Source: Qinetiq 

This week’s Pic features a 3D printed hinge made from titanium recovered from a decomissioned aircraft. This hinge forms part of an Air Data Boom and is attached to Qiniteq’s A109S helicopter.

Defense manufacturer Qiniteq designed and integrated the component, and also partnered with Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS Ltd.) for production. 

The hinge was manufactured utilizing laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology and AMS Ltd.'s proprietary process, which recycles scrap metal with minimal loss of material. The process creates powder that can meet necessary quality requirements with lower emissions and environmental impact than traditional manufacturing methods.  

The lack of material loss is particularly beneficial for titanium, which is commonly used in the defense sector due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, but can be costly and difficult to source. 

Recently, Qiniteq’s Flight Test Organization conducted a flight test containing this component — reportedly the first flight of its kind to feature aircraft parts made from recycled titanium. The test took place at the MOD Boscombe Down airfield in Wiltshire, UK. 

• Process: Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)
• Material: Recycled titanium
• Material Efficiency Rate: 97%
• Environmental Impact: Uses 93.5% less CO₂e in comparison to conventional manufacturing methods

Source | JetZero

3M (St. Paul, Minn., U.S.) has announced an investment and strategic collaboration with JetZero (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.), an aerospace innovator developing the Z4 commercial all-wing body aircraft. The distinctive design offers the potential to redefine how the industry meets ever increasing airline needs for efficiency, performance and sustainability.

For decades, commercial aircraft design has followed the familiar “tube-and-wing” structure. Together, 3M, JetZero and many other industry players are working to advance the next major design evolution. JetZero’s Z4 blended-wing body aircraft is designed to deliver up to a 50% reduction in fuel consumption while also improving the passenger experience.

According to JetZero, the Z4’s integrated wing and fuselage structure generates significant aerodynamic improvements while also creating new opportunities and meeting engineering challenges across the aircraft development life cycle. With support from 3M’s material science expertise, JetZero will bring new solutions to the design, manufacturing and ongoing maintenance of its aircraft.

This collaboration aligns with 3M’s broader commitment to driving material solutions for the aviation industry. Beyond the Z4, the partnership helps mature technologies that can be adopted by already commercialized aircraft, providing immediate efficiency gains while also evolving long-term design. By participating in JetZero's Series B funding round, 3M continues its focus on bringing cutting-edge technologies into aircraft design, including lightning protection, structural assembly and thermal acoustic solutions.

Source (All Images) | Chem-Trend 

The aerospace industry relies on precise, highly controlled manufacturing processes to produce composite structures that meet strict performance, safety and certification standards. One area undergoing significant reevaluation is mold release technology.

Traditional solvent‑based mold release systems, most of which contain silicone, pose multiple challenges for aerospace manufacturers, affecting everything from part quality to environmental compliance.

The challenge with conventional mold release agents

Most solvent‑based mold release agents used today incorporate silicone to enable part release. However, silicone readily transfers onto composite surfaces during molding. This transfer creates substantial downstream complications: silicone contamination interferes with painting and secondary bonding operations, forcing manufacturers to perform extensive surface preparation before these processes can begin. Silicone residue also disrupts water break testing, a critical quality control method used widely in the aerospace sector.

Compounding this issue is the discrepancy between how traditional solvent-based releases are intended to be used versus how they are typically applied. While these products are formulated to provide multiple releases per application, in practice, most manufacturers reapply after every part. Over time, this leads to heavy release buildup on molds, increasing the likelihood of transfer and requiring aggressive cleaning to restore surface condition. These cleaning cycles consume labor hours, reduce uptime and accelerate mold wear, all while exposing operators to solvent-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and, in some cases, hazardous components.

A modern water-based approach

To address these longstanding challenges, Chem-Trend (Howell, Mich., U.S.) developed Zyvax® 1070W, a next-generation mold release agent engineered specifically for advanced composite and aerospace applications.

It is water-based, silicone-free and PFAS-free, supporting the industry’s shift toward cleaner chemistries, reduced VOC emissions and more sustainable manufacturing processes. By eliminating solvents and hazardous additives, Zyvax® 1070W aligns with environmental stewardship goals while maintaining the high level of performance required in aerospace production.

Zyvax® 1070W is a water-based, silicone-free mold release agent designed to eliminate release curing time, which significantly reduces tool prep time. 

Zyvax® 1070W is designed to be applied after each molding cycle, matching the application pattern already used across much of the aerospace composites industry.

The product is also engineered for intentional transfer, meaning each molding operation deposits a controlled, predictable amount of release onto the part surface. This controlled transfer naturally limits the amount of material left behind on the tool, preventing the accumulation of heavy buildup that is common with traditional solvent-based systems. Between cycles, operators simply apply a light touch‑up coat to refresh the mold surface, enabling consistent release performance without excessive residue.

Because Zyvax® 1070W contains no silicone, any transferred material can be removed easily using common water-based or solvent cleaners. This greatly simplifies downstream preparation for painting, bonding or inspection, reducing labor time and supporting more reliable finishing operations. The application process itself is simple: Zyvax® 1070W requires no cure time. Once wiped or sprayed onto the mold and the water carrier flashes off, the surface is ready for composite layup.

Application techniques

Watch the proper ways to utilize Chem-Trend’s aerospace composites molding release agent, Zyvax® 1070W. 

Added benefits for aerospace manufacturing

A notable advantage of Zyvax® 1070W is its light tack, which helps stabilize prepregs and surface plies during layup. This reduces material movement during infusion, hand layup or automated placement operations and may eliminate the need for separate tackifiers.

The product is also part of a complete mold preparation system. Primers, offered in water-based formulations, enhance mold surface consistency by filling micro-porosity, addressing minor imperfections and compensating for areas of tool wear. This creates a hardened, tougher surface that improves part quality and promotes cleaner, more reliable release behavior.

Sealers, also available in water-based formulas, provide an additional protective layer between the primer and release agent, enhancing surface uniformity and boosting overall release performance across multiple molding cycles. Combined with the water-based Zyvax® 1070W release agent, these materials create a cohesive, high-performance mold treatment system tailored to demanding aerospace requirements.

Enhancing efficiency, quality and sustainability

The combination of water-based chemistry, silicone- and PFAS-free formulation, controlled transfer, simplified cleaning and improved mold preparation presents a modern solution to longstanding challenges in aerospace composites manufacturing. By reducing VOC exposure, minimizing mold buildup, extending tool life and supporting efficient downstream finishing operations, Zyvax® 1070W helps manufacturers achieve higher-quality parts with greater consistency, while contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable production environment.

Hybron co-founders Brennan Lieu and Aaron Guo, with the company's carbon fiber composite aircraft engine compressor blades. Source | Hybron 

Aerospace and defense manufacturing startup Hybron (El Segundo, Calif., U.S.) has announced the close of an oversubscribed $25 million seed round.

The company was founded originally under the name BladeX Technologies by co-founders Brennan Lieu (CEO) and Aaron Guo (CTO) while they were students at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, respectively. The founders, who were featured on Forbes’ 2026 30 under 30 list, aimed to produce carbon fiber composite aerospace parts at automotive speeds and significantly reduced costs, starting with a compressor blade for a fighter jet engine. The company says this blade is the world’s first to successfully operate at full power in a jet engine.

The startup was relaunched as Hybron in 2024 with the intention of expanding beyond blades to other dual-use aerospace and defense products including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airframes and munitions casings. 

Hybron says that its technology enables production of carbon fiber composite products at up to 100 times the speed and at a fraction of the cost of traditional composites manufacturing, by replacing a legacy process that takes hours or days with Hybron’s solution, which takes only minutes.

According to Veteran Ventures Capital, one of Hybron’s investors, the company’s hybrid chopped fiber polymer process enables complex parts to be manufactured at high speeds while maintaining the structural performance needed for aerospace and defense applications.

Today, Hybron has grown to 21 employees and operates a 5,000-square-foot California facility, where its technology is vertically integrated to produce tooling and material precursors in-house. Hybron also has a materials partnership and support from Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.). 

The capital from the seed round enables Hybron to scale its manufacturing, expand its team and execute a growing portfolio of programs. The company aims to transition from R&D to industrial production capacity, including a move to a larger facility in the near future.

The seed round was led by Marque Ventures, with participation from First In, DTX Ventures, Veteran Ventures Capital, Ultratech, Bravo Victor Venture Capital, Gaingels, ZEA, American Center for Manufacturing Innovation and notable angel investors including Matt Ocko.

“Modern aerospace and defense systems are still built around manufacturing processes that haven’t fundamentally changed in decades,” says Lieu. “Our goal is to make advanced composites manufacturable at industrial scale so critical systems can be built faster, lighter and more efficiently.”

Source | Airbus

On March 6, Airbus (Toulouse, France) inaugurated a state-of-the-art technology center in Bengaluru, marking a major expansion of its strategic footprint in India. The 880,000-square-foot facility, designed to accommodate about 5,000 employees, will serve as a hub for engineering, digital transformation, customer services and procurement, establishing a new nerve center for the company’s “Make in India” mission.

“The inauguration of the Airbus India Technology Centre provides the scale and headroom for our next phase of growth,” says Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director of Airbus in India and South Asia. “This center will allow us to scale existing technological competencies and innovation ecosystems while also addressing the customer services and procurement dimensions of our ‘Make in India’ mission. It ensures that Indian expertise continues to be woven into every stage of our global value chain.” 

While Airbus has been a pillar of the Indian aviation landscape for more than six decades, its focused engineering presence in Bengaluru has matured over the past 20 years from a specialized unit into a multidimensional powerhouse. Work performed here is deeply integrated into the entire life cycle of the aircraft; Indian engineers and digital specialists now help maintain and optimize all existing Airbus commercial aircraft and helicopter programs — from maintaining critical aircraft technologies to pioneering research into next-generation aircraft, cyber security, robotics and AI.

The campus also houses a dedicated Customer Services center that provides critical support both locally and globally. It offers tailored support programs, flight hour services and comprehensive maintenance and technical support to Airbus customers around the world, ensuring operational excellence across the global fleet. 

The Bengaluru campus also functions as a vital procurement hub. These operations are essential to managing the manufacturing, assembly and sourcing of components and services that plug Indian talent into the global value chain.

Demonstrating its commitment to the government of India’s “Skill India Initiative,” the facility will host a local chapter of the Airbus Leadership University that will provide tailored development and learning solutions to prepare the next generation of aerospace managers and specialists.

For related content, read “Composites in India: A market forecast for 2025-2030.”

Source (All Images) | Airbus

Airbus (Toulouse, France) has begun ground testing on its A350F freighter aircraft, marking a milestone as the company pushes the aircraft toward flight testing and certification ahead of its planned entry into service.

The ground test campaign — conducted during the aircraft’s final assembly — is focused on validating critical systems and technologies developed specifically for A350F’s role as a next-generation freighter. These include major modifications from the passenger A350 variant and entirely new systems designed for efficient and reliable cargo operations.

Ground testing plays a critical role in bridging the gap between physical aircraft assembly and flight certification, ensuring that what has been designed digitally aligns with real-world performance of the aircraft before it ever leaves the runway.

“A350F ground testing is a defining phase,” says Guillaume Terrien, who leads the ground test design activities for the program. “As early as 2021, at the A350F’s definition phase close collaboration was initiated between FAL Ground Test Design and Chief Engineering teams. The goal was to share FAL testability constraints so they could be taken into account from the preliminary aircraft design stage.”

Innovative systems under evaluation

The ground test campaign includes a comprehensive set of tests covering the A350F’s freighter-specific technologies, such as:

• Main-deck cargo loading system, ensuring the robust integration and operation of the loading mechanisms.
• Main-deck cargo door, cycling and system verification to confirm performance under operational conditions.
• Dedicated courier area, a new compartment with seating for up to 10 occupants.
• Anti-tail-tipping warning system, protecting the aircraft and personnel during loading.
• Main-deck drainage system, ensuring effective drainage of water and other fluids from the cargo hold.
• New water and waste systems, multi-zonal air distribution, oxygen system, for key life-support subsystems.
• Smart Freighter connectivity and video monitoring systems, advancing onboard operations and visibility.

These systems are being subjected to “serial ground tests” — standard procedures developed for future production aircraft — and a series of dedicated tests on flight-test airframes for certification purposes.

In-production serial testing, one-off development & certification

Of the approximately 200 serial ground test instructions (GTI) for an A350 passenger aircraft, approximately 40% of the ground test instructions used for the passenger A350 have been either newly created or significantly adapted for the A350F configuration, highlighting the freighter’s distinctive requirements.

New serial tests include procedures such as the Main Deck Cargo Door Cycling test, which repeatedly operates the door both manually and electrically to check sensor performance and alerting behavior. The Automated Wiring Self-Test for the cargo loading system allows crews to rapidly verify hundreds of electrical connections directly from the cockpit — minimizing time and complexity during production testing.

A350F infographic.

Parallel to serial testing, the development and certification ground test campaign is being executed on the program’s flight test aircraft (MSN 700 and MSN 701). These one-off tests are required by regulatory authorities and ensure that both design intent and system performance are validated prior to flight testing.

Among the certification ground tests is the Max Payload Test, which verifies the aircraft’s ability to handle its full design payload of 111 tonnes — roughly the weight of 18 elephants — while ensuring correct sequence operations, especially for cargo door mechanisms.

A Pressurisation Development Test is also underway, applying additional instrumentation to monitor the behavior of the cargo door under cabin pressure changes. These tests add an extra layer of validation beyond the standard pressurization exams carried out during routine production.

With these tests progressing, Airbus is advancing the A350F closer to its flight test campaign — a key step toward final certification and entry into operational service.

AkzoNobel’s latest evolution of its Aerofleet Coatings Management solution introduces a new drone-based inspection tool.
Source | AkzoNobel

AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings is unveiling the latest evolution of its Aerofleet Coatings introducing new drone-enabled inspection capabilities that provide faster, more consistent and data-rich insights to help airlines optimize coating maintenance across their fleets.

Aerofleet Coatings Management is a digital, data-driven solution to support predictive maintenance. It helps airlines and operators determine precisely when an aircraft needs to be repainted and allows them to move beyond traditional time- or usage-based schedules.

The latest evolution introduces a new drone-based inspection tool, developed in partnership with Donecle: the Iris CMX (Coatings Management eXpert). This drone is capable of directly measuring coating performance using a 3-in-1 contact-based sensor capturing precise, quantitative data for dry film thickness, color data and gloss measurements to bring a new level of accuracy, consistency and repeatability to coating inspections.

With the addition of Iris CMX, Aerofleet Coatings Management now brings together three core data inputs to provide a comprehensive view of coating performance:

• Flight and environmental data, such as route profiles, UV exposure and humidity
• Full-surface visual analysis from the Iris GVI drone
• Targeted, high-precision measurement from the Iris CMX.

Together, these data streams enable a more accurate understanding of coating condition, helping operators to optimize maintenance planning across the fleet.

