praetor 500/600 or Cessna Latitude or Longitude. The aircraft is also lighter… so the airplane’s wing tanks get smaller, the landing gear gets smaller, the engines are smaller, the structure is smaller. So per pound, it’s also less expensive to manufacture.”

According to Touw, the Phantom 3500’s wing is swept 23° and will have leading-edge slots that help to keep almost 90% of the wing in laminar flow. With this reduction in skin friction drag, the wing can then be larger, able to fly higher with lower wing loading compared to most business jets. Otto Aviation has not yet announced who will build the composite wing.

Touw expects to complete the Phantom 3500’s preliminary design review in October 2025 and then begin building the first of four test vehicles required for certification. First flight is currently scheduled for 2027. The single-pilot jet will be certified under FAR Part 23 regulations, anticipated in 2030.

Production facility, RTM versus SQRTM

Currently located at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, Texas, Otto Aviation has announced it will build a factory in Jacksonville, Florida. Thurber reports the company plans to rely on RTM to produce its carbon fiber-reinforced composite airframe, noting that Airbus uses a similar process to manufacture major structural components for the A220.

Actually, the process used to make the A220 wings is resin transfer infusion (RTI) which was first developed at the old Shorts Brothers facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Bombardier for its C Series 100-150 seat commercial jetliner. That aircraft is now the Airbus A220, while the Belfast facility was later sold to Spirit AeroSystems (see CW’s plant tour) but is now part of Airbus.

Source | Otto Aviation

Another important note is that the Otto Aviation website actually specifies SQRTM (same qualified resin transfer molding). As explained in “SQRTM enables net-shape parts” and “... combines prepreg with RTM,” this process uses a prepreg layup instead of a dry fabric preform, with the RTM process injecting the same resin that is used in the prepreg, but in liquid form. It thus avoids the need for qualifying new materials and should help speed certification yet still enable automation and aerospace-grade quality control. Note that RTM has been qualified for a number of flying parts, including the LEAP engine fan blades and fan case and the A320 spoilers, as well as the structural grid for the A350 passenger door and the A350 horizontal tail plane (HTP) leading edge produced by Aernnova ICSA.

Thurber says Touw admits that the tooling needed to manufacture the Phantom 3500 will be expensive. However, he believes eliminating labor involved with metal manufacturing (cutting, drilling and riveting) will be more efficient and that robotic manufacturing will also help to keep costs down.

Redefining aviation

Otto Aviation has raised nearly $200 million for the Phantom 3500 and is about to launch a B Series funding round. Thurber predicts the program could require more than $1 billion to reach certification and production. The company currently employs about 100 people and supports another 200 full-time-equivalent contractors.

As quoted in a June 2025 article by Aerospace Manufacturing and Design, Touw noted at the Paris Air Show that “the Phantom 3500 is the result of relentless innovation and bold thinking. By achieving carbon neutrality 20 years ahead of the 2050 target, we’re not just meeting expectations — Otto is redefining what’s possible in aviation. It’s a transformative step toward a future where cutting-edge technology and sustainability go hand in hand.”

Source | Polaris Spaceplane

In June 2025, Polaris Spaceplanes (Bremen, Germany) successfully secured an oversubscribed €5.3 million top-up funding on its recent seed round, bringing three new investors on board. The aerospace startup’s private funding now totals €12.4 million, complemented by customer contracts — which are at a total of €10 million so far.

This most recent funding round was co-led by Capnamic Ventures Bremen and Spacewalk VC, complemented by private investor Guiseppe Nardi. Three existing investors made a significant contribution to the round as well, including Dienes Holding and E2MC (Earth-to-Mars Capital) Ventures.

The new funding will be used to field Polaris’ first serial product, pre-fund upcoming new customer contracts and prepare for a large funding round in the coming months. Polaris is actively developing a new category of reusable spaceplanes that take off and land horizontally from airports, to offer more rapid turnaround, reduced cost and minimal ground infrastructure when compared to traditional vertical launch systems. The increasing importance of economic viability and sustainability, but also national sovereignty, the company points out, make horizontal takeoff spaceplanes the solution of the future for access to space and hypersonic flight.

Polaris’ roadmap targets a light spaceplane by 2027 and a heavy vehicle by the early 2030s. To do this, the company is developing scaled flight demonstrators including MIRA and now MIRA-II (VCN-007) and MIRA-III (VCN-008), all featuring an airframe made using glass fiber-reinforced composite sandwich construction. 

Expanded Property Modeling Tools for Ti Alloys
The latest ICMD release introduces models to estimate key mechanical properties of Ti-based alloys, including elastic modulus, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength, all based on alloy chemistry and processing parameters. These tools allow users to screen and optimize alloy candidates earlier in the development process, reducing reliance on costly and time-consuming experiments.

Supporting Better Additive Manufacturing Outcomes

Source: QuesTek Innovations

Another enhancement provides predictive modeling of dendritic grain morphology under different solidification conditions. This helps engineers anticipate whether a material will form columnar or equiaxed grains, enabling alloy and process designs that reduce anisotropy and improve part performance — particularly for 3D-printed components.

These updates further strengthen ICMD as a comprehensive platform for materials innovation and qualification, giving users control over microstructure-driven performance outcomes in demanding applications.

Star Cutter Co. announces the availability of a line of internal coolant drills from Louis Bélet, designed specifically for stainless steels. This drill line is well suited for applications in all fields where stainless steel is used, such as watchmaking, medical, aerospace, automotive and so on.

Machining of stainless grades, such as martensitic and austenitic, is often slow and prone to errors, the company says. To address these challenges, one of the drills in the range (REF 0.376-10) achieves depths of up to 10 × D and at rates that are three to four times faster than previous drills. It also eliminates the need for pecking, resulting in smoother, more productive operations. Further, to eliminate the need for a centering or deburring device, a second drill (REF 0.336H) can be used, with or without a chamfer, to produce a pilot hole.

These drills are designed with a compression chamber that minimizes coolant pressure loss, improving efficiency and accuracy with the drills able to hold concentricity of less than 0.003 mm at the drill tip. Additionally, an increased surface area of the lube holes and their specific shape enable these drills to achieve three times the throughput compared to previous generations.

To tackle complex stainless steels and even superalloys like CoCr (Phynox), Louis Bélet developed a micro-grain carbide specifically for stainless steel applications. The TISI (titanium-silicon) coating reduces friction, decreases heat buildup and prevents burr formation, providing longer tool life. The specialized cutting-edge preparation also provides optimal coating adhesion and durability for longer tool life.

Star SU is the exclusive representative of Louis Bélet SA precision cutting tools in North America.

Star Cutter Co. announces the availability of a line of internal coolant drills from Louis Bélet, designed specifically for stainless steels. This drill line is well suited for applications in all fields where stainless steel is used, such as watchmaking, medical, aerospace, automotive and so on.

Machining of stainless grades, such as martensitic and austenitic, is often slow and prone to errors, the company says. To address these challenges, one of the drills in the range (REF 0.376-10) achieves depths of up to 10 × D and at rates that are three to four times faster than previous drills. It also eliminates the need for pecking, resulting in smoother, more productive operations. Further, to eliminate the need for a centering or deburring device, a second drill (REF 0.336H) can be used, with or without a chamfer, to produce a pilot hole.

These drills are designed with a compression chamber that minimizes coolant pressure loss, improving efficiency and accuracy with the drills able to hold concentricity of less than 0.003 mm at the drill tip. Additionally, an increased surface area of the lube holes and their specific shape enable these drills to achieve three times the throughput compared to previous generations.

To tackle complex stainless steels and even superalloys like CoCr (Phynox), Louis Bélet developed a micro-grain carbide specifically for stainless steel applications. The TISI (titanium-silicon) coating reduces friction, decreases heat buildup and prevents burr formation, providing longer tool life. The specialized cutting-edge preparation also provides optimal coating adhesion and durability for longer tool life.

Star SU is the exclusive representative of Louis Bélet SA precision cutting tools in North America.

SW North America’s annual open house will return to its North American headquarters in New Hudson, Michigan, on Friday, August 8, 2025.

Attendees will receive a firsthand look at the machining technologies and system solutions that support some of the most demanding industries, including medical technology, automotive and electric vehicles, aerospace, agriculture and construction, among others.

Highlights include:

• Live machining demonstrations featuring the BA 322i twin-spindle CNC machining center creating a tibia spacer, a critical component used in total knee prosthetics, as well as the BA Space3 machining a wing rib for aircraft, demonstrating capabilities in size, speed and stability.
• Facility tours of SW’s 33,000-square-foot North American headquarters
• Lunch, live entertainment and a raffle
• Networking with SW engineers, executives and vendor partners
• Insights into SW’s multispindle machining, automation and self-sufficient production cells
• Special guests and speakers to be announced.

According to Andrew Rowley, general sales manager at SW North America, the event will highlight the company’s expertise in precision manufacturing while offering an engaging experience for all attendees.

SW’s portfolio includes compliance and experience with ITAR, FFL and ISO standards, providing customers with confidence to partner on regulated, high-precision work.

Registration is free and open to anyone interested in smart manufacturing, automation or advanced machining. Request a pass to attend by emailing contact.na@sw-machines.com or visiting the company’s website.

SW North America’s annual open house will return to its North American headquarters in New Hudson, Michigan, on Friday, August 8, 2025.

Attendees will receive a firsthand look at the machining technologies and system solutions that support some of the most demanding industries, including medical technology, automotive and electric vehicles, aerospace, agriculture and construction, among others.

Highlights include:

• Live machining demonstrations featuring the BA 322i twin-spindle CNC machining center creating a tibia spacer, a critical component used in total knee prosthetics, as well as the BA Space3 machining a wing rib for aircraft, demonstrating capabilities in size, speed and stability.
• Facility tours of SW’s 33,000-square-foot North American headquarters
• Lunch, live entertainment and a raffle
• Networking with SW engineers, executives and vendor partners
• Insights into SW’s multispindle machining, automation and self-sufficient production cells
• Special guests and speakers to be announced.

According to Andrew Rowley, general sales manager at SW North America, the event will highlight the company’s expertise in precision manufacturing while offering an engaging experience for all attendees.

SW’s portfolio includes compliance and experience with ITAR, FFL and ISO standards, providing customers with confidence to partner on regulated, high-precision work.

Registration is free and open to anyone interested in smart manufacturing, automation or advanced machining. Request a pass to attend by emailing contact.na@sw-machines.com or visiting the company’s website.