In addition to in-service inspections, the Iris CMX can be utilized for quality control during the OEM production and MRO processes. Its precise, repeatable measurements of coating thickness, color and gloss at key application stages promote coatings that meet specifications from the outset, reducing the likelihood of rework and unnecessary application.

The two drone systems together combine full-surface visual analysis with targeted, high-precision measurement of coating performance to provide both qualitative and quantitative insight into coating condition.

The two drone systems can be operated simultaneously, one on each side of the aircraft, by a trained team, who can complete a full inspection of a narrowbody aircraft in approximately 30 minutes.

Inspection training is provided by AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings and Donecle specialists, allowing customers to collect data that feeds into a central database, creating a continuously evolving picture of the fleet over time.

First launched in 2023, Aerofleet Coatings Management was designed with a clear development roadmap to incorporate more advanced inspection capabilities over time. The introduction of Iris CMX represents a significant step forward in that vision, explains Michael Green, segment business services manager at AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings, “Aerofleet Coatings Management has always been about giving airlines greater confidence in when and why they maintain or repaint their aircraft. From the outset, we had a clear roadmap to improve the service with more advanced measurement capabilities. The addition of the Iris CMX brings precise, consistent measurement into the process to strengthen the data that underpins our predictive models. It also allows us to support expert assessment with more objective, consistent and repeatable inspections, while improving the speed and efficiency of the inspection process.”

Well-suited for fleets of 100 aircraft or more, the service supports airlines in reducing unnecessary repainting, lowering maintenance costs and increasing aircraft availability. Over time, this contributes to both improved operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact.

Aerofleet Coatings Management forms part of AkzoNobel Aerospace Business Solutions, a suite of services designed to support customers with data-driven insights, technical expertise and operational efficiency.

Source | Bordeaux Technowest LinkedIn

Avel Robotics (Lorient, France) is further developing its activities in the aerospace and space sectors with the signing of new aerospace contracts and the opening of a commercial office in Bordeaux, which took place in January 2026.

This new location is part of a strategic effort to be closer to industrial players in these markets, which are particularly active in the Bordeaux area, while maintaining the company’s historic production site in Lorient, at the heart of its automated composites manufacturing operations.

Avel Robotics began diversifying its activities several years ago and is now supporting aerospace and defense manufacturers in the design and automated production of composite parts using its AFP robotic technologies. 

The recent signing of new aerospace contracts — including this one with Aura Aero on the ERA program — confirms the relevance of this strategic direction and Avel Robotics’ ability to meet the industrial requirements of these sectors in terms of performance, repeatability and part reliability.

As part of this development, the company is joining Bordeaux Technowest within the Cockpit facility, a space dedicated to companies in the aerospace, space and advanced industrial sectors. Located in Mérignac, this site places Avel Robotics in proximity to major industrial players such as ArianeGroup, Dassault Aviation, Airbus Atlantic, Safran Propulsion, Safran Ceramics and Thales, as well as a dense network of mid-sized companies, innovative SMEs, laboratories and research centers.

 Source | Aura Aero

Avel Robotics (Lorient, France) has announced a development contract with Aura Aero (Toulouse, France) as part of the ERA program, Aura Aero’s 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft. The partnership covers the design and production of the wing and carbon fiber composite structural components.

Aura Aero designs and manufactures aircraft aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of air transport. Its aircraft family includes Integral, a two-seat training aircraft available in four versions (R for aerobatics and leisure flying, S for training, each also available in an electric version), and ERA, designed to achieve up to 80% reduction in CO_₂ emissions compared to conventional aircraft.

Avel Robotics, a manufacturer of structural composite components initially recognized in offshore racing (read CW’s 2022 plant tour), is known for its ability to combine performance, innovation and sustainability. Since 2019, the company has been pursuing a diversification strategy and has progressively expanded its activities into the aerospace and defense sectors. Today, this strategy translates into significant industrial scale-up.

In 2025, Avel Robotics made major investments to strengthen its production capabilities:

• Expansion and full reorganization of its composite workshop.
• Integration of a new automated fiber placement (AFP) robot.
• Commissioning of a large industrial curing oven.
• Deployment of new machining and inspection equipment.
• Optimization of production workflows.

This investment plan will continue through 2026 and 2027 to support the industrialization of the ERA program and ramp up production.

Source | Axalp Technologies

Axalp Technologies (Olten, Switzerland) recently completed the main R&D phase of its collaborative iSurface composite material health monitoring research project with partners Munro Technology Ltd. (Yeovil, U.K.), Z Prime (London, U.K.), and University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). Examples of iSurface technology applied to composite parts were exhibited at JEC World 2026 (March 10-12, Paris, France).

Composites are prone to damage by low velocity impacts that can cause hard to detect, barely visible impact damage (BVID). Acting as an embedded early warning system, iSurface can reportedly reduce the risk of catastrophic failure for aerospace structures subject to impact including leading edges, inlets and propeller blades, the latter a fast-growing application in advanced air mobility (AAM) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS)/drones.

Download the October 2025 white paper to access analysis, test protocols and integration guidance including:

• Problem context: Vulnerability of CFRP to low-velocity impacts and barely visible impact damage (BVID).
• Material innovation: iTex conductive fiber interleaf enabling an embedded sensing lattice with minimal weight impact.
• Diagnostics layer: AI-based interpretation of signals for impact characterization, localization and remaining-life indication.
• Large-area redundancy: Distributed network maintains sensing coverage when a local region is damaged.
• Mechanical performance: Representative uplift up to +87% (Mode I) and +244% (Mode II); test conditions and methods detailed.
• Integration pathways: Co-cure, retrofit to skin, and primer/paint-layer options; implications for condition-based maintenance and certification roadmap (2027–28).

The iSurface project is part of an Anglo-Swiss research investment program co-funded by Innosuisse and Innovate UK. Read more in Axalp Technologies’ LinkedIn post.

Co-consolidated integral CF/LMPAEK flanges form a continuous thermoplastic material system with the tube body, eliminating the metallic hardware and adhesive interfaces that conventional cryogenic line assemblies require. Source (All Images) | herone GmbH

Hydrogen (H₂) gas liquefies at a temperature of -253°C (20.28 K) under atmospheric pressure, just 20 degrees above absolute zero. This temperature is cold enough to make most structural materials brittle and H₂, among the smallest molecules that exist, are small enough to find any gap in a material and permeate straight through. For ground-based cryogenic infrastructure, those challenges are manageable: stainless steel and vacuum-jacketed lines are bulky and heavy, but when weight is not a constraint, they’re acceptable. 

Put those same requirements into a commercial aircraft and the equation changes entirely. A liquid hydrogen (LH₂) fuel cell-powered passenger aircraft must route LH₂ from the tank to the fuel cell through a fuel distribution system light enough to be viable, while surviving more than 10,000 thermal cycles over a 25-year service life, with each flight heating everything back to ambient before the next cryogenic soak begins. NASA (Hampton, Va., U.S.) research has shown that without adequate insulation, 50-70% of LH₂ can boil off in flight, a figure that makes H₂ aviation commercially unworkable if the fuel system is not designed correctly from the outset.

Conventional metallic cryogenic lines accommodate thermal contraction from this thermal cycling with bellows, O-rings, bolted flanges and mechanical seals; components that also multiply the number of potential leak points in the system. In a ground application, leaks are not desirable, but H₂ will rise and diffuse quickly in air, for example. In an occupied aircraft carrying a cryogenic, highly flammable fuel, every joint is a liability that both the designer and the regulator have to account for. The conventional metallic approach, borrowed from industrial cryo-technology, simply was not built with that constraint in mind.

Foundational TPC cryogenic design

Dresden-based herone GmbH (Germany) has spent the last several years re-engineering the design of cryogenic fluid lines from first principles, specifically for the aerospace operating environment, within the German government-funded LuFo projects WAKOS and ZEDI.

The company, founded in 2018 as a spin-off from TU Dresden’s Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK), has built its technology on a decade of research into thermoplastic composite (TPC) hollow profiles originating from co-founder Dr. Christian Garthaus and Dr. Daniel Barfuss’ doctoral work at ILK. That foundation produced herone’s patented continuous blow molding and injection forming processes, in the context of unitized thermoplastic driveshaft and gear demonstrators. The company focuses on carbon fiber-reinforced low-melt polyaryletherketone (CF/LMPAEK; LMPAEK is from Victrex, Clevelys, U.K.) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composite hollow profiles, creating a material system that offers 50-60% weight savings over stainless steel and a set of physical properties that make it unusually well suited to the demands of cryogenic H₂ applications. This material focus is the foundation of the company’s LH₂ fuel line system design.

A full-scale CF/LMPAEK cryogenic line component produced for a space application demonstrates herone's out-of-autoclave (OOA) braiding and consolidation process at flight hardware scale.

That foundation has already produced flight hardware. Working with ArianeGroup GmbH (Bremen Germany) within the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP), herone recently completed the first full-scale CF/LMPAEK cryogenic line system component for the Ariane 6 launch vehicle with a near-net-shape, tape-preformed, out-of-autoclave (OOA)-consolidated assembly with integral thermoplastic fittings co-consolidated with the tubing in a single step, designed for the pressure loads and cryogenic conditions of launch vehicle service. This space application demands minimized mass above all else, and accepts a single-wall line design where brief mission durations and overboard venting manage any residual leakage risk. 

Aviation, by contrast, demands something considerably harder to achieve: a double-wall system with vacuum insulation, secondary containment and leak rates low enough to be safe in an occupied vehicle over thousands of flight cycles. The Ariane 6 component demonstrates the manufacturing process works at full scale; the aviation program is where the engineering requirements become genuinely uncharted.

Thermoplastic vs. thermoset matrix choice

To understand herone’s approach, it helps to think about what happens to a composite material during repeated cryogenic cycling. Epoxy-based thermoset composites behave, in a sense, like glass under those conditions: rigid and capable in normal service, but at temperatures approaching cryogenic (below -150°C), the brittleness latent in the material becomes structural. Under thermal cycling, matrix microcracking can initiate and propagate through the laminate. Each crack is a potential H₂ leakage pathway, not because the laminate has failed structurally, but because H₂’s molecular diameter is small enough to migrate through cracks that many structural assessments would dismiss as negligible.

The PAEK family of thermoplastics behave differently. “Think of them as the flexible polymer bottle rather than the glass bottle. They retain ductility at cryogenic extremes that thermosets lose,” explains Daniel Barfuss, co-founder and managing partner at herone. “When things get really cold, almost all materials become more fragile, and we need materials to be flexible enough to prevent tiny cracks which can lead to leaks. That’s why thermoplastics are valuable here.”

PEEK maintains approximately 3-4% elongation at break at -196°C (77 K) — the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (LN₂) and the standard temperature used in cryogenic materials characterization, representing a conservative proxy for the -253°C LH₂ service condition — compared to roughly 1.5% for glass fiber/epoxy systems. The standard cryogenic test temperature of 77 K is used in materials characterization because that cryogen is readily available in any laboratory, making it a practical and reproducible initial benchmark for assessing how materials behave, even when the actual service temperature, as in LH₂ applications, is colder still at -253°C.

The retained flexibility that PAEK polymers offer is the difference between a laminate that resists microcracking under thermal fatigue and one that does not. TPC in general also demonstrate significantly higher mode I interlaminar fracture toughness — the energy per unit area required to pry two bonded composite plies apart by opening them like a book — approximately five times greater than thermoset composites. As such, cracks not only initiate less readily, but require substantially more energy to propagate once they do.

Comparative micrograph analysis of thermoset CFRP (left) and CF/LMPAEK laminate (right) after cryogenic thermal cycling demonstrates the thermoplastic matrix’s resistance to the microcracking.

Permeation is a separate but related problem. Even without cracking, H₂ diffuses through composite laminates under a concentration gradient. CF/LMPAEK laminates provide approximately 10 times lower H₂ permeability than epoxy systems at cryogenic temperatures, and at the -253°C of LH₂ service, permeation through the composite wall itself becomes negligible. The critical window is at ambient temperature during ground handling, refueling and warm-up phases, where a barrier layer is still required. 

Rather than applying a liner as a secondary postprocess step, herone integrates a metallic film permeation barrier directly between braided layers during preforming. The thermoplastic-functionalized barrier layer becomes part of the tube wall, co-processed into the structure, maintaining the homogeneity of the composite cross-section and avoiding the bonded interface that a separately applied liner creates. 

“When you use a high-quality thermoplastic and achieve a good molding surface, you get a resin-rich outer layer with no exposed fibers,” says Barfuss. “That surface seals. You don't need metal to do it, you just need resin. That's one of the things people don't expect thermoplastics to be able to do.”

Eliminating the joints

The materials herone has chosen resolve the key microcracking and permeation problems, but the deeper engineering question is structural: How do you build a cryogenic aircraft fuel line without the bellows, O-rings and bolted flanges that make conventional metallic assemblies so joint-heavy?

Integral CF/LMPAEK flanges co-consolidated with the tube body in a single press cycle reduce joint count and system mass while maintaining a homogeneous thermoplastic material system throughout the assembly.

The answer lies in what PAEK TPC enable at the manufacturing level that thermoset composites do not. Because TPC can be reheated and reformed after initial consolidation, herone injection-forms or co-consolidates functional elements (flanges, fittings, ferrules, sealing surfaces) directly onto the composite tube body in a single integrated manufacturing sequence. Short fiber-reinforced PEEK is co-consolidated at 380°C with preheated PAEK preforms held at approximately 200°C, creating simultaneous cohesive molecular bonding at the polymer interface and geometric interlocking at the macro-scale. This produces what herone terms a “form-locking joint” — a connection that achieves 44% higher torque load capacity than cohesive bonding alone, without adhesives, fasteners or elastomeric seals. The flange is not attached to the tube; it is the tube, formed from the same material system and bonded at the molecular level.

“The co-consolidation is a technique that eliminates the need for postprocessing joining operations and additional joining specifications, such as knock-downs,” says Barfuss. “This process is inherently integrated into the fundamental consolidation specifications of the composite material itself. As a result, co-consolidation achieves shear design values that are three to four times greater compared to traditional metallic-composite adhesive bonding methods.”

For an aviation LH₂ application, herone is developing a double-wall configuration: a composite inner tube carrying the LH₂, separated from a composite outer containment tube by a vacuum-insulated annular gap maintained by 3D printed polymer spacers. The vacuum interspace provides thermal insulation which is critical to minimizing boil-off over flights lasting up to 5 hours and simultaneously acts as secondary containment if the inner line develops a leak. An interspace monitoring capability provides early detection before any failure cascades to the outer wall. 

By designing both walls from the same CF/LMPAEK material system and braiding each with independent laminate layups, herone independently tunes the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of each tube. A near-zero axial CTE laminate on the inner tube suppresses axial contraction during cooldown. A matched CTE design between inner and outer walls removes the differential movement that conventional lines manage with bellows. Eliminating bellows reduces the joint count, system weight and the potential leak-point inventory simultaneously.