Source | Terma Composite Component Manufacturing

Syensqo (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S. and Brussels, Belgium) and Terma A/S (Denmark), renowned for its mission-critical composites manufacturing solutions in aerospace, defense and security, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement. Both parties committed to developing a growth framework to foster collaboration in composites advancement and leverage each partner’s expertise and resources to progress joint initiatives.

With support from Syensqo’s Heanor Application Center and global network of testing and qualification labs, this partnership will focus on integrating Syensqo’s high performance adhesive, composite and specialty polymer materials into Terma’s systems, furthering the adoption of advanced materials into challenging aerospace and defense applications.

“This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to combine Syensqo’s research and development capabilities, extensive product portfolio and manufacturing expertise with Terma’s innovative solutions for aerospace and defense,” said Jesper Böhnke, executive VP, integrated product development at Terma. “Together, we aim to push the boundaries of composites development, creating cutting-edge systems that meet the evolving needs of our customers and support the most demanding missions.”

Synergy Additive Manufacturing LLC has been awarded a Phase I small business innovation research (SBIR) contract from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to develop extremely high-speed laser cladding (EHLA) processes to enhance the performance of titanium cylinder bores used in critical helicopter components. This SBIR award supports the U.S. Navy's goal of extending the life of key aerospace systems while reducing cost and downtime associated with traditional overhaul methods.

Under this program, Synergy will develop processes and advance materials optimized for high-deposition and precision cladding on titanium alloys. The work will target rapid, distortion and defect free cladding of cylinder bores while minimizing material waste and extending the service life of performance-critical components.

"Synergy has been at the forefront of developing advanced laser processing technologies, including high-speed laser cladding," says Aravind Jonnalagadda, CTO of Synergy Additive Manufacturing. "This SBIR award gives us the opportunity to advance innovative material solutions, processes and equipment that will not only support the operational readiness of our defense forces, but also enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing industry. "

Source | Engineering Technology Corp. (ETC)

Engineering Technology Corp. (ETC, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.) introduces its new line of next-generation Tape Wrappers, engineered for the demanding requirements of aerospace, defense and space exploration. With more than 60 years of experience producing tape-wrapping machines.

Tape-wrapping technology creates high-performance structures capable of withstanding extreme heat and pressure — critical characteristics in aerospace systems. As industry’s interest in carbon/phenolic materials grows, ETC has responded with a modernized, standardized line of Tape Wrappers that deliver enhanced tape placement accuracy, tighter process control and reduced operator involvement.

These new models are built to ensure optimal consistency and quality, even on complex geometries such as tapered and conical components. Improved automation and intelligent control systems streamline the entire process — from setup to execution — minimizing human error and maximizing production efficiency.

A significant step forward is the reduction in operator intervention, enabled by next-gen control interfaces and simplified machine operation. As a result, ETC’s Tape Wrappers are user-friendly and productive.

The product line includes two standard machine sizes, designed to wrap structures with maximum diameters of 30" or 60", with custom configurations available for larger applications. Each system is built for durability, accuracy and long-term performance, integrating automation and control technologies.

ETC is a member of Zoltek and the Toray Group. With more than 900 systems installed globally, ETC specializes in advanced filament winding, tape wrapping and automated production solutions. 

Source | The Gund Co.

The Gund Co. (St. Louis, Mo., U.S.), a manufacturer and fabricator of engineered material solutions like composites, thermoplastics and elastomers, announces its recent NADCAP accreditation for composites. This recognition underscores the company’s commitment to quality, innovation and excellence in aerospace and defense industries.

NADCAP — the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI) — is a globally recognized standard for ensuring compliance with rigorous aerospace industry requirements. “Achieving accreditation is a significant milestone for our team,” says a spokesperson for The Gund Co. 

The NADCAP audit process involves comprehensive evaluations of standardized processes, enhancing quality assurance, improving process control and reducing production costs. By meeting these standards, The Gund Co. strengthens its credibility and contributes to the broader goal of industry-wide quality and safety.

With a global footprint and a consultative approach to material engineering, The Gund Co. serves a wide range of industries including aerospace, defense and space exploration. Its expertise spans thermoset and thermoplastic materials, elastomers and advanced manufacturing techniques such as CNC fabrication, resin infusion, filament winding and structural adhesive bonding.

Source | Uavos Inc.

Unmanned aerial systems developer Uavos Inc. (Mountain View, Calif., U.S.) has announced the successful completion of overload structural testing of main rotor blades designed for helicopters with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of up to 50 kilograms.

The tests were conducted by Alter Technology Tüv Nord S.A.U. (Seville, Spain), a provider of testing, inspection and certification services, and confirmed the optimal structural integrity and manufacturing quality of Uavos’ composite unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) blades, marking another milestone in the company’s expanding OEM program for third-party UAV manufacturers.

Rigorous testing confirmed the blades’ performance under high centrifugal loads, simulating real-world loads well above standard operating limits. During the tests, the rotor blade was subjected to a maximum simulated centrifugal load of 7,390 newtons (753.32 kilograms), a dynamometer measurement of 389 newtons (39.65 kilograms), and deformation was monitored at several points along the blade’s span. All measured deformations remained within the acceptable range of ±36.3 millimeters, and no visible damage was detected either during or after the tests.

“Our blades are manufactured using carbon fiber prepreg under strict quality control, ensuring consistent reliability and safety in field conditions,” says Aliaksei Stratsilatau, founder and CEO of Uavos. “We are end users of our own products and verify their performance and safety daily during real-world UAV missions. Laboratory testing, in turn, provides our customers with confidence in the accuracy of the specifications we declare.”

Source | VoltAero

VoltAero (Médis, France), developing the electric-hybrid Cassio aircraft family, has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with SEDC Energy (SEDCE, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and France’s ACI Groupe (Lyon), marking its next step toward establishing a regional hybrid-electric aircraft assembly facility and innovation center in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.

As part of this agreement, SEDCE and ACI Groupe have expressed an interest in acquiring an equity stake in VoltAero and becoming a strategic investor. The investment forms the foundation of a broader strategic partnership aimed at supporting clean aviation development across the Asia-Pacific region.

The agreement outlines a shared vision to create a state-of-the-art assembly center in Sarawak for VoltAero’s Cassio aircraft, which uses electric-hybrid propulsion for safe, quiet, efficient and eco-friendly regional transportation, as well as for pilot training.

“Establishing a regional hub in Malaysia allows us to expand our production capacity, deliver on regional demand and transfer technology and skills to a key part of the world that is embracing sustainable aviation,” notes Jean Botti, CEO and CTO of VoltAero.

Key elements of the proposed collaboration include:

• Establishment of a Cassio aircraft assembly facility in Sarawak
• Training of local technicians and engineers, both in France and Malaysia
• Creation of a pilot training academy with flight simulator to support the use of Cassio aircraft in the growth of eco-efficient regional aviation
• Technology transfer and local capability development, including final assembly line support and delivery operations
• Manufacturing and distribution rights for the Cassio aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region granted to the SEDCE-ACI Groupe joint venture
• Deployment of mobile charging solutions at regional airports and demonstration flights to build public and stakeholder awareness in electric-hybrid aviation
• Development of local supply chains to support aircraft production, with the ACI Groupe playing a lead role in the project’s early stages
• Establishment of local maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities for electric aircraft
• Joint development in hydrogen propulsion and sustainable fuels (SAF, biofuels) in partnership with strategic collaborators.

VoltAero’s Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft family is being developed as a highly capable and reliable product line for regional commercial operators, air taxi/charter companies, private owners, as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation (Medevac) applications. It will be produced in three versions: the Cassio 330 with up to five seats; the Cassio 480 with six seats; and the 10-12-seat Cassio 600. Learn more about Cassio here.

Source | Getty Images

The Paris Air Show, organized by SIAE, a subsidiary of the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), is an international aerospace trade show held every couple of years in France, providing a platform for aircraft displays, product demonstrations and networking opportunities. The event was held June 16-22, 2025, and did not disappoint with its 2,500 exhibitors representing 48 countries, and up to 150 aircraft and 210 flying displays.

According to reports made by several acclaimed sources, Airbus dazzled this year’s show with $21 billion in aircraft orders — highlighted by deals from AviLease, Riyadh Air, Starlux, LOT, JSX and SkyWest — while Boeing pulled back significantly in the aftermath of the Air India 787 crash, canceling executive attendance and declining to announce new commercial sales. Despite the somber tone set by the disaster and geopolitical tensions, the event still showcased a surge in defense spending, hydrogen propulsion breakthroughs and new combat aircraft partnerships.

CW presents key announcements and highlights shared at the Paris Air Show that pertain to composites-related developments below.

Also make sure to check out the video below, where editor-in-chief Scott Francis speaks further on trends and highlights.

Pinette PEI, KVE partner on TPC welding solutions

Source | KVE

KVE Composites Group (The Hague, Netherlands) and Pinette Emidecau Industries (Chalon Sur Saone, France) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the supply of thermoplastic composites welding equipment.

“The agreement marks an important step for the implementation of the KVE Induct welding technology worldwide,” says KVE managing director Pierre Rouch. 

Pinette’s complementary business in the field of thermoplastics makes the company a preferred partner for KVE. Futhermore, Pinette and KVE’s parent company, Daher, both founded in 1863, share a similar legacy.

Elfly Group signs contract with EASA for development of Noemi conceptual prototype

Sub-scale version of the Noemi. Source | Elfly Group

Elfly Group (Sandefjord, Norway), the company building the Noemi, a clean sheet, all-electric commercial seaplane, signed a pre-application contract (PAC) with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the development of its conceptual prototype model. Elfly plans to work closely with the EASA toward eventual certification of the Noemi in Europe in 2030.

This development follows the recent conclusion of the Concept-Freeze-Review (CFR) of the aircraft prototype. The next step toward first flight of the full-scale aircraft includes interactions and technical discussions with the EASA.

The PAC allows Elfly Group to take the initial step with the EASA toward achieving the first flight of the full-scale Noemi conceptual prototype aircraft. This involves agency review from the very beginning of core development activities spanning the entire process of prototype development — technical familiarization, design, manufacturing, test activities and eventually, agreement on the flight conditions necessary for the prototype aircraft’s permit-to-fly. The PAC is structured to reflect a type certification process. This helps both Elfly and the EASA to familiarize the development and test activities toward the target for certification.