Braiding to functional assembly

The company’s manufacturing sequence begins with automated tape braiding. Victrex tape AE250 supplied in LMPAEK-matrix form with PAEK-compatible sizing that delivers 20% higher fiber-matrix adhesion than unsized fibers, are braided over a mandrel by a robotic system that controls feed rate, braid angle and layer sequence. Braid angles from ±15° to 70° are selectable as well as pure 0° layer integration, enabling the laminate architecture to be tuned for each application — including specific multi-axial angles for CTE management and higher helical angles for hoop-stress capacity under internal pressure. For curved sections, the mandrel geometry routes the tube through bends with radii more than twice the diameter without fiber wrinkling, a direct advantage of the TPC tape architecture over dry fiber braiding that must be consolidated separately.

Robotic tape braiding deposits fully impregnated CF/LMPAEK tapes at controlled braid angles onto a mandrel, producing a net-shape hollow preform ready for bladder-assisted consolidation without intermediate processing steps.

Following the completion of the braided preform, including the metallic barrier film positioned between designated laminate layers at this stage, the assembly transfers to a heated press. An internal inflatable bladder inserted through the tube bore applies radial consolidation pressure from inside the preform against the tool face while the  press assembly heats to processing temperature: 305-340°C for plies of carbon fiber-reinforced prepreg made with LMPAEK polymer 385°C for PEEK. This OOA consolidation produces void content below 2% in approximately 15 minutes, compared to 240 minutes for autoclave-cured thermoset prepregs. 

The company’s Dresden facility, representing more than €4 million in production investment, targets 20,000 parts annually, and that throughput only makes sense at 15-minute consolidation cycles. The metallic barrier film is positioned between braided layers before consolidation and thermally fused into the finished wall during the same press cycle, requiring no separate process step.

For field assembly, herone has also developed a PEEK-based electrofusion socket system: a resistance-heating element embedded in a thermoplastic sleeve heats the joint to fusion temperature when energized, welding two line sections together on-site without additional tooling or external heat sources. 

“We’ve developed a joining approach that works like plumbing,” says Barfuss. “You bring the socket to the site, clip on a simple electrical connection, and the heat does the rest. No tooling, no external press; the joint fuses in place.”

This concept brings the simplicity of established plumbing-industry joining techniques to enable reliable fusing of pipe sections to an aerospace-grade composite cryogenic line.

Making a case for CF/LMPAEK in aerospace programs

Micrograph analysis of CF/LMPAEK laminate specimens subjected to extended cryogenic thermal cycling shows no measurable microcracking in either flat coupons or tubular geometry. This represents the critical distinction from thermoset composite test results under equivalent conditions. Permeation measurements on cycled and uncycled specimens confirm that barrier-integrated laminates meet aviation LH₂ service requirements. The material system carries qualification data from broader aerospace programs under PAEK-class material approvals (see sidebar), and herone holds AS/EN9100 manufacturing certification. 

Cross-section micrograph of a CF/LMPAEK tube wall shows the metallic permeation barrier layer thermally fused between laminate plies during consolidation, with no adhesive interface.

Compared to aerospace-grade stainless steel, the CF/LMPAEK tape-braided tube assembly is projected to reduce line system weight by 50-60%. Additional savings from integral CF/LMPAEK flanges displace separate metallic flange hardware, as flanges account for roughly one-third of a metallic line assembly’s total mass.

The technology currently sits at technology readiness level (TRL) 3 for the aviation double-wall configuration, with TRL 6 targeted within the coming year. No established certification standards yet exist specifically for LH₂ piping in passenger aircraft; EASA CS-25 specifications are being adapted, and the FAA’s December 2024 Hydrogen-Fueled Aircraft Roadmap sets development targets through 2028 and 2032. Nonetheless, the failure behavior of herone’s CF/LMPAEK-based tube assemblies aligns well with the regulatory intent of those frameworks. Unlike metallic lines that can fail suddenly under overpressure, the TPC tubes fail first in the polymer matrix, producing slow localized leakage detectable through the interspace monitoring system before any structural event occurs. That failure-mode predictability is an engineering argument for CF/LMPAEK as much as a safety one.

The design’s thermoplastic matrix also closes the sustainability case. Because LMPAEK can be remelted, production off-cuts and end-of-life components can be reprocessed into chopped TPC feedstock, avoiding the landfill destination typical for thermoset composite scrap. For an industry beginning to treat circular economy obligations as genuine design constraints rather than compliance exercises, that reprocessability matters.

“We’re not just replacing metal with composites,” Barfuss notes. “We’re creating a system that aviation’s H₂ infrastructure can actually qualify, maintain and eventually recycle, and doing it in a way that can be manufactured at the rates the industry will eventually need.”

Source | CW

CompositesWorld announces that the next installment in its annual Tech Days online event series will be “Thermoplastic Composite Solutions for Aerospace Structures.” The event is scheduled to take place June 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Innovative materials, advanced processes and surging demand from the commercial aerospace and defense sectors for rapid-production solutions are elevating thermoplastic composites to the forefront of aerostructures manufacturing.

Across both smaller secondary components and larger primary structures, thermoplastic composites are seen as transformative for rapidly evolving markets next-generation aerospace and defense and advanced air mobility (AAM) which require high-rate, high-volume materials and processes that break free from autoclaves and thermoset resins, embracing improved efficiency, scalability, multifunctionality and recyclability.

In this CW Tech Days event, industry experts will explore cutting-edge materials and processing technologies driving the shift to high-rate thermoplastic composite parts production and provide insights into topics such as:

• The rise of oversized presses
• In-situ thermoplastic automated fiber placement (AFP)
• Injection overmolding, specialized tooling for massive parts
• Advanced welding for assembly
• Robust process controls
• Case studies from groundbreaking aerospace, defense and AAM projects

Join us to explore how these innovations are powering future airframes, engines and more.

Make sure to keep an eye out for updates leading up to the event.

Call for abstracts

Material and equipment suppliers, along with industry experts interested in presenting at the fall CW Tech Days event on June 24, 2026, are invited to submit abstracts to press@compositesworld.com. Please reference “CW Tech Days: Thermoplastic Composite Solutions for Aerospace Structures” in the subject line. Abstracts should be approximately 150 words and clearly explain the topics to be presented, including a list of technologies, processes or strategies that will be addressed.

All submitted abstracts will be considered for inclusion in the event agenda. The deadline for consideration is May 4, 2026.

Abstracts are evaluated and considered according to the technical and educational value they bring to the global composites industry. In order to bring the most value to our audience, we will avoid content that is highly commercial or does not clearly relate to trends and/or new developments in high-temperature systems.

Source | Coexpair

Safran Aircraft Engines (Paris, France) has contracted with Coexpair (Namur, Belgium) for the delivery and installation of a pneumatic heated press that will equip the Safran’s new Composite Development Laboratory at Villaroche, France. Aimed to support Safran in the development of next‑generation thermoset and thermoplastic applications for aircraft engines, this advanced press enables the manufacturing of high‑performance composite parts using a range of processes including:

• RTM
• SQRTM
• Compression molding
• Thermoplastic consolidation
• Thermoplastic hot forming

The system integrates Coexpair’s latest technological advancements, such as high‑speed actuation and advanced coordination software for seamless synchronization with Coexpair injection systems, as well as controlled cooling capabilities. Aligned with Coexpair’s core technology pillars — oil‑free operation, low energy consumption, robust design and minimal maintenance — this press exemplifies the reliability and efficiency that characterize Coexpair and Radius Engineering (Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.) equipment, used daily in aerospace production facilities worldwide.

The Coexpair team is proud to support Safran in the development of future engine technologies, paving the way for even more sustainable, high‑rate production of advanced composite parts.

Sources (top left, clockwise) | Deutsche Aircraft, Joby Aviation, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Airbus Global Market Forecast 2025 and Airbus/ Smart & Sustainable RTM (SAUBER) 4.0 project

Commercial airliner production

Source | CW compilation of industry data

Airbus (Toulouse, France) led 2025 deliveries with 793 aircraft while Boeing (Arlington, Va., U.S.) totaled 583, with single-aisle aircraft comprising the majority for both. Meanwhile, widebody aircraft continue to recover post-COVID. While Airbus still struggles to reach its production targets — due to supply chain issues mainly with Pratt & Whitney (East Hartford, Conn., U.S.) engines, but also with specific components for aerostructures, cabin interiors and landing gear — Boeing continues to make significant progress, reaching a rate of 42/month for the 737 MAX and 7/month for the 787.

Boeing is forecasting deliveries of 600 commercial aircraft in 2026 — note this will be new production versus clearing out undelivered inventory — with the 737 MAX reported to comprise roughly 500 of those at a rate of 47/month and a target 787 rate of 10/month by the end of 2026. In November 2025, Boeing announced expansion of its 787 production site in South Carolina, including a new final assembly building plus additional parts preparation and interiors capacity.

Demand for ≈34,250 new narrowbody aircraft Demand for ≈8,200 new widebody aircraft Source | Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF) 2025

Airbus is projecting ≈870 deliveries in 2026 (up almost 10% from 2025) with industry sources estimating the split as follows:

• 700-750 narrowbodies with 2026 serving to ramp toward 70-75 A320/321 aircraft/month by the end of 2027.
• >100 A220 regional jets (previously 14/month, but revised down due to Pratt & Whitney’s engine issues).
• ≈65 A350 and ≈42 A330 widebody aircraft.

To meet these figures, Airbus is activating a second A320 family line in Tianjin, China, in early 2026 and a second A321-capable line in Toulouse, France, by mid-2026. However, Pratt & Whitney’s continued inability to resolve quality issues in its metal high-pressure turbines and compressors is also holding back A320/A321 deliveries with Airbus threatening legal action if the engine OEM isn’t able to fulfill its production requirements. Airbus deliveries so far in 2026 are down 20% from its targets.

Meanwhile, Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) is targeting growth toward 85 commercial regional jets in 2026 and 100 in 2027. The E2 program is showing strong sales momentum and the company closed 2025 with a record backlog driven by its commercial jets — increasing 42% year-over-year —alongside its executive/business jets, where it’s targeting 60-170 deliveries in 2026.

The company is also planning to develop a final assembly line (FAL) for its E175 aircraft as part of an enhanced MOU with Adani Defence & Aerospace (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India). According to a February press release, Embraer estimates that India will need at least 500 regional jets with 80-146 seats over the next 20 years. Aiming to establish an ecosystem for the E175, both companies are working on opportunities in aircraft manufacturing, supply chain, aftermarket services and pilot training to support India’s Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA) program, as well as securing orders to support the proposed FAL.

Continued shift to Asia, the rise of India

 

Regional share of available seat kilometers (ASK) in airlines. Source | Airbus GMF 2025

ASK increase (left) and network densification (right) in fastest-growing markets. Source | Airbus GMF 2025

According to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF) 2025, the commercial aircraft market continues to shift toward Asia and the Middle East. In a January 2026 release, Airbus forecasts that India’s commercial fleet will triple in size to 2,250 aircraft as it becomes the third-largest civil aviation market in the world by 2035. Also reported in January 2026, Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) projects airlines in India and Southeast Asia will need ≈3,300 new aircraft by 2044 — 90% of which will be single-aisle jets.

A February 2026 white paper by Alton Aviation Consultancy notes that while China continues to play a dominant role, growth in Southeast Asia is increasing, led by markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. The report notes Asia-Pacific also now accounts for ≈40% of global air freight demand, reflecting the increasing importance of intra‑Asia trade and Asia’s critical role in global supply chains.

In response, Boeing and Airbus are aggressively expanding their manufacturing footprint in India. In October 2025, AirInsight reported that Airbus will manufacture the H125 helicopter in the southern Indian state of Karnataka and is establishing a factory to produce the C-295 military aircraft in the western state of Gujarat with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL, New Delhi) — the first time Airbus has deployed an aircraft’s entire production system outside its home nation. Meanwhile, Boeing signed an agreement in January 2024 for TASL to manufacture advanced composite assemblies for the 737 MAX, 777X (now scheduled to enter service in 2027) and 787. The parts will be made in TASL’s advanced composites manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru and Nagpur and add to ongoing production of composite floor beams for the 787 in Nagpur. Indian aviation press notes this agreement strengthens TASL’s commitment to become a premier supplier of composite aerostructures.

The Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd. (TBAL, Hyderabad, Telangana) joint venture was established in 2021 and employs more than 900 engineers and technicians. It produces various secondary structures, shipped its first vertical fin structures for the 737 family in 2023 and has delivered 300 AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fuselages. The facility has also added a new production line for 737 fan cowl assemblies operating in coordination with the Nagpur and Bengaluru facilities.

According to an Economic Times report in February 2026, Boeing aims to make India its largest foreign supplier base — it has more than 325 Indian suppliers of parts and services worth $1.25 billion — while Airbus is aiming to increase its part sourcing in India from $1.4 to $2 billion annually. It is worth noting that India is also increasing its defense spending, now ranking fourth behind the U.S., China and Russia. This will also drive growth in its domestic aerocomposites production capacity.

Commercial vs defense outlook

Aerostructures — as compared to components in engines and interiors — comprise most of the composites value in the combined civil and military aerospace market. This was explained in a presentation given at CW’s Carbon Fiber conference 2025 by Collin Heller, vice president of Counterpoint Market Intelligence. He also noted that the majority of that value resides in commercial/civil aircraft as compared to military/defense platforms (see graphs below).

Aerospace composites market by value (2024) Source | Counterpoint Market Intelligence

Although the commercial sector is expected to maintain the majority market share for aerocomposites, recent growth in spending for military airframes should result in an increased market share for military aerocomposites.  According to a January 2026 article, Forecast International expects global defense spending  to reach $2.6 trillion by the end of 2026 — an 8.1% increase over 2025 — and $2.9 trillion by the end of the decade.

Composites in defense airframes are being driven by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including millions of attritable drones as well as medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAS, collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and stealth UAS/unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV). More traditional aircraft include the F-35 (global rate of 150/year), B-21 Raider (ramp through late 2020s), Next-Gen Air Dominance (NGAD) and European/Japanese programs entering LRIP by 2030. Military rotorcraft round out the list, including next-gen and uncrewed variants. All of these platforms rely on composites for lightweight, high structural performance and in many cases, stealth.

Richard Aboulafia, managing director of Aerodynamic Advisory, points out that the aerospace market is experiencing a simultaneous civil and military upturn that was previously rare. A February 2026 article by RedChalk Group goes further: The aerospace and defense industry is experiencing fundamental change — the rules of 30 years are being rewritten. Supply chains once optimized for cost now represent weak links and technology is moving faster than acquisition processes can adapt. While defense spending surges, commercial backlogs stretch to 11 years. Continued attrition and shortages in critical labor positions are colliding with tariffs and geopolitical instability to create a very difficult situation for global supply chains.