Noemi will serve as a valued platform for the future of aviation, says Elfly’s founder and CEO Eric Lithun. “We have a fuselage and wing which outperforms the venerable de Havilland Twin Otter [floatplane] by a great margin. He says that Noemi is a platform designed to be propulsion agnostic, noting that Elfly is still making a battery electric seaplane, but the Noemi platform also supports hybrid, Pratt & Whitney PT6 conventional engines and fuel — even, potentially, hydrogen too “if someone can present a valid business case.” 

Elfly has amassed soft orders for 47 Noemis, worth an estimated $500 million with further interest for 300 more from operators globally. The company is working toward the first flight of the conceptual prototype in 2027. 

Ascendance, Airbus form alliance to progress hybrid-electric propulsion

On June 12, Ascendance Flight Technologies (Toulouse, France) announced a strategic partnership to jointly explore hybrid-electric technologies with Airbus (Toulouse). Ascendance will brings its expertise in designing modular, certifiable hybrid-electric systems, while Airbus contributes its industrial scale and global experience. This combination of strengths will target the development of hybrid-electric systems that reduce aviation emissions and meet the industry’s rigorous certification standards.

Materials consideration is not disclosed at this time. Regardless, both aerospace companies support composites-intensive aircraft platforms — Ascendance with its Atea hybrid eVTOL (as well as a 2023 collaboration with Solvay and Airborne), and Airbus’ A220, A350 and A380 models in particular.

Airbus, MTU Aero Engines to advance hydrogen fuel cell technology

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MTU Aero Engines (Munich, Germany) will progress hydrogen fuel cell propulsion to decarbonize aviation.

The partnership follows Airbus’ decision to focus its research effort on a fully electric, hydrogen-powered aircraft with a fuel cell engine, a field in which MTU has developed recognized expertise through its Flying Fuel Cell concept. The development also follows Airbus pushing out its ZEROe aircraft project timeline, though the company at the time stated that it was still “committed to ... bringing a commercially viable, fully electric hydrogen-powered aircraft to market.”

The agreement with MTU sets out a three-step roadmap for the development of a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine suitable for the commercial aviation market. The first step is to mature the technological building blocks essential for the engine through joint research projects, such as Clean Aviation. The second step will involve aligning the two partners’ R&T roadmaps on hydrogen technologies. The result of these joint explorations then would allow the companies to consider a third step toward the development of a fuel-cell engine for a hydrogen powered aircraft.

Hexcel, NIAR to form Hexcel Application Center in Kansas

On June 16, Hexcel Corp. (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University (WSU, Kan., U.S.), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) as an initial step to establish the Hexcel Application Center at NIAR ATLAS in Kansas. This effort aims to broaden the development and application of composite materials in the aerospace and defense industries.

Once established, the Hexcel Application Center will leverage Hexcel’s expertise in composite materials and NIAR’s extensive research capabilities to accelerate innovation and enhance the U.S. composite industry’s competitiveness. The Hexcel Application Center aims to focus on several key areas, including automated layup and fiber placement, liquid composite molding and infusion, high-temperature carbon-based materials, advanced material processing to support high-rate manufacturing and improved performance of carbon fiber composites.

The Hexcel Application Center will be housed within NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems in Wichita, and will include a donation of more than $10 million in state-of-the-art equipment, including an AFP machine and an autoclave, to support collaborative R&D. These efforts will also benefit from the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) database.

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Embraer recognizes Hexcel as preferred supplier

Hexcel celebrates 50 years of supply to Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) marked by the signing of a preferred supplier agreement for composite raw materials. “Our relationship has been built on trust, innovation and shared vision,” says Tom Gentile, chairman, president and CEO of Hexcel. “Hexcel’s materials have been integral to the performance and efficiency of Embraer’s aircraft, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”

Source | Hexcel, Embraer

Hexcel has been a longstanding provider of a range of advanced composite materials to Embraer, including prepregs, engineered core and advanced structures. These materials are used in various Embraer aircraft platforms, such as the C-390 military transport, the E-Jet E2 family of narrowbody regional aircraft and the Phenom 300 business jet.

Hexcel’s history with Embraer is also marked by numerous achievements, including the recent recognition as Supplier of the Year in the Standards and Materials Category. 

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Hexcel highlights TPC aircraft door demonstrator, part of HELUES multi-partnership project

Hexcel also spotlighted a carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) thermoplastic component developed as part of the HELUES project. This was supported by the company’s strategic alliance with Arkema (Cologne, Germany) in 2018 to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector.

The HELUES project, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and supported by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), brought together Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH, Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, Siebenwurst GmbH & Co. KG, Incoe International Europe, in addition to Arkema and Hexcel. In this project, partners developed a novel manufacturing process using high-temperature thermoplastic composites.

The final HELUES demonstrator is a complex structural component for an overwing emergency exit door. At its core is a one-step forming and injection overmolding technology that uses HexPly unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced Kepstan PEKK tapes in conjunction with Kepstan PEKK injection molding compounds. This integrated approach enabled the rapid creation of a fully formed, structurally complex component, including reinforcing ribs and functional elements, in less than 2 minutes.

Source | Hexcel

“By eliminating autoclaves and enabling functional integration in a single step, thermoplastics are opening the door to truly scalable aircraft production,” says Thierry Merlot, Hexcel president aerospace Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Industrial.

The HELUES demonstrator directly replaces a traditionally assembled door structure with a single, integrated part, reducing component count and assembly steps by up to 90%. Early stage testing confirmed optimal material bonding between molded ribs and thermoformed laminates, even under complex process parameters, further supporting the part’s viability in demanding aerospace environments.

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Flying Whales selects Hexcel composites for LCA70T airship

In order to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, French-Canadian airship manufacturer and operator Flying Whales (Suresne) and Hexcel are collaborating on a project to develop the most adapted solutions for airship structures. 

Flying Whales has chosen to use a large range of Hexcel’s products — especially HexTow IMA carbon fiber — which has been selected for the pultruded tubes that compose the skeleton of the LCA60T airship. The company says this material offers a balance between cost-efficiency and optimal mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength and modulus, making it ideal for its airship structure. 

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Hexcel to support key defense programs with Kongsberg partnership

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (Norway) and Hexcel have signed a long-term partnership agreement for the supply of HexWeb engineered honeycombs and HexPly prepregs for Kongsbergy’s strategic production programs over a 5-year period.

“The agreement provides a solid base for Kongberg’s [defense] production program for several years to come,” says Terje Bråthen, EVP aerostructures and MRO at Kongsberg.

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What did Hexcel have on display at Paris Air Show?

Source | Hexcel

“At Hexcel, we are committed to supporting the aerospace industry’s transition toward faster and automated manufacturing processes,” says Merlot. The company supported this statement through the showcase of real-world components featuring its HexPly M51 rapid-curing prepreg:

• GKN Aerospace wingbox rib. Developed as part of the ASCEND project, this thermoset press molded rib exemplified the scalability of HexPly M51 for large-volume aerospace components. Its rapid-cure capabilities and automation readiness support GKN Aerospace’s strategy for next-generation aircraft production.
• Duqueine fuselage frame. Created within the CORAC program, this fuselage frame has demonstrated processing time reductions of more than 50% using HexPly M51 carbon fiber UD materials. 

HexPly M51 is designed specifically for hot-in/hot-out press curing of primary structure composite parts. It delivers shorter cure cycles and reduces the need for multiple sets of tooling, ancillary material consumption and manual labor, according to Hexcel. Importantly, HexPly M51 is ideal for aerospace OEMs targeting high-rate production programs with flexible curing possibilities, fully compatible with ATL, AFP and pick-and-place technologies.

GKN Aerospace supports Airbus-led ICEFlight program

GKN Aerospace (Redditch, U.K.) has joined the collaborative Innovative Cryogenic Electric Flight (ICEFlight) project. The initiative is led by Airbus, through its Tech Hub in the Netherlands and together with its innovation arm Airbus UpNext under the Dutch public-private program Luchtvaart in Transitie (LiT).

Airbus UpNext engineer is working on cryogenic technologies. Source | Airbus

ICEFlight will focus on accelerating the maturation of critical cryogenic technologies. Alongside GKN Aerospace, Airbus is also partnering with Cryoworld B.V., Stirling Cryogenics B.V., Futura Composites B.V., the Royal NLR, Delft University of Technology and the University of Twente. The consortium will collectively explore the use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel source as well as a cold source for the electrical system cooling. This approach aims to enhance the performance of next-generation aircraft powertrains through the integration of advanced electrical technologies, superconductivity and hyperconductivity.

GKN Aerospace will apply knowledge from past projects to mature these technologies. The collaboration will concentrate on the development and rigorous testing of specialized cryogenic cooling and electrical distribution systems. At the end of the project, the research framework and supply chain will be positioned to provide two critical innovations, namely a cryogenic cooling system and cryogenic electrical network.

In addition to the technological innovations to be explored, ICEFlight aims to establish testing facilities in the Netherlands, led by the Royal NLR, to ensure the reliability and validate the performance of the cryogenic systems for aviation, with opportunities to spin off to other sectors.

GKN, Archer expand collaboration for manufacture of key eVTOL airframe components in the U.K.

GKN Aerospace is collaborating with Archer Aviation Inc. (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.), manufacturing and supplying key airframe components for the eVTOL company’s Midnight aircraft in the U.K. The partnership supports Archer’s production ramp phase.

GKN will use and build on its extensive experience in lightweight aerostructures, wing technologies and electrical systems to support the manufacture and supply of Midnight’s wing. This work expands the existing collaboration between Archer and GKN Aerospace, through which it has supplied Midnight’s low voltage electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) since 2023. These components are critical to the aircraft’s performance, safety and manufacturability as Archer prepares for commercial launch.

The collaboration will leverage GKN Aerospace’s advanced manufacturing technologies to ensure the wing structure meets the stringent performance and certification requirements. Work has been underway at GKN Aerospace UK’s Global Technology Centre in Bristol and across its European sites for over a year.

GKN Aerospace leads £12M ASPIRE program

GKN Aerospace has launched ASPIRE, a new £12 million U.K. R&D program to develop and demonstrate next-gen composite wing and flap structures. The 3-year program officially started in May 2025 and will run until April 2028.