Both commercial and defense sectors want more airframes than these supply chains can deliver. In an October 2025 presentation, AeroDynamic Advisory emphasized that the issues here are structural, including materials and parts shortages, lack of supplier investment, weak supplier business models, understaffed regulators and constantly changing tariffs. The RedChalk article asserts that a successful path forward will require leveraging technology, including additive manufacturing for adaptability and freedom from retooling, digitization to increase productivity by the 30-40% now required and new digital tools — including AI — to dramatically compress development cycles for materials, components and airframes.

Blended wing body aircraft

As Airbus and Boeing struggle to keep pace with airline demand, two companies have emerged aiming to fill the gap in aircraft deliveries but also in sustainability via new blended wing body (BWB) aircraft. JetZero (Long Beach, Calif., U.S.) and Natilus (San Diego, Calif., U.S.) are both developing and commercializing aircraft which will feature carbon fiber composite fuselage and wings but in designs that eliminate the tubular fuselage-to-wing joint of traditional aircraft while enabling the entire fuselage to produce lift, resulting in a more aerodynamic structure with less drag as well as improved structural efficiency and significant weight savings. Both aircraft are targeting 50% less fuel burn and emissions.

JetZero’s Z4 program is targeting first flight in 2027 under a U.S. Air Force program, supported by partners including Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites, which is building a full-scale demonstrator with major structural sections already in assembly at Mojave. The company is also advancing toward production with construction of a manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, to start in 2026. It will produce up to 20 Z4 aircraft/month at full rate, expected by the late 2030s. United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have invested in JetZero and placed conditional orders. Other partnerships include:

• JetZero has developed a digital thread design in partnership with Siemens (Plano, Texas, U.S.) that includes fiber optic sensors embedded throughout the aircraft for monitoring its structures and systems.
• Collins Aerospace (Charlotte, N.C., U.S.) an RTX company, will design and build nacelle structures including the inlet, fan cowl and fan duct, in addition to fairings and the engine support structure.
• Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) is advancing a strategic partnership through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Fueling Aviation’s Sustainable Transition (FAST) program, qualifying composite materials for JetZero’s aircraft development program.

Source | JetZero

The Horizon Evo evolves into a dual-deck design, offering enhanced passenger space plus cargo yet fits into existing airport infrastructure and operations. Source | Natilus

Natilus is using its first aircraft, the Kona regional turboprop freighter, to serve as its pathfinder, having already flight tested subscale prototypes. A full-scale Kona prototype is now being manufactured, targeting to fly by 2028 with aircraft entry into service by 2030. Concurrently, Natilus’ larger Horizon Evo passenger jet is in early prototype development with a scaled demonstrator expected to fly by 2027.

Natilus has raised $28 million in Series A financing and secured more than 570 pre-orders (worth an estimated $24 billion) for Kona including by Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, Aurora International, Dymond, Nolinor Aviation, Ameriflight and Flexport. SpiceJet is also a partner, helping the Horizon Evo get certified in India, with plans to purchase 100 aircraft. The newly established subsidiary Natilus India, to be headquartered in Mumbai, will help commercialize Natilus aircraft and source manufactured parts in India.

Natilus is currently working with the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for Horizon Evo certification in India and pursuing Part 25 certification through the FAA in the U.S. In February 2026, Natilus announced that based on FAA and airline feedback, it has evolved the Horizon Evo design into a dual-deck configuration, more akin to typical tube-and-wing aircraft, with plans for entry into service by the early 2030s. For Kona, certification is per FAA Part 23 approval for general aviation (e.g., aircraft 19,000 pounds or less), a lower regulatory barrier compared to Part 25, but still typically requiring multiple years of test flights and approval processes. Natilus is also preparing for industrialization, searching for a U.S. manufacturing site and planning a 250,000-square-foot factory to produce up to 60 aircraft/year.

Business jets

In October 2025, Honeywell published its 34^th annual Global Business Aviation Outlook, which forecast that a record-setting 8,500 new business jets will be delivered over the next 10 years. With an average growth rate of 3%, 2026 deliveries are expected to be 5% higher than in 2025, with North America expected to receive roughly 70% of these over the next 3 years, comprising 62% of the global fleet. Europe follows with 14% of new jet deliveries over the next 3 years and 11% of the global business aviation fleet, while Latin American, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa come in at 7%, 5% and 3%, respectively, although Latin American comprises 15% of the global fleet.

Aircraft performance and cost are two primary drivers for buyers, with aircraft range being the single most important specification, and payload and speed also ranking near the top. Honeywell also conducted an analysis of sustainability, finding that 81% of operators believe new, more fuel-efficient aircraft and engines are worth developing. Among those who are taking proactive steps to improve sustainability, 60% are acquiring more fuel-efficient aircraft.

Composites are key in this improved performance, and are being used by the following companies reported on in 2026:

• Dassault’s Falcon 10X jet rollout is set for March 2026. (CFRP wings built in Anglet, France using Hexcel prepregs reduce weight by >400 kilograms, minimize drag and enhance the aircraft’s high-speed and long-range performance while enabling takeoff on short runways and speeds up to Mach 0.925.) 
• Cirrus G3 Vision Jet unveiling builds upon years of composites and
  safety expertise. (Features seating for seven and Mach 0.54 operating limit for faster, more efficient travel than previous models, which also use a CFRP airframe (fuselage and wings) for increased durability, cabin space and structural integrity.)
• HondaJet Echelon program passes key milestones on the way to first 2026 flight. (Uses a CFRP fuselage to facilitate laminar flow, boost efficiency by 20% and increase cabin space, while composite doors aid in reducing weight, helping achieve a nonstop transcontinental range and max Mach 0.7 cruise speed.)
• Pilatus breaks ground on fifth flagship U.S. facility in Florida. (The site will serve many functions including production of the PC-24 jet which uses GFRP and CFRP in main landing gear doors, engine cowlings and mounting flaps, wingtips and trailing edges, ducts, rear fuselage fairings and tail structures to reduce weight, increasing payload by >90 kilograms, range to 3,704 kilometers and short takeoff ability as well as aerodynamic and structural efficiency.)

Other business jets making extensive use of composites include the Dassault Falcon 8X/7X, Gulfstream G650/G700/G800, Bombardier Global 7500/8000 and Challenger 3500, and Embraer Praetor 500/600.

Meeting the demand for increased production rates

“Meeting rate” has become a key mantra in the aircraft industry, for both commercial and military programs. Many of the news stories and feature articles CW has published over the past year showcase materials and processes that demonstrate paths to increased composite part production rates.

Resin transfer molding (RTM) has been used by Airbus and multiple Tier 1 suppliers to speed parts production, such as at Spirit AeroSystems’ (now Airbus’) high-rate spoiler production line in Prestwick, Scotland and the fan blades for the LEAP engine. After years of development — see HP-RTM for serial production of aerostructures and 2-part epoxy for increased aerostructures production — CTC Stade (Stade, Germany), an Airbus Company, completed the Smart & Sustainable RTM (SAUBER) 4.0 project (2021-2023) in collaboration with Airbus Operations GmbH, which has advanced use of 2K epoxy resins to the point of qualification.

Source | Airbus, SAUBER 4.0 project

The project demonstrated RTM using 2K epoxy in multiple parts, eliminating the long cure cycles and cold storage of premixed 1K systems. New sensors and techniques for ensuring proper mixing across injection cycles and composite parts were key enablers. Further process speed was achieved by integrating induction mats into RTM tools for fast, homogeneous heating while preforms were produced using tailored fiber placement (TFP) and dry fiber placement (DFP).

Tier 1 supplier Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI, Sacheon, South Korea) also demonstrated use of liquid resin molding to produce a 4.1 × 1.5-meter curved wing skin section with integrated stringers made with resin infusion as well as a 1.2 × 0.4-meter torsion box demonstrator using same qualified RTM (SQRTM) in a 2019-2023 program. (Read more: “KAI demonstrates thermoplastic and infused structures for future airframes.”)

Thermoplastic composites (TPC) are another key pathway toward faster production of large composite structures. In a separate 2019-2023 program, KAI developed a 3-meter-tall, 2-meter-wide TPC fuselage section, including automated fiber placement (AFP) to produce the skin, continuous compression molded (CCM) stringers, stamp formed clips and compression molded window frames from recycled materials, as well as assembly using induction and resistance welding. The company has also produced a 1.5-meter-long induction welded TPC wing control surface.

Highly Loaded Thermoplastic Wing Rib demonstrator. Source | Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

In its Highly Loaded Thermoplastic Wing Rib demonstrator project (2021-2025), Tier 1 supplier Daher (Nantes, France) combined advanced simulation, manufacturing and assembly techniques to demonstrate thick (up to 64 plies) TPC wing ribs for future commercial aircraft programs. Daher’s patented direct stamping process eliminates the consolidation step between layup and stamping, reducing cycle time and manufacturing cost while the patented infrared welding process developed by partner the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), enables fast assembly of two L-shaped components to form the T‑shaped rib, eliminating the cost, time and logistics of rivets. The program’s achievements include:

• 22% weight reduction versus aluminum
• 15% lower assembly cost and 25% shorter production cycle versus bolted assembly
• 12.5 tons CO_₂ saved per rib over an aircraft’s lifetime
• Full recyclability thanks to thermoplastic materials.

Greene Tweed has developed a TPC vane using a co-molded metal leading edge and fast-cycle process enabling 10,000 parts/year. Source | Greene Tweed

In October 2025, Greene Tweed (Kulpsville, Pa., U.S.) announced a 10-year agreement with one of the world’s largest commercial engine manufacturers to supply more than 50 custom parts made with its Xycomp DLF TPC material. Described as discontinuous long fiber (DLF), the material comprises chopped aerospace-grade prepreg tapes of carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK, PEKK or PEI which is compression molded using a proprietary process. The company has also now developed a TPC stator vane/engine guide vane, targeting a weight savings of 4 kilograms per engine. The company modified its HyFusion hybrid compression and injection molding process to meet a high production volume of 60 blades per engine for multiple engines per aircraft. The new process, call ColdFusion, enables cycle times of 20 minutes or less, enabling 10,000 parts/year using a mold with two cavities. (Read: “Cutting engine weight via thermoplastic composite guide vanes.”)

Increased automation and digitization is another key vector being used to significantly improve productivity in the composites supply chain. Examples CW reported on over the past year include the examples below.

Wichita State University’s (WSU, Kan., U.S.) National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) shows how its ATLAS lab leverages fiber patch placement (FPP) to replace hand layup in complex geometry applications featuring conical transitions, steps and convex /concave features — think fairings, antenna domes, nacelle inlets and sandwich structures with chamfer transitions. ATLAS demonstrates how its 10-axis Samba Pro system by Cevotec (Munich, Germany) — featuring an ultra-fast Scara pick-and-place robot and a six-axis tool manipulator — can be used to speed production via patch-based laminates that maintain fiber orientation and achieve thickness build-up at rates being targeted by current and future programs. (Read: “NIAR video documents how FPP advanced aerocomposites manufacturing.”)

As Hill Helicopters (Stafford, U.K.) developed its HX50 helicopter, production of the composite main rotor blades had to meet a rate of 12 rotors/day while achieving a lightweight, robust structure with a narrow safe band of natural frequencies and minimizing manufacturing-induced variability. To do this, it replaced traditional multistep processes (separately manufactured spars are bonded to skins, foam cores are adhesively attached, and erosion shields are mechanically fastened as a final step) with a one-shot compression molding process that creates the entire blade structure in a single cure cycle.

Syensqo’s end-to-end double diaphragm forming (DDF) system. Source | Syensqo

Bell Textron Inc. (Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) has qualified and industrialized Syensqo’s (Alpharetta, Ga., U.S.) patented double diaphragm forming (DDF) process and fast-cure Cycom EP 2750 aerospace prepreg to automate processing for high-rate, high-volume composite parts. Benefits include reduced operational costs, waste, energy consumption and emissions while using DDF has enabled Bell to remove small- to medium-size parts from the autoclave, maximizing that equipment for larger parts instead.

Automated Ply Placement (APP) technology. Source | Airborne

Airbus Helicopters (Marignane, France) is boosting production at its Le Bourget factory, which makes composite blades and hub structures for all Airbus helicopter models, by implementing Airborne’s (The Hague, Netherlands) Automated Ply Placement (APP) and Kit by Light (KBL) technologies. APP is already used by Airbus Commercial for its A350 widebody aircraft program, automating the layup process for prepreg and dry fiber (read “Modular, robotic cells enable high-rate RTM using any material format”). New features for part size, layup and quality inspection will be added for Airbus Helicopters. KBL is already used at the Airbus Helicopters plant in Donauwörth, Germany. Building on that experience, the system will be implemented in the Le Bourget factory to reduce material waste and increase output. Airborne is also working to implement APP and KBL at FIDAMC, the renowned composites technocenter in Madrid, Spain.

Spanish research center Ideko (Elgoibar) has helped to automate milling, drilling and trimming of carbon fiber composite parts in the ROBOCOMP project to boost efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Ideko worked to add intelligence and increased robot precision through improved mechatronics, system calibration and autonomous operation. Artificial vision systems and sensors are connected to a digital system that enables real-time process monitoring and analysis, identifying possible errors or deviations to ensure part quality and prevent rework.

Fibreline system for high-rate preforming. Source | Loop Technology

Loop Technology’s (Dorchester, U.K.) Fibreline system for high-rate preforming, now combined with Zünd’s (Oak Creek, Wis., U.S.) largest-ever digital cutting system, the Aero Q-Line, to achieve deposition rates of 200 kg/hr and higher, far beyond traditional manual layup and AFP/ATL, according to Loop.

Source | Bespline, Curve Works

Bespline (Sherbrooke, QC, Canada) and Curve Works Holding (Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands) have jointly acquired the intellectual property (IP) and assets of Adapa A/S (Aalborg). Through jointly aligned operations, Addcomp in the Americas and Morphing Technologies in Europe will release a redesigned generation of digitally reconfigurable mold systems beginning in 2026 and support clients to expand the technology globally, including in aerospace composite parts production and next-gen manufacturing solutions. The technology uses a single digital molding system able to reconfigure in minutes to produce a variety of complex-shaped using processes including resin infusion, AFP preforming and thermoforming.

Thin-ply prepregs have been used for decades to make composite structures lighter and tougher, including increasing impact resistance. Recent advancements include work by Airbus Helicopters, Fraunhofer IGCV and Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) within the NATURE project to develop an innovative construction method based on thin-walled shell structures with pseudo hollow-profile stiffeners enabling significant mass savings without compromising mechanical integrity. The consortium used a carbon fiber-reinforced LMPAEK thermoplastic polymer (Victrex, Clevelys, U.K.) prepreg made by Fukuvi Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. (Fukui, Japan), weighing only 36 gsm with a 45-micron thickness.

In a separate project, Airbus worked with AFP technology supplier MTorres (Torres de Elorz, Navarra, Spain) to address technical challenges when using thin-ply materials, enabling precise, defect-free laminates in closed/complex geometries for even lighter, more efficient high-performance composite structures. MTorres redesigned its AFP heads to maintain tow integrity, placement accuracy and process temperature control while the TorFiber CAM software now allows engineers to generate complex layup strategies with precise control automatically and with greater agility. This streamlines the programming process and reduces the time required to prepare such layups, making AFP more scalable for higher-volume and increased-rate production.

Bonding and fastening are also being transformed. Bonded fastener technology supplier Click Bond (Carson City, Nev., U.S.) has launched its Digital Solutions, which use extended reality (XR) platforms to eliminate layout steps and physical templates, speeding installation, as well as real-time inspection to verify fastener placement to tolerances as tight as 1 millimeter. The technology also automatically logs installation records for digital traceability. In a pilot program, Vertical Aerospace (Bristol, U.K.) implemented Click Bond’s XR-guided installation, eliminating previous manual tasks and reducing the 3 weeks scheduled for one assembly to just 5 days (read: “Bonded fastening meets the digital factory”).

Click Bond has also acquired Brighton Science (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.), which will continue to operate independently, but further augment faster composites production by using its 2-second surface measurements and digital framework to help manufacturers achieve reliable, predictable bond quality for adhesive bonding, coating, sealing and painting operations (read: “Advancing bonding, coating and sealing to 4.0 systems for composites, metals and more”).

“Together, our companies will deliver new innovations for advanced manufacturing,” says Brighton Science CEO, Andy Reeher. “It’s crucial to exert process control that actually achieves speed without sacrificing quality or increasing cost. Companies no longer have time to repeat and redo cleaning, surface prep or application operations critical during aerostructures assembly.”

Civil UAS (UAV)/drone market

 

Source | The Teal Group

Per its annual report released in January 2026, the Teal Group forecasts the global market for recreational and commercial drones will double by 2034, with a 6.8% CAGR, but with a peak expansion for most sectors around 2029 as the technology matures and acquisition moves from end users to service providers.

The 822,039 drones now registered in the U.S. are split 53/46 commercial versus recreational use, changing from 50/50 in 2025 while registrations fell 3%. The study expects this split to widen as consumer demand continues to fall while cost of commercial systems continues to rise. The split in aircraft production value at the end of the 10-year forecast is 87% commercial and only 10% consumer systems.

While commercial markets are developing at very different rates globally, depending on whether regulations have been established, commercial UAS are moving to a service-based market with drone acquisition for inspections in energy and agriculture transitioning from end users to service providers. Thus, the number of UAS customers will decrease but each will buy more drones. A second important factor is the move from expansion to replacement, meaning total fleets will not continue to grow in the out years. These trends are why Teal forecasts 8% CAGR versus the 30-40% from other analysts.

Drone and component producers using composites

Acceligence Ltd. (Cyprus, Greece, U.K.) is demonstrating how renewable composite materials and digital twins can transform UAVs.

Aerodine Composites (U.S.) has expanded its composite propeller capabilities for UAS.

Autel Robotics (China/U.S.) employs rigid composites for foldable commercial drones.

DJI (China) uses high-performance materials including carbon fiber for frames in enterprise-level drones.

Flyber (U.K.) uses prepreg without autoclave or extensive curing cycles, enabling on-demand CFRP propeller production via its modular, scalable manufacturing cells.

Freefly Systems (U.S.) is known for using carbon fiber composites in industrial drones like the Alta X.

Mejzlik Propellers (Czech Republic) has added a higher-rate compression molding line for its commercial drone composite propellers.

Parrot (France) incorporates carbon fiber and technical plastics.

Drones from Uavos (top) and Acceligence (bottom) use composites in rotor blades and other structures, while the AMRC (Sheffield, U.K.) has used TFP to create a UAV wing structure (right). Source | Uavos, Accelgience, AMRC

Piasecki Aircraft (U.S.) uses a carbon fiber composite shell in its Kargo and Kargo II medium-lift UAVs for commercial and military applications.

Skydio (U.S.) produces drones using composites from Arris.

Uavos (U.S., Spain) uses carbon fiber prepreg for main rotor blades.

Advanced air mobility/eVTOL

According to a January 2026 article in Advanced Air Mobility International, 2026 is set to be a pivotal year, laying the groundwork for more robust operations expected in 2027-2030 and marking the transition from demonstrations to the first structured commercial routes. While the advanced air mobility (AAM) market won’t reach full commercial maturity in 2026, OEMs are working hard to achieve critical technical, regulatory and operational milestones that should achieve real progress toward widespread adoption.

Joby Aviation Inc. and Archer Aviation are expected to make notable progress in type certification (TC) with the FAA, potentially progressing toward limited commercial passenger routes with airlines and mobility operators. In Europe, Vertical Aerospace continues its certification activity with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and EASA.

Eve Air Mobility, backed by Embraer, is advancing toward 2027 certification and entry into service with test flights currently underway for Brazil’s ANAC (National Civil Aviation Agency) while conducting a concurrent validation process with the FAA and collaborating with EASA in Europe. China’s EHang is already operating under a limited autonomous passenger certification within the region, and may expand its certified routes in 2026, achieving one of the earliest routine autonomous eVTOL operations worldwide. (Read: “EHang posts record Q4 revenue” and “deepens Hefei partnership for VT35 long-range eVTOL.”)

AAM orders as of March 2026. Source | AAM Reality Index, © SMG Consulting 2026

Perhaps the best resource for understanding this market is the AAM Reality Index compiled by SMG Consulting, which not only ranks each market entrant on a 0 to 10 scale, but also tracks their funding, likelihood of achieving targeted entry into service and aircraft orders by type and country.

Joby

A propeller blade at Joby’s Dayton, Ohio facility. Source | Joby Aviation

In October 2025, Joby Aviation (Santa Cruz, Calif., U.S.) began manufacturing composite propeller blades at its Dayton, Ohio facility, which will eventually support production of up to 500 aircraft/year.

In November, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA, Riyadh) announced it will use FAA certification standards to create a streamlined approval process for Joby’s aircraft in Saudi Arabia. That month also saw Joby successfully complete a landmark flight test in the UAE, where it added another three vertiports to Dubai’s electric air taxi network.

In December 2025, Joby announced plans to double its U.S. manufacturing capacity and signed an agreement in January 2026 to acquire a second manufacturing facility in Dayton. Operations in the 700,000-square-foot facility are targeted to start in 2026.  It complements Joby’s existing production facilities in California and Ohio, and will support production up to four aircraft/month in 2027 with space for future growth.

Joby began flight testing its first FAA-conforming aircraft for type inspection authorization (TIA) in March 2026, paving the way for FAA pilots to conduct required TIA testing. This was announced days after the U.S. government cleared the way for mature designs like Joby’s to begin early operations as part of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) which could significantly accelerate Joby’s path to commercial service. The company made further announcements in March 2026, including that it expects to carry its first passengers in Dubai in 2026.

Archer

The Midnight eVTOL completes a 55-mile flight at speeds exceeding 126 miles per hour. Source | Archer Aviation

In May 2025, Archer Aviation (Santa Clara, Calif., U.S.) announced it was selected as the official air taxi provider of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, using its Midnight piloted eVTOL designed to carry up to four passengers.

In June, it announced raising an additional $850 million in funding and two acquisitions in August, aimed at accelerating development of its next-generation defense aircraft in partnership with Anduril (Costa Mesa, Calif., U.S.). The company reported in October 2025 that its partner Soracle (Tokyo, Japan) will lead establishment of air taxi services in Osaka Prefecture. Archer also acquired Lilium GmbH’s (Munich, Germany) portfolio of ≈300 patent assets, including key innovations in high-voltage systems, battery management, aircraft design, flight controls, electric engines, propellers and ducted fans.

In November 2025, Archer signed an agreement with key partners to build the foundational framework for planned eVTOL operations in Saudi Arabia. In February 2026, it selected Bristol as the home of its UK Engineering Hub, which will support advanced engineering initiatives across both its commercial and defense programs, and confirmed in March 2026 that it will continue to expand its piloted Midnight fleet through 2026, targeting first passenger flights later in the year. Archer is also on track for piloted Midnight aircraft operations in the UAE.

Beta Technologies

All-electric Alia CX300 flies as part of Test Arena for scaling AAM in Norway. Source | Beta Technologies

Beta Technologies (S. Burlington, Vt., U.S.) is commercializing its family of Alia aircraft, comprising its Alia VTOL as well as Alia conventional takeoff and landing aircraft (CTOL), and deploying a network of more than 100 charging sites across the U.S. and Canada with 57 already active. At the end of 2025, Beta had a commercial aircraft backlog of 891 aircraft worth approximately $3.5 billion, including 289 firm orders and 602 options. Beta has also been selected to supply electric pusher motors to Eve Air Mobility, a 10-year opportunity worth up to $1 billion. In November 2025, the company raised more than $1 billion in a U.S. IPO and hit 100,000 nautical miles flown in three continents and 10 countries in December.

Source | GE Aerospace

In March 2026, Surf Air Mobility signed a firm order for 25 of Beta’s all- electric Alia CTOL aircraft with options for 75 additional aircraft. The aircraft will be introduced into Surf Air Mobility’s platform for regional operations. In its March 2026 financial results, Beta noted continued building of its relationships with leaders in aerospace and defense, including GE Aerospace, General Dynamics and Eve Air Mobility. Beta has also received more than $4 million of project funding through a contract with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command for Alia CTOL aircraft built to advance autonomous flight. The company also expects to deploy its aircraft through the eIPP, including in Utah’s uFLY project.

Eve Air Mobility

Source | Eve Air Mobility

In February 2026, Eve Air Mobility (São José dos Campos, Brazil) announced it completed the first flight of its uncrewed full-scale eVTOL prototype and secured $150 million in financing to accelerate certification and commercialization. Eve plans for multiple flights in 2026 and will manufacture six conforming prototypes for certification flight test campaign. It has ≈2,900 potential orders from 30+ customers in 13 countries valued at more than $8 billion. The company is converting these to firm orders, including up to 100 aircraft each for Bristow and SkyWest.

Vertical Aerospace

Announced in 2025, Vertical Aerospace (Bristol, U.K.) has reportedly secured roughly 1,500 pre-orders for its piloted Valo eVTOL aircraft, designed for four to six passengers, with customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Recent orders from JetSetGo and Heli Air Monaco support market development in India and the French Riviera.

Vertical’s full-scale VX4 prototype during piloted flight testing. Source | Vertical Aerospace

In November 2025, following 20 months of piloted flight tests, Vertical gained design organization approval (DOA) privileges from the CAA, company completed a third full-scale prototype in December 2025 and is targeting full Type Certification by 2028 with the CAA and EASA.
Vertical has formed a long-term supplier partnership with Syensqo and uses its composite materials in the VX4 prototype aircraft, reportedly integrated across the entire structure. The VX4’s airframe will be manufactured by Aciturri Aerostructures (Mirando de Ebro, Spain), supporting Vertical’s transition to full commercial production.

Vertical opens battery pack pilot production line with adjacent VEC2 facility slated for later in 2026. Source | Vertical Aerospace

Opened in Bristol in 2023, the 15,000-square-foot Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) has produced the battery systems used in the company’s piloted flight testing since 2024. In March 2026, Vertical announced that facility has been upgraded into a battery pack pilot production line with automated aerospace-grade manufacturing processes designed to support certification and production, improving efficiency, consistency and battery performance. A new 30,000-square-foot VEC2 powertrain hub facility adjacent to the existing site is expected to open later in 2026 and will triple battery production capacity. Vertical expects to supply ≈20 battery packs/aircraft over its lifetime and up to ≈45,000 battery sub-packs/year by 2035, targeting ≈40% gross margins. The company is advancing plans to expand its presence at Cotswold Airport, bringing total space to approximately 130,000 square feet. Located adjacent to the existing Flight Test Centre, this site is expected to deliver production capacity of more than 25 Valo aircraft/year.

Other AMM highlights:

• Kratos becomes exclusive U.S. manufacturer for Elroy Air Chaparral cargo VTOL.
• LIFT Aircraft initiates FAA process for Hexa eVTOL.
• Volocopter to launch European eVTOL sandbox program in 2026 featuring VoloCity, VoloXPro and optimizes eVTOL supply chain.
• RAMPF chosen to manufacture Cavorite X7 prototype eVTOL main body and North Aircraft Industries will produce Cavorite X7 VTOL composite wings.

Electrification of conventional aircraft

In addition to the AAM/eVTOL market, there is continued development toward electrification of more conventional fixed-wing aircraft (see the table and highlights below).

Source | Aura Aero

Aura Aero (Toulouse, France) launched its 11,000 square-foot facility at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park (Daytona, Fla., U.S.) in November 2025. This will serve as its U.S. headquarters and first production site. The initial production line will build the Integral family of two-seat, aerobatic-capable training aircraft, which feature a hybrid wood and carbon fiber-reinforced composite construction.

In 2028, the company plans to open a 500,000 square-foot assembly line for its 19-seater ERA regional aircraft and intends to be the world’s first hybrid-electric regional aircraft conceived to use a metal fuselage and carbon fiber composite wing. Aura Aero has partnered with Avel Robotics (Lorient, France) to design and produce the CFRP wing and other structural components. Avel has also expanded its composites production facility, integrated a third AFP robot, large industrial oven and new machining and inspection equipment. It will continue to support the industrialization of the ERA program and ramp up in production through 2026 and 2027. Aura Aero will also operate assembly lines in France.  

Current orders exceed 650 ERA aircraft, totaling more than $10.5 billion, with the U.S. accounting for one-third of these. The U.S. is also the largest training aircraft market in the world, with nearly 600 FAA-approved flight schools, more than 75,000 pilots and a growing demand for modern, cost-effective aircraft.

Bye Aerospace Inc. (Denver, Colo., U.S) is developing the eFlyer2 aircraft in partnership with Composite Approach (Redmond, Ore., U.S.), a carbon fiber composite prototyping and manufacturing company. The eFlyer series aims to disrupt the training aircraft market with reduced operating costs, high performance and zero-emission electric propulsion. “By combining our all-electric, aerodynamically efficient design with Composite Approach’s mastery of lightweight composite structures, we can demonstrate the first commercially viable all-electric aircraft to address the high costs of pilot training,” emphasizes Rod Zastrow, CEO of Bye Aerospace.

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) but also with provision for future hybrid-electric propulsion integration. The company has chosen Aernnova (Álava, Spain) to deliver composite horizontal and vertical stabilizers for the empennage. Composites will also be used in fairings, landing gear doors and flight control movables, which will be produced by Aciturri. 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 aiming for entry into service in Q4 2027.

Source | Evio Inc.

Evio Inc. (Montreal, Canada), a hybrid-electric aircraft developer backed by investment and technical support from Boeing and collaborations with RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada, made its public debut in December 2025 with the launch of the Evio 810. The company has 450 orders for the hybrid-electric regional aircraft, which is targeted to enter service by the early 2030s. Evio projects a demand for more than 7,500 aircraft in this category over the next 20 years thanks to more than 5,000 regional turboprops and jets requiring replacement. Although composites haven’t been explicitly detailed, CEO Michael Derman previously co-founded Angeles Composite Technologies, and the 76-seat aircraft aims for high efficiency, suggesting lightweight materials to offset battery weight will be key.

Heart Aerospace (Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.) announced its relocation from Gothenburg, Sweden in April 2025. After a successful $107 million Series B funding round in 2024 and additional $40 million investment in 2025, the company prepared for first flights of its Heart X1 prototype and continued development of its Heart X2 prototype, including batteries, actuation systems, software and hybrid-electric hardware.

Targeting 2029 for the ES-30’s entry into service, Heart Aerospace has reported 250 firm orders and 191 letters of intent, mainly from U.S. carriers like United and Mesa Airline. In September 2024, the company announced it would patent a new nacelle integration design that uses automated composite technology and significantly improves the flight characteristics of its regional hybrid-electric aircraft, the ES-30, allowing it to operate on shorter runways. It also discussed creating a state-of-the-art aircraft manufacturing process using the latest technologies in composite manufacturing and product life cycle management, building a data-driven assembly line with high repeatability, automation and nondestructive inspection.

H₂-powered aircraft

One of the more exciting developments over the last year for H₂ in aircraft propulsion was the successful filling of liquid H₂ (LH₂) composite aviation tanks by a team that includes:

• Fabrum (Christchurch, New Zealand), developer of zero-emission transition technologies, including composite LH₂ tanks.
• AMSL Aero (Sydney, Australia), developer of the Vertiia H₂-eVTOL aircraft.
• Stralis Aircraft (Brisbane, Australia), developer of high-performance, low-operating-cost H₂-electric propulsion systems.

Source | Fabrum

Fabrum designed and manufactured the advanced composite LH₂ tanks for aircraft companies AMSL Aero and Stralis Aircraft. The refueling was successfully completed at Fabrum’s dedicated LH₂ test facility at Christchurch Airport and highlighted several LH₂ technologies — including Fabrum’s triple-skin onboard tanks, featuring what is reported to be “groundbreaking” composites manufacturing techniques and the culmination of more than 20 years of R&D in cryogenics and composites. Fabrum’s LH₂ tank technology provides enhanced thermal insulation and fast refueling compared to conventional double-skin (dewar) tank designs — delivering up to 70% faster refueling times and an 80% reduction in boil-off losses.

AMSL Aero will install these tanks on its Vertiia aircraft for long-range flights, enabling it to achieve optimal range, payload and speed. In addition, Stralis Aircraft’s lightweight H₂-electric propulsion system will be powered by LH₂ from Fabrum’s cryogenic tanks, which are mounted on the wings of Stralis’ fixed-wing test aircraft. Stralis expects its H₂-electric propulsion system will enable travel up to 10 times further than battery-electric alternatives and save 20-50% on operational costs compared to fossil fuel. Its first H₂ test flight is expected to take off in Australasia within 6 months.

“Our lightweight composite tanks, together with our H₂ liquefier and refueling systems, are critical enablers for H₂-powered flight,” explains Christopher Boyle, managing director of Fabrum. “By bringing all the elements together for the first time on-site at an international airport — producing, storing and dispensing LH₂ into composite aviation tanks as a fuel — we’re proving that LH₂ technologies for aircraft are now available, and that H₂-electric flight will soon be a reality in Australasia.”

Source | ZeroAvia

The long-time leader in developing H₂ aircraft propulsion has been ZeroAvia (Kamble, U.K. and Everett, Wash., U.S.). In November 2025, it received DOA by the UK CAA, a critical milestone on its path to certifying a H₂-electric engine intended for Part 23 aircraft.

However, in February 2026, news sources reported the ZeroAvia’s funding round in December 2025 was not sufficient to sustain its previous plans. The company reduced head count by roughly 50% and adjusted its development roadmap to focus on certifying just the fuel cell system (power generation system) by 2027, delaying the full ZA600 powertrain certification by 12-24 months, and pushing out the larger ZA2000 system to the early 2030s. Work on the electric propulsion components will continue at a slower pace, while the prioritized fuel cell module is a commercial product that could generate needed revenue.

The company reported in March 2026 that it signed a deal to support the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in the development and testing of LH₂ systems for aircraft. ZeroAvia will provide design guidance and assist in a multiyear testing project using its LH₂ test facility in the U.K.

In December 2025, Jekta Switzerland (Payerne, Switzerland) announced it would move forward with a 4-5-month flight test campaign beginning in January 2026 with its second subscale PHA-ZE 100 aircraft prototype. With ≈95% of its suppliers already secured, Jekta’s end goal is the construction of its first full-scale, H₂-powered aircraft with an all-composite fuselage. The propulsion system is being developed with ZeroAvia. Jekta abandoned its initial battery-electric concepts which were unable to meet the range and payload requirements for its 19-passenger seaplane.

Source | Hycco

In November 2025, H3 Dynamics (Toulouse), a French manufacturer of H₂- electric hybrid systems for aerospace and defense, and Hycco (Toulouse), designer of a new generation of ultra-thin composite materials used in H₂ fuel cell stacks, announced a strategic alliance. The partnership aims to advance H₂-electric hybrid systems to enable long-range flights for a variety of electric aircraft: light aviation, VTOLs, helicopters, business jets, seaplanes, airships and, at a later stage, commercial aircraft. It will also support European trials of long-range drone missions (air, sea, land) where electric propulsion significantly reduces thermal and acoustic signatures.

New developments in …

Repair

RVmagnetics, Airbus collaborate on sensing mat for OOA composite aircraft repair. TLR 5-validated technology supports real-time, multi-point monitoring of cure cycles and heat distribution of aircraft structures via passive sensors. (Microwire has also been validated for sensing in cryogenic conditions.)

CompPair, Diab partnership validates healable composite sandwich structures. Collaboration has validated HealTech solutions with sandwich structures using Divinycell foam cores for applications including aircraft interior panels, aircraft fairings and radomes.

Morphing

Source | MANTA program

GKN Aerospace, partners complete MANTA program. Four morphing control surface technologies were demonstrated including thermoplastic composites, a fluid-driven trailing edge, combined flap/aileron and an air intake flap.

Composite morphing wing advances intelligent, gap-free, step-free movement. Within the morphAIR project, the DLR Institute for Lightweight Construction has completed ground testing and finalized the first HyTEM morphing wing as it prepares for flight test on its PROTEUS unmanned aircraft.

Automated NDT

Robot in FANTOM project scans a composite spar from Airbus. Source | IRT Jules Verne, FANTOM project

Flexible, automatic NDT platform for manufacturing composites. IRT Jules Verne, working with Airbus, Daher and French consortium developed a mobile robotic inspection platform that uses less space, water.

Robot CT scanning system in Ogden, Utah. Source | Omni NDE

Robotic computed laminography brings X-ray CT resolution to large composite structures. Omni NDE collaborative robots, X-ray end effectors and Voxray’s reconstruction approach enables 5-micron inspection of aerospace parts without size constraints.

Source | FASTER-H2 video, DLR Institute of Structures and Design

FASTER-H2 (Fuselage, Rear Fuselage and Empennage with Cabin and Cargo Architecture Solution validation and Technologies for H2 integration) is a Clean Aviation project led by Airbus (Toulouse, France) with multiple European partners including the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and the French Aerospace Lab ONERA.

Running from 2023-2026, the project aimed to demonstrate a crashworthy integrated fuselage and empennage configuration for H₂ aircraft to technology readiness level (TRL) 4.

NLR completed research on the following key technologies:

• Using acoustic emission to detect microcracking in composite liquid H₂ tanks at extremely low temperatures (20 Kelvin/253°C).
• Developing double-hinged rudder (DHR) designs to improve fuel efficiency while maintaining aeroelastic stability.
• Applying induction welding to thick thermoplastic composites (TPC).
• Advancing faster nondestructive inspection (NDI) methods for these materials.

Results demonstrated the effectiveness of fiber optic AE sensors in detecting microcrack formation even at cryogenic temperatures.

The DHR concept was found to maintain aeroelastic stability through an external mechanism and spanwise splits, enhancing its effectiveness. Furthermore, 7.4-millimeter-thick TPC intercostals were successfully joined to a skin using induction welding, achieving high strength at the coupon level and validating model predictions.

Lastly, infrared thermography proved effective in detecting defects in large-scale, carbon fiber-reinforced TPC fuselage skins up to 4.5 millimeters deep, achieving TRL 4.

Read more on NLR’s FASTER-H2 web page and in CW news and articles about composites for LH₂.

Source | Cygnet Texkimp

Cygnet Texkimp (Northwich, U.K.) has secured two contracts to supply its high-volume 3D weaving creel technology into the aerospace market.

The large-scale creels will be used to unwind carbon fibers into 3D weaving looms producing lightweight, high-performance engine components for next-generation aircraft. Each creel will be built to incorporate between 5,000 and 7,000 bobbins of carbon fiber.

The contracts are the latest to result from a decade-long program of collaborative work between Cygnet Texkimp, aerospace manufacturers and independent research organizations to develop and test specialist creel technologies that support innovation in 3D weaving.

3D weaving offers manufacturers a way of creating strong, lightweight and structural carbon fiber-reinforced composite parts by weaving thousands of individual fiber tows into complex 3D forms. Manufacturers of new-generation aircraft components are using 3D weaving to build parts with considerable structural integrity by applying very high volumes of fibers in accurate formation. The process is being adopted as part of strategies to improve sustainability and achieve decarbonization by developing lighter and more efficient components including aircraft engines, fan cases and blades, wings, tubes and connectors.

Cygnet Texkimp’s 3D Weaving Creels unwind and feed fibers into a 3D loom in a way that is consistent, accurate and repeatable. The creel is designed to accommodate thousands of fiber bobbins and ensure the integrity of every fiber tow as they travel in close proximity through the process, using a bespoke guide system to accommodate varied fiber counts (k-counts) and tow widths. An intelligent control system is used to maintain low and consistent running tension of the fiber into the downstream weaving process and enables operators to adjust the tension of individual positions or zones according to fiber weight and position in the woven structure.

“Our creel capability has been tested over several decades and this gives our aerospace partners confidence that our equipment performs to the highest tolerances for accuracy and repeatability, ease of operation and fiber handling, all of which are crucial in this demanding industry,” concludes Peter Stevenson, Cygnet Texkimp product director for creels.

Source | © DLR. All rights reserved

In the Urban Rescue project (2020-2024), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) designed, produced and crash-tested a two-seat eVTOL rotorcraft for use in emergency medical and urban rescue operations. It was designed as a flying medical response unit with a hybrid-electric system and a crash-tested carbon fiber-reinforced composite structure.

The emphasis on safety includes features such as energy-absorbing components and a reinforced cabin, proven effective in high-impact crash simulations. Built using low-waste advanced composites manufacturing and developed entirely digitally, this aircraft sets a new standard for safe and efficient emergency air mobility.

The project was led by the DLR Institute of Structures and Design in Stuttgart and included the following departments:

• Component Design and Manufacturing Technologies and Structural Integrity
• Automation and Quality Assurance in Production Technology at the Augsburg site, which is also the Augsburg Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP).

The eVTOL design focused in particular on the composite underbody structure, and was cooperatively developed, designed, manufactured as a demonstrator and crash tested in a continuous interdisciplinary exchange. Project management and production was in Augsburg and the tests and the final crash test took place in Stuttgart.

Crashworthy eVTOL design focused on underbody structure

In parallel to the classic structural design for developing an airframe, a crashworthy design and the consideration of manufacturing and production aspects were also implemented and analyzed in all design phases. The crash design developed includes the airframe structure, safe battery integration and crash-absorbing seats. The aim of linking structural design, crash design and production was to develop an underbody that combines an optimized, crash-safe structural design with innovative production processes.

Manufacturing using multiple composite technologies

A demonstrator structure of the medical personnel deployment eVTOL, comprising the central underbody structure and the two main frames, was manufactured at the ZLP in Augsburg in accordance with the results of the design process. Various fiber-reinforced composite technologies were used to produce the demonstrator structure including dry fiber placement, resin transfer molding (RTM) and the out-of-autoclave (OOA) prepreg. The processes were selected depending on the respective structural requirements and served to realize reliable, lightweight component production.

Full-scale crash test validates composite underbody safety

The demonstrator with crash-optimized seats and crash-proof battery integration was installed in a test rig structure at the institute in Stuttgart. The crash concept was successfully proven in a full-scale crash test under realistic, combined horizontal-vertical impact conditions (v_z = 7.4 m/s, v_x = 4.3 m/s). The findings of the Urban Rescue project will be incorporated into future research projects on the design of eVTOL and helicopter structures.

Source | ENGEL

In collaboration with multiple partners, ENGEL (Schwertberg, Austria) has developed a scalable lightweight design for drone propeller blades combining unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber tapes with injection molding for a fully automated, high-volume process.

• Load-oriented design: Fiber tapes placed along stress paths enable maximum stiffness at minimal weight

• Integrated production: Tape placement and overmolding in one cycle deliver series-ready speeds

• Functional integration: Structural, acoustic, and mounting features combined in a single part

• Thermoplastic composites advantage: Lightweight, recyclable and suitable for mass production

Why it matters for mobility

This technology accelerates the shift from metal and thermoset composites to fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, enabling lighter EV structures, fewer parts and more cost-efficient high-volume composite parts production.

As composite performance meets injection-molding productivity, applications will expand rapidly across EVs, aerospace, and micro-mobility. ENGEL is helping turn advanced composites into industrial reality, opening new possibilities for scalable lightweight mobility design.

Source | ENGEL LinkedIn post

Read more about propeller blades in CW news and articles. 

The GE9X engine, which will power the new Boeing 777X commercial jet, represents GE’s most advanced design so far to use the polymer composite fan blade and case. Source | GE Aerospace

GE Aerospace (Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) reports that it is on the cusp of introducing its next-generation GE9X engine, which will power the Boeing 777X commercial jet. The GE9X is built on GE’s carbon fiber composite fan blade technology that has accumulated more than 300 million flight hours across multiple commercial platforms.

The GE9X, successor to the GE90, leverages decades of advancements in polymer composite fan blade and case design to reduce engine weight and improve efficiency, featuring 16 larger composite blades and a 134-inch fan diameter enabled by modern 3D design tools.

GE Aerospace first introduced polymer matrix composite fan blades on the GE90 engine in 1995, replacing heavier titanium blades to set new performance and efficiency benchmarks. These materials have been further refined and deployed on GEnx — where GE added a composite containment case in addition to the blades — and CFM LEAP engines before culminating in the GE9X design.

The widespread durability and fuel-efficiency benefits of composite fan blades have been validated in commercial service over hundreds of millions of flight hours, boosting confidence as GE9X transitions from testing to operational service on long-range aircraft.

GE Aerospace engineers say the learnings from composite development on the GE90 and other engines are also informing future demonstrator programs aimed at next-generation fuel efficiency gains, underscoring the technology’s long-term impact beyond initial GE9X service ramp.

Read the full story on GE Aerospace.

Xycomp DLF thermoplastic composites. Source | Greene Tweed

Greene Tweed (Kulpsville, Pa., U.S.), a global leader in high-performance materials and engineered components, has named Seal Dynamics (Hauppauge, N.Y., U.S.) the exclusive sales and distribution partner for its aerospace original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products in Asia and Brazil. This strategic collaboration builds on a decades-long relationship and provides new opportunities for Greene Tweed’s innovative solutions in these rapidly growing markets.  

Seal Dynamics is a subsidiary of HEICO (Hollywood, Fla., U.S.) and the world's largest technical sales distributor of aerospace components. With decades of expertise and a strong local presence in Asia and Brazil, it will connect aerospace OEMs with Greene Tweed’s high-performance solutions, including advanced sealing systems and Xycomp DLF thermoplastic composites. 

"Growth and innovation are taking place across the region, with considerable development and collaborative opportunities in Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand, for which Greene Tweed and Seal Dynamics are well positioned to deliver innovative, market-leading solutions.” — Joe Bidwell, director of aerospace and defense for Greene Tweed

About Greene Tweed 

Greene Tweed is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance thermoplastics, composites, seals and engineered components that offer new levels of performance and durability in the world’s harshest environments. For 160 years, it has served clients in semiconductors, oil and gas, aerospace, defense, chemical and pharmaceutical processing, and other industries where failure is not an option. Greene Tweed products are sold and distributed worldwide. 

About Seal Dynamics 

Seal Dynamics (a HEICO Company), founded in 1976 and celebrating its 50th anniversary, is a global leader in technical sales and distribution of aerospace components. It sells, stocks and distributes in excess of 100,000 products to support its global customer base, including structural, mechanical, electronic and electro-mechanical products associated with airframe, avionics and engine applications.

Left to right: Roberto Chaves, executive VP of global procurement and supply chain (Embraer); Stacey Reiersgaard, VP of commercial aerospace growth (Hexcel); Lyndon Smith, president, Americas and global fibers (Hexcel); and Luciano Castro, VP of global procurement (Embraer). Source | Hexcel

Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) has awarded composite materials company Hexcel Corp. (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) with the Embraer Best Suppliers Award in the “Standards & Materials” category for the second consecutive year, recognizing the company’s performance across quality, delivery, collaboration and operational excellence.

“This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our global teams and the strength of our longstanding partnership with Embraer,” says Lyndon Smith, president, Americas and global fibers, Hexcel. “We are honored by this continued recognition and remain focused on delivering advanced composite solutions that support Embraer’s aircraft programs.”

The award was presented during Embraer’s annual Suppliers Conference in São José dos Campos, where the company recognized partners that demonstrate exceptional engagement, performance and alignment with Embraer’s operational and strategic priorities.

“A strong and aligned supply chain is essential to Embraer’s ability to execute, compete and grow,” notes Roberto Chaves, executive VP of global procurment and supply chain at Embraer. 

Hexcel has been a trusted supplier to Embraer for decades, providing advanced carbon fiber and composite materials that are integral to the performance, efficiency and reliability of Embraer aircraft across commercial, defense and business aviation platforms.

The Proteus uncrewed experimental aircraft alongside the Istar research aircraft. Source (All Images) | DLR, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Lightweigh Systems (Braunschweig, Germany) has made progress on its composite “shape-shifting” wing structure concept, highlighted in November 2025. Developed within the morphAIR project, both the conventional reference wing and the HyTEM morphing wing have been successfully tested in initial trial flights on the Proteus unmanned aircraft platform, serving to demonstrate basic airworthiness and system integration for further measurement campaigns and investigations.

Proteus during takeoff.

Although the researchers collected data during scaled flight tests, the aerodynamic and structural design, with a maximum speed of 300 kilometers/hour and a wing loading of 70 kilograms/square meter, is also relevant for light aircraft. To demonstrate scalability, DLR will conduct a flight test campaign in 2026 using Proteus with a total mass of approximately 70 kilograms. Findings will be developed further within the UAdapt (Unmanned Aircraft Wing Adaption) project.

Replacing conventional flaps and ailerons

A wing structure that can change shape during flight — this is the idea behind the morphAIR project in an effort to make aircraft more efficient and easier to control. “The morphing wing can change its shape during flight, allowing it to adapt optimally to different flight conditions,” explains project leader Martin Radestock from the DLR Institute of Lightweight Systems. Flight tests at the National Experimental Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Cochstedt have already enabled DLR to test the functionality of the wings.

The morphing wing pair features a form-variable trailing edge section, made possible by a hyperelastic trailing edge morphing system (HyTEM), which enables the wing to deform seamlessly and without steps. “The HyTEM concept replaces conventional flaps and ailerons with an intelligent system comprising several small actuators distributed across the wingspan,” says Radestock. “These can precisely adjust the wing profiles at 10 points without creating gaps between sections. The continuous shape reduces profile drag. In addition, lift, induced drag and aircraft control can all be influenced in a targeted manner.”

A DLR video follows the journey from the first functional demonstrator to this inaugural flight shape-changing wings.

A central element of the project is an AI-assisted flight control system developed by the DLR Institute of Flight Systems, designed specifically to make full use of the unique movement capabilities of the morphing wing. During flight, the adaptive algorithm detects when the aircraft’s actual behavior deviates from its previously trained model and continuously adjusts its internal models. During training, specific damage scenarios and failures of individual control surfaces are also deliberately simulated. This allows the algorithm to learn to recognize such changes in flight and control the remaining actuators in a way that keeps flight behavior as stable as possible. Unlike conventional flight control systems, this adaptive approach can optimally coordinate the many distributed actuators, making the most of the aerodynamic potential of the morphing structure while also improving fault tolerance.

A key element in this is the reliable method for reconstructing surface pressure distribution from just a small amount of measurement data. This capability, developed by the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology for Proteus, gives the system an immediate “sense” of its current flow field. The experimental aircraft can thus compare the reconstructed pressure field with the expected state, automatically detect local deviations and interpret them as relevant disturbances.

What does modern aerospace manufacturing actually look like? At Acutec Precision Aerospace, staying competitive means building a shop floor around automation, real-time data, and continuous improvement. This is not a traditional machine shop.

It is a next-generation manufacturing environment designed to run 24/7 with lights-out machining, lean cells, and fully integrated inspection. In this episode of the Shop Tour Series from Manufacturing Connected, we go inside Acutec’s facility to see how advanced technology and smart process design are reshaping production.

You will see how this team:

• Machines Inconel aerospace components around the clock
• Uses automation to increase throughput and reduce strain on workers
• Integrates inspection directly into the machining process
• Leverages real-time data to drive continuous improvement
• Builds a modern workforce around advanced manufacturing technology

This is what it takes to compete in aerospace manufacturing today.

Transcript:

Brent Donaldson: So what does it take to stay competitive in aerospace manufacturing today? At Acutec Precision Aerospace, the answer is relentless improvement. Here in Meadville, Pennsylvania, we're stepping inside an employee owned company that has been methodically built around continuous improvement and automation. Machines are arranged in lean cells. Operators manage multiple systems, and custom software tracks performance in real time.

When it comes to high stakes aerospace components, Acutec shows what's possible when innovation meets discipline. Want to see what that transformation looks like in real time? Stick around and find out.

Luke, we're here at Acutec, tell us a little bit about what Acutec does, how you do it, and what sets you apart from from other manufacturing facilities? 

Luke Warner: Acutec is a primarily aerospace power generation company. And what sets us apart is our people, our technology and our continuous improvement efforts through automation, in addition to digital technology, that we employ here.

Brent Donaldson: And as far as what we're about to see on this tour, this is one of how many plants that you have?

Luke Warner: This is one of four, three of which are located in Pennsylvania, and the other, the fourth, is in Saint Stephen, South Carolina.

Brent Donaldson: And how many employees total?

Luke Warner: We're right around 520 employees currently.

So this next area we're going to go into is going to be hot side, engine components. 718 Inconel. One of the things that really sets us apart is that we're machining 718 inconel 24/7 lights out. So if we look behind us here, we have a first operation in a horizontal. We have five pallets, an RPS system there.

Now the part goes on a shunk fixture and a fixture travels with the part through machining operations, rather than loading that part at every operation over and over again. We'll see that downstream. After we're out of a horizontal, we go into a ten pallet, PH150 DMG Mori, connected to a DMU 50. And then from there we're going into two DMG Mori lathes, and then into a final five axis that also has a ten pallet RPS on it as well. All of that. About 17 hours total machining time per part, across all spindles. And we're able to again, like I said, run lights out 24/7 on these.

Brent Donaldson: So how many shifts do you run?

Luke Warner: We run two shifts. Run a first shift. And then we run a third shift. So the second shift, the gap is between first and third.

Brent Donaldson: So your dad started this shop, right?

Elisabeth Smith: Yeah. He, was one of the founding investors, and he rallied, a small core team and grew that, from 1993, until 2013, from 17 people to 350 people.

Brent Donaldson: Do you remember thinking, like, do you remember having an understanding of what your dad did?

Elisabeth Smith: Not really

Brent Donaldson: Not really. No. Yeah. I don't know that.

Elisabeth Smith: I know he was stressed a lot.

Brent Donaldson: Stressed out a lot? Oh, yeah?

Elisabeth Smith: Yeah. Yeah.

Brent Donaldson: This is this is impressive. I mean, just looking around here, the guys at these stations are all pretty young.

Luke Warner: Yeah. Yeah. We have a younger workforce and, generally a happier workforce as well. They like to come, and they like to play with the technology. They like the the access to the technology. You know, sometimes you work in a machine shop where you're hunting for an unused insert edge out of a Folgers can. That's not the case here. These guys have exactly what they need when they need it, and I think that makes their jobs a little more satisfying.

Brent Donaldson: There's a lot of thought that goes into this. This doesn't just happen by accident. Oh we’re just going to slap this here. This is a good area for the monitors. 

Luke Warner: Yeah. Everything has a place, and there's a place for everything. You see, we have the 5S benches labeling. We have, sister tooling at the bottom here that maybe not be used on this job, but maybe on the next one. And again, that's that's testament to the part family strategy. So this machine being a nine axis Integrex can run anything. But we're saying we're going to put rod end parts here. So all this tooling is going to be built around cutting a rod end part instead of some of the other Integrex parts that we make that may be completely different, require different tooling.

Elisabeth Smith: I gave away 25% of the business like gave it away. Here's my thought. We had exit - Some of those original 17 people had retired. I didn't earn that, they they grew it. The people that were here before me, they earned that. I don't need any more equity in the company. So all of that original owner equity, I transferred over to the employees and the idea there is, listen, we're at the bottom of what we're going to be.

We had tremendous growth plans. 2019 was our record year. In fact, the first three months of 2020 were all record months for us. And then the bottom fell out. And so I said, all right, guys, we're going to build this back up. And you are going to benefit from the growth that you generate with this.

Luke Warner: So we automate for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes this capacity sometimes - capacity through throughput. And sometimes it's, it's, it's tasks that we don't want to waste our talented staff's time on. And sometimes it's ergonomics. So I don't have a capacity constraint for this part. I don't need this to run any more than I could have a human run it.

But we have a 60 pound billet that a human that probably doesn't want to lift several times a day, right? Into the machine. So this automation effort was designed to to kind of, you know, save employees back and allow them to go do something else, matching their skill level. So we have a little jib crane that will connect to a magnet to be able to pick the part up and swing it in. It'll load on the racking tray from the racking tray that that's as far as human has to to to go with handling a part manually. Although with the jib crane, and from there, the robot will load machine one, flip the part machine one, load machine two. And then stage the part finished, on the pallet.

Also, I do want to mention that this was in partnership with the ascend internship. Adam takes on automation interns very frequently throughout the summer. And they work through, like, a capstone project every year where this was one of those things really.

Brent Donaldson: You know, without. I've only seen what, 100 yards of the facility so far. But this is the kind of place that I would think if I was an intern, this would impress me as a modern, a modern factory, a modern machine shop. Sorry. But when you think of our our workforce issues, This seems like the kind of place that's going to get young people excited.

First of all, when we walk in the building, you have a sign up front that says CNC machinist needed. I imagine that's like a perennial sign. You just have it up all the time.

Elisabeth Smith: Absolutely.

Brent Donaldson: But what I also noticed was that the shop floor staff is pretty young. Congrats on that. Yeah. I guess what is your philosophy on, on investing back into the company and staying on top of technology and using automation to allow your staff to do cool things and not get burned out.

Elisabeth Smith: It's fun to let people explore, right? And get creative. And you have to balance that out with, you know, a return on that investment. But if you give people enough freedom to try things and hey, if that doesn't work, all right, try the next thing. What do we learn? When we have a scrap part. I always say, okay, we just invested $600 in learning something. What did we learn from that $600 investment?

Luke Warner: Jump over. I want to see a 1Factory and like what the machinist interface with. We can get that at a different work center.

Brent Donaldson: You guys use 1Factory?

Luke Warner: Yeah, we do use 1Factory.  We'll hit that up when we get down here. We'll go through how the machinist interfaces with 1Factory.

Brent Donaldson: Can I ask just real quick before we get too far, the way that you have this facility laid out. I just noticed a lot of inspection equipment right in the middle of the shop floor.

Luke Warner: Yeah, that's a great observation.

Brent Donaldson: So talk about the reason for that.

Luke Warner: Yep. So we have our in-process inspectors that live where the products are being developed. And they have their cycle count frequencies that they're hitting in real time. So that way when these parts get to final inspection, it's a visual when out the door, they're fully inspected in real time as they run. The machinist is recording in 1Factory.

The inspectors are simultaneously recording in that same 1Factory routine as they're able to work, in that same routine in different locations. So the in-process inspectors are going to be responsible for, maybe molded features, checking some radiuses and things like that. They're going to be running CMM samples, and all that's designed to keep the machinist at the machine, running and checking with the hard gauging that they've been issued.

Brent Donaldson: And all of that data and information is automatically uploaded into 1Factory like that?

Luke Warner: It is from both the Crysta-apex CMM and the Mitutoyo Mistar CMM automatically upload into 1Factory.

Brent Donaldson: That's awesome. When I first started learning about 1Factory, I met the CEO and founder of the company, and he, I just thought it was kind of an auto ballooning, platform, but it's so much more than that.

Luke Warner: It really is. Yes. So, kind of our workflow, once it goes through the planning team, the drawings get automatically bubbled. They get loaded. We create a, an inspection plan based on, risk assessment, for each feature. We have gauges loaded. So it comes to the floor, with frequencies, with, with the gauge selections, everything that the machinist needs to complete the inspection of their parts.

So we can see all in 1Factory, we get the, statistical process control, to see where we're actually running on that feature. We have control limits set. And then 1Factory is also capable of handling the sampling frequency, which is indicated to the machinist on the left, by the white and blue boxes. So they know what they're responsible for recording and what frequency of part number.

Brent Donaldson: Wow, yeah, 1Factory has really evolved. So when I did a feature on them right when they started, I have not seen any of these capabilities.

Luke Warner: What's nice about 1Factory is we do kind of have like a good, we have a good relationship with 1Factory and design influence on if we need something to do it a little different, their software developers can adapt, to that. So we've we've gone through some continuous improvement iterations with them, as well. So I don't doubt that it would look different than if you haven't seen it maybe a year ago.

Elisabeth Smith: I am, fascinated by, I guess the continually improving and, the lean manufacturing piece of that. Again, it's the combination of data and people and, and tangible results. I love seeing. Like, that's that's the thing that's so great about manufacturing that I think, genuinely, society craves because so much of our time is spent online in a digital world to see tangible results, and especially at smaller organizations where you can make a change and then see it, see the result of that within, you know, a couple days, a couple hours. That is cool.

Luke Warner: So this is a unique sell here that came remember, we talked a little bit about, capacity and throughput and solving problems for the customer. And also problems for the machinist. This involves all of those as the product is being developed here. Customer demand went from about 90 a week to 120. In order to hit 90 a week,

The machinists were working, like, 50 hours, 55 hours in some cases to make, you know, coming in on a Saturday trying to hit those numbers to satisfy the customer. So what we did was we created what's a collaborative where a human and a robot work together. So the human can run the lathe, which can over produce about 2 to 1.

The mill is a tall bar, so we automated the mill, obviously, but this will run after he goes home and before the night ship comes in. And after night shift goes home. And on the weekends, it just keeps running. Now we can hit about 130 parts a week, and they can work, 40 to 45 hours to be able to manage that.

Brent Donaldson: Wow. That's fantastic.

Luke Warner: So you can see we have a vertical and a horizontal holding configuration. There's two different there's two different pallet types. So two different operations that are running simultaneously. So we use DMUs probing software, which is Siemens based really powerful software where this pin is about 60,000 difference in height from that pin.

So it comes in and it's not just identifying, it's saying, okay, if it's this tall run that program. If it's that tall run that program. There's some logic built into it. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So that's, you know, Adam's team and production. We work together to say what - right from the very beginning, before we even build something. What could go wrong?

What do we anticipate going wrong? We've we've had failures of imagination in the past. And we will learn from those. So every time we do a new automation effort, we have more and more what we call poka-yoke mistake proofing happening.

Elisabeth Smith: When you're really deep in the supply chain in a machine shop, oftentimes you disconnect from it's here's a widget, here's the print, here's the GDNT. What is its actual function and where is it in the world? We make a guidebook of here are the parts that we make for for these platforms. And then when you go to the, you go to the Blackhawk and, you know, the, the crew chief there, the maintenance tech who's there and, they, they're excited to see the people that make this, and they're like, oh, you make this stuff that if that's bad, I have a bad day. Well, yeah. Well, we're making sure that you have a good day.

Luke Warner: So these machines by nature are automated. So these are gantry gantry loaded NZX Machines from DMG Mori. So then to add on top of that, Adam's team has then taken automation and and merged it with DMGs automation.

Adam Dunn: This linear track or the seventh axis is the largest they've ever built. And actually we've considered adding another 12 to 14ft on it to be able to accommodate unloading this fourth machine. And that's kind of in the works. If that capacity becomes a problem, that we’ll extend this down. It basically lets it know by a switch. Hey, this part just came out.

It knows what part it's grabbing out. And it's going to go through that same series of processes no matter what the part. It's going to go through a couple dip tanks, it's going to go through a blow off. And then either depending on its register right now it's going to go to the CMM or it's going to go place it in one of its finish stations.

Brent Donaldson: This is a brilliant setup! Is part of your job, looking for other opportunities throughout the plant to systematize automation?

Adam Dunn: Absolutely. Especially the seventh axis. Once we got our feet wet and our wheels going with the seventh axis, we see a lot of opportunities, but everything comes at a price. So it's finding the right opportunity. So we rely on new work coming in to help fund new projects.

And our sales strategy is starting to look at different jobs that are well suited that we could dedicate for some fun. And as we play with robots all day.

Brent Donaldson: To folks who might not have an understanding of what happens in in machine shops and not just machine shops, but really highly automated, facilities like this. Why should they care that that, not only that manufacturing exists here, but that we have incredible capabilities at places like Acutec, that are doing amazing things with extremely highly technical equipment. Why does that matter? Why should anyone care?

Elisabeth Smith: We have a machinist who who makes chainmail, like, for fun. You know, guys who are making knives, and forging with with home forges. So the accessibility of some of that equipment for hobbies, there's a lot of that. And, the craftsmanship! If you can connect people in that way to, Okay, well, now we just scale it or we do it with even, you know, million dollar computers. I tell kids like, these are million dollar computers that cut metal. It makes it a lot more accessible and fascinating and interesting. If we approach it less from a victim mentality and more from a opportunity, like, here's the opportunity and here's the, unleashing of American creativity and, resourcefulness. I think the the better off will be.

This episode of the Shop Tour series is brought to you by Manufacturing Connected. Manufacturing connected is a digital platform from modern machine shop’s publisher, Gardner Business Media, focused on the issues shaping manufacturing. Regardless of the processes you use or the markets that you serve. That includes everything from automation and additive manufacturing to capital investment and hiring. Go to mfgconnected.com to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
In each issue, you'll get quick reads, access to in-depth interviews and useful links about the issues that matter to your business. Get connected at mfgconnected.com.

Interested in having your shop featured? Fill out our form. 

Utah, Layton site (top left), Bellingham, Woburn (bottom right) and Mount Vernon (right). Source | Janicki Industries

On April 16, Janicki Industries (Sedro-Woolley, Wash., U.S.) announced a multistate growth plan to address growing customer demand in the aerospace, defense, space and marine industries. The plan includes new and expanded facilities in Washington and Utah totaling more than 270,000 square feet of additional production space and more than 250 new jobs, along with the evaluation of up to 1 million square feet of new manufacturing operations in Idaho or Montana.

In Washington, Janicki continues to invest across multiple sites. The company has purchased a 40,000-square-foot facility in Mount Vernon, designated MV1, which is undergoing renovations to modern standards and will be outfitted with advanced machining equipment. The site will add up to 75 jobs.

Janicki has also continued to expand its 251,000-square-foot Bellingham facility, purchased in 2022, with updated CNC machining equipment, autoclaves and ovens, and expanded clean rooms for composite layup. The Bellingham site anticipates growth with 125 new roles.

The company is completing construction of Building 12, a 162,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at its Hamilton campus. Combined, these investments expand Janicki’s Washington footprint to more than 1 million square feet.

“Washington is our home, and that is not changing. Our footprint [here] has continued to grow but is slowing due to ever-increasing regulations and lack of business understanding at an executive and legislative level,” says John Janicki, president of Janicki. “Decisions at the state level not only make it difficult for our employees to achieve the American Dream, but it is making it difficult for us to create new jobs for future employees by investing in local growth. With this in mind, it is best for Janicki to focus its large-scale expansion into a more business-friendly environment, so we are pursuing out-of-state growth.”

Janicki’s 100,000-square-foot manufacturing site in Layton, Utah, will receive a 70,000-square-foot expansion on the west side of the building. The addition will house milling equipment, two-story office space, warehouse operations and a new shipping dock, increasing the company’s capacity for machining composite and metallic aerospace components. Groundbreaking is expected in early summer 2026, with the expansion adding more than 50 new jobs.

As part of its long-term growth plan, Janicki is also evaluating opportunities to establish new manufacturing operations in either Idaho or Montana, with the potential for up to 2 million square feet of new facilities over time. The company expects to select one of the two states and will evaluate factors including workforce availability, proximity to customers and business-friendly environments.

“Both Idaho and Montana offer the workforce, infrastructure and business-friendly environment that advanced manufacturing requires,” says Lavacca, education and outreach manager at Janicki. “We are completing feasibility studies in both states and will share more details once a final location has been selected.”

Since 2022, Janicki has more than doubled its workforce and continues to rapidly grow in response to customer needs. The company currently employs more than 1,900 people and operates over 1 million square feet of production space across Washington and Utah. The multistate growth plan positions Janicki to meet sustained demand from aerospace and defense customers while strengthening the domestic manufacturing base.

Every year JEC World provides insights into the latest technologies, processes and trends shaping the composites industry today. 
Source (All images unless otherwise noted) | CW

In March, JEC World 2026, the world’s largest composites industry event, had many highlights, but one of the standout themes this year was the emphasis on advancements in high-rate manufacturing technologies. With next-generation aerospace and defense programs demanding faster production cycles, lighter materials and scalable processes, exhibitors showcased solutions that bridge the gap between innovation and industrial reality. The following roundup highlights several examples, and while some technologies extend to other sectors like energy, automotive and maritime, the key emphasis is the broader potential of these high-rate capabilities.

This aircraft seatback demonstrator features Toray's Cetex TC1005 unidirectional tape. 

Toray Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, Calif. U.S.) is positioning itself as a leading material supplier for high-rate production, with a strong emphasis on defense and aerospace sectors where rapid deployment is critical. At JEC World 2026, the company shared with CW its insights into how geopolitical shifts and reusable launch economics are driving demand for advanced composites in next-generation aerospace and defense programs.

Toray is poised to support the accelerating adoption of thermoplastic composites for high-rate manufacturing for defense platforms, space vehicles and future commercial aircraft. A key innovation is its TC 1225 unidirectional (UD) tape, supported by the NCAMP database that publishes design allowables across multiple processing routes like automated fiber placement (AFP), press forming and continuous compression molding. This data-driven approach shortens qualification timelines from years to months, lowers costs and enables faster fielding of drones, defense systems and satellites.

In defense and space, Toray notes emerging demand from new OEMs with automotive or tech backgrounds, pushing for rapid-turn solutions over traditional qualification cycles. This aligns with high-rate needs for reusable launch vehicles and LEO constellations, where composites volumes are ramping up — especially in defense space programs expected to surge in the next 2–3 years.

Ancillary to aerospace/defense, Toray's technologies support high-rate energy applications, such as composite tanks for hydrogen and advanced cable cores for power transmission, hedging across electrification, nuclear, and fossil fuels. New products like its Cetex TC1005, a cost-effective carbon/PEI thermoplastic tape, target interiors and industrial uses. Toray also signals ongoing involvement in eVTOL and high-performance automotive.

Web Industries is focused on enabling high-volume, efficient production in converging markets including converging markets — commercial aerospace, defense, UAVs, eVTOL and space.

Web Industries Inc. (Marlborough, Mass., U.S.) also highlighted technologies that support high-rate production efforts, particularly in aerospace and defense programs. According to CEO John Madej, the aim is to improve throughput with minimal labor and space, addressing demographic shifts toward automation.

Key innovations include next-generation slitting technology for slit tape and wider pad formats, delivering up to 2x throughput gains, reduced floor space and reduced labor intensity. The approach is tailored for high-rate aircraft production lines, where primes demand systems for next-gen platforms.

Material utilization is another pillar, with strategies to approach 100% buy-to-fly ratios through advanced splicing, yield maximization and repurposing scrap into chopped flake materials for new processes. This supports sustainability in high-rate defense applications like drones/UAVs, missile systems and rising helicopter build rates, as well as early planning for a new U.S. fighter program.

In defense, Web supplies slit tape for automated processes and ply kits for layup, handling diverse materials at scale. Ancillary sectors like eVTOL/urban air mobility and space add to the high-rate mix, with multi-layer insulation (MLI) and soft goods for satellites and reusable vehicles. Madej highlights how these converging markets — commercial aerospace, defense, UAVs, eVTOL and space — rely on composites, positioning Web’s technologies as essential for high-volume, efficient production.

Compared to traditional tooling, Cannon’s Nexus composite molds reduce weight, thermal inertia and energy use by 60–70%.

Cannon (Caronno Pertusella, Italy) showcased several composite-processing technologies at JEC World 2026, all designed to enable high-rate production in aerospace and defense. The company’s solutions focus on closed-loop control and automation to meet the demands of next-gen programs, supporting both thermoset and thermoplastic strategies.

Cannon’s Dynamic Overpacking System (DOS) enhances high-pressure resin transfer molding (HP-RTM) with closed-loop pressure control, reducing voids and protecting inserts while maintaining performance — ideal for high-rate aerospace structures. Its Triple Vacuum Frame (TVF) automates prepreg handling, minimizing contamination and enabling complex shapes without separate preforming, streamlining defense applications like armor and vehicle components.

Cannon’s Nexus composite molds replace traditional tooling, cutting weight, thermal inertia and energy use by 60–70%, allowing faster heating and precise zoning for high-volume runs. These innovations position the company for civil aerospace while addressing growing defense needs for scalable production in ballistics, protective systems and other high-rate applications.

This composite aerospace lamination tool was produced with robotic LFAM using polycarbonate and 20% carbon fiber. 

Italian innovator Caracol (Milan, Italy), demonstrated its Heron AM platform live, printing functional composite parts to highlight high-rate large scale additive manufacturing (LFAM) for aerospace and defense. The company focuses on qualified, deployed technologies that transform production across transportation, with a strong dual-use emphasis bridging civil and defense needs.

The platform, integrated with heated beds, deposits thermoplastic and composite materials at scale, blurring lines between prototyping and high-rate production. Aerospace applications, comprising 20% of business, center on lightweight carbon fiber lamination molds for rocket nozzles and tooling that outperform metal alternatives in speed — paving the way for structural composites in flight.

Drones and autonomous platforms are a key focus, accelerating the shift to end-use parts in defense, with confidential programs pushing high-performance boundaries. Trends like dual-use convergence, automation and AI-driven digitalization support high-rate needs, integrating AM into connected factories for quality and optimization.

Ancillary sectors demonstrate broader capabilities: maritime (10% of business) features qualified structural hulls and hybrid overwrapped parts for yachts, while land applications (10–15%) include rail exteriors like a thermoplastic train cover developed by Alstrom and automotive prototypes with partners like BMW.

Demgy is investing in interior aerospace parts made with biosourced composites.
Source | Demgy

As a tier-one supplier for Airbus and Boeing cabin interiors, Demgy Group (Saint-Aubin-sur-Gaillon, France) leverages its “Press & Make” offering for short-cycle, recyclable thermoplastics that enable lightweighting and robust performance.

Focusing on aerostructures and semi-structural components, Demgy’s processes produce complex parts using high-performance materials like carbon-reinforced PEEK and PPS, as seen in A350 clips. The company’s approach integrates injection molding, thermoforming/stamping, additive manufacturing with continuous fiber, precision machining and metalization for EMI shielding — delivering an array of solutions for high-rate production.

This integrated approach translates automotive high-volume expertise into aerospace, supporting faster cycles for future aircraft. Investments in sustainable options like flax fiber with biosourced PA11 add greener elements for interiors.

While primarily aerospace-oriented, Demgy’s technologies have ancillary