ASPIRE will deliver three full-scale composite wingtip variants for structural testing to ultimate load, providing an opportunity to validate novel technologies in highly relevant test conditions. Each wingtip variant will represent a different structural philosophy and technology set. Variant one is a bonded assembly with multiple parts, aligned with GKN Aerospace’s design approach. Variant two is a quasi-isotropic co-infused RTM structure featuring automated deposition, forming, digital twin integration and Pentaxia’s self-heated tooling (JouleTool). Variant three, introduces non-standard fiber angles, low-energy dry fiber forming and SmaRTM processing.

Source | GKN Aerospace

Key innovations under evaluation include iCOMAT’s (Bristol, U.K.) Rapid Tow Sheared (RTS) lightweight structure and Carbon ThreeSixty’s (Chippenham, U.K.) stitched deltoid noodles, made from recycled carbon fibers aligned through the Lineat (Bristol) aligned formable fiber technology (AFFT) process. These developments are supported by analytical and numerical methods developed by the University of Bath.

Alongside the wingtip demonstrators, ASPIRE will also develop an optimized composite flap. The flap demonstration will feature a prepreg manufacturing approach with RTS skins (iCOMAT), tailored fiber placed brackets (Carbon ThreeSixty), low-energy, out-of-autoclave curing molds and press cured ribs.

A key program milestone will be achieving TRL 6 for the press curing of composite ribs. This builds on GKN Aerospace’s experience producing the A350 flap in Munich and will support future improvements for the next-gen single-aisle aircraft.

Archer announces third Launch Edition partner, striking deal to deploy Midnight in Indonesia

Source | Archer Aviation Inc.

Archer Aviation has signed an agreement with PT. IKN (Indonesia) covering plans to deploy an initial fleet of 50 Midnight aircraft in Indonesia, making it the third country in which Archer is planning to deploy the eVTOL under its “Launch Edition” program.

As with Archer’s other Launch Edition partners, the goal of this program is to establish a pragmatic and repeatable commercialization playbook to deploy Midnight in early adopter markets in advance of type certification in the U.S. In addition to Indonesia, Archer has already announced planned Launch Edition program deployments in the UAE and Ethiopia.

The scope of Archer’s planned Launch Edition program with PT. IKN includes the deployment of an initial fleet of Midnight Launch Edition aircraft to Indonesia with a supporting team of Archer pilots, technicians and engineers. Archer also plans to provide backend operational software and front-end booking applications to help power operations during the program. In addition to air taxi services, the parties intend to explore a range of complementary use cases such as logistics and environmental surveillance, including in support of the development of Indonesia’s new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN).

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Archer announced five-country eVTOL alliance 

Archer also joined leaders from the FAA and U.S. DOT to announce the formation of a five-country alliance to streamline the certification and deployment of eVTOL aircraft globally. This alliance includes the U.S., U.K. Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The goal of this effort is to streamline the certification and validation process for eVTOL aircraft, like Midnight, globally. Archer believes that this alliance has the potential to create a seamless pathway to bring Midnight to the skies of these other countries once the company obtains type certification in the U.S from the FAA.

France and Spain renew commitment to Airbus A400M program

Airbus and OCCAR (Bonn, Germany) have reached an agreement with the A400M launch nations to secure production for the program for the foreseeable future, improve the cost of operations and jointly develop new capabilities. Through the agreement, France and Spain stated their intention to advance four and three A400M aircraft respectively in their delivery schedule.

As key enablers, Airbus has committed to work on operational cost improvements through maintenance optimization and efficiency measures, and make A400M future developments faster and more cost-effective. Through the agreement, both Airbus and OCCAR will review the industrial status of the program on a yearly basis, giving the A400M production setup stability to pursue the evolution of the platform and open export opportunities.

Among these new capabilities, Airbus is already looking into developments like standoff jamming, payload increase to 40 tonnes, mothership for remote carriers and firefighting — developments that will further widen the A400M applications and are key to the present and future global requirements for both current and future operators.

The A400M, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, is comprised of more than 30% composites. This includes its wing spars, vertical and horizontal tailplane and the upper cargo door — at the time of CW’s report on it in 2010, the largest structural composite aircraft component produced to date using vacuum-assisted resin infusion.

Horizon Aircraft partners with MT-Propeller for Hybrid eVTOL composite propellers

New Horizon Aircraft Ltd. (Toronto, Canada), doing business as Horizon Aircraft, announces a strategic partnership with MT-Propeller (Atting, Germany), to supply propellers for Horizon’s eVTOL aircraft hybrid turbine engine.

MT-Propeller is known for manufacturing natural composite propellers for single- and twin-engine aircraft, airships, wind tunnels and other applications. The collaboration will leverage this composite propeller blade expertise to deliver maximum speed, efficiency and significant noise reduction for Horizon’s Cavorite X7 aircraft in development. The hybrid-electric aircraft is designed for both vertical takeoff and conventional runway operations.

VoltAero reveals evolved configuration of Cassio 330

VoltAero (Saint-Agnant, France) has unveiled the production configuration of its Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft for regional transportation. Multiple factors led to this evolution, resulting in decreased complexity for the Cassio 330’s airworthiness certification and aligning its overall design in compliance with the EASA’s latest CS.23 certification specifications for normal category airplanes.

“As we take another step toward the Cassio 330’s production, our strategy remains unchanged: using safe and efficient electric-hybrid propulsion and power technologies that are realistically available today, applying them to a conventional takeoff/landing aircraft for sustainable regional transportation using existing airport infrastructure,” explains Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO and CTO.

At the heart of VoltAero’s evolution for the Cassio 330 production version is the use of a series-hybrid architecture, versus the original parallel-hybrid configuration. During taxi, takeoff and initial flight phases, the aircraft will operate on all-electric propulsion for eco-efficient and quiet operations. The thermal engine recharges the batteries during cruise flight as a range extender.

Source | VoltAero

Another visible difference for the Cassio 330’s production configuration is VoltAero’s adoption of a T-tail instead of the original design’s twin booms that supported a high-set horizontal tail. This change eliminates the potential of damage to the twin booms in the event of a propeller blade failure. The new configuration also has a fully redundant architecture for operational safety and other innovations.

VoltAero will produce the Cassio 330 at its purpose-built 2,400-square-meter industrial facility at Saint Agnant. Inaugurated last November, this location serves as the primary hub for production and delivery of Cassio family aircraft — supported by VoltAero’s on-site design, engineering, flight test and administrative departments. It is sized for the assembly of 150 Cassio airplanes annually at full rate, to be backed by additional production sites created in other key geographical markets.

In the same week, VoltAero signed an agreement for 15 Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft and an option for another 15, to be acquired by HM Aerospace Sdn Bhd (Kuala Lumpur) for pilot training at Malaysia’s flight academy after EASA certification and validation by the Civil Aviation Authorities of Malaysia. The agreement, formalized at the Paris Air Show, brings a new dimension to VoltAero’s orderbook for its Cassio electric-hybrid airplanes by expanding their use — together with Halim Mazmin Group — to the training role for professional pilots, and expanding it over the Asia-Pacific region, where pilots are in great demand.

FACC, Kineco forge strategic partnership

Source | FACC AG, Kineco

FACC AG (Ried im Innkreis, Austria) and Kineco Aerospace & Defence (Goa, India), a part of the Kineco Group, signed a multiyear supply chain agreement, marking the start of a strategic collaboration in the sourcing of composite components for commercial aircraft work packages.

This agreement initiates a critical 10-month phase of technical alignment, customer qualification and operational co-operation between FACC and Kineco. Upon successful execution, it is expected to evolve into a long-term relationship delivering value to both partners and their global customers.

The partnership is a strong validation of Kineco’s capabilities in advanced composites and further reinforces FACC’s global supply chain ecosystem.

Coexpair RTM systems supports Aciturri aerocomposite parts 

Aciturri (Mirando de Ebro, Spain) has placed a major order with Coexpair (Namur, Belgium) for additional RTM machines to be installed in its composites factory. The agreement amplifies the success of a collaboration started in 2019 between the Spanish Tier 1ne and the Belgian composites machine manufacturer.

Coexpair supports Aciturri with its industrial solutions for high-rate production of composite parts through RTM. The composites manufacturing process is used to deliver high-quality, net-shape composite parts in high demand in aerospace.

Demgy highlights material platforms advancing aerospace, company investments

Source | Demgy Group

Demgy Group (Saint-Aubin-sur-Gaillon, France), a high-performance plastic and composite solutions company, showcased its expanded portfolio of ultra-high-performance polymers and composites for the aerospace industry.

At the heart of Demgy’s Paris Air Show presence was its Engineered for eXtreme platform, an end-to-end offering of advanced composite materials and processing capabilities designed for demanding aerospace applications — from PEEK and Ultem to Torlon, PCTFE and Vespel polyimides.

These materials are increasingly favored by aerospace OEMs for their ability to reduce aircraft weight, streamline manufacturing (i.e., injection molding, additive manufacturing and thermoplastic composites welding), enhance sustainability and improve safety and durability.

At the show, Demgy also highlighted its recent investments in both material innovation and market consolidation that position the group as a full-spectrum partner for aerospace programs worldwide:

• A new alliance with Drake Plastics complements Demgy’s existing partnership with DuPont for Vespel distribution, giving customers access to a broader advanced polymer toolkit.
• The group’s acquisitions of EIS Aircraft (now Demgy EIS, Airbus supplier) and Tool Gauge (now Demgy Pacific, Boeing’s primary interior supplier) solidify its role in aerospace interior components, serving both European and U.S. markets.

Source | ZAL

The ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research (Hamburg, Germany) and Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ, Canada) have formed a partnership to implement joint research projects in advanced technologies and to support international talent mobility. 

CW readers will recognize ZAL as the current home for the completed Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator (MFFD), a thermoplastic composite fuselage produced within the EU-funded Clean Sky 2/Clean Aviation’s Large Passenger Aircraft (LPA) Innovative Aircraft Demonstrator Platform (IADP). Meanwhile, CRIAQ has been involved with developing thermoplastic composite aerostructures for decades — including a helicopter tail boom — and is now seeking partners for the HAUTE project (High-rate manufacturing of Aerostructures Using Thermoplastic composites and adaptive Equipment).  

Under the new partnership agreement, ZAL and CRIAQ will collaborate on key enabling technologies, especially in the areas of advanced digital solutions such as AI and future-oriented propulsion systems aimed at improving the sustainability of aviation. The focus lies on fostering innovation and promoting the international exchange of expertise and builds on existing agreements and previous collaborations, including successful projects such as “Lightweight Bionic Aircraft Interior” in the field of 3D printing and “New Acoustic Insulation Meta-Material Technology for Aerospace” in the field of acoustics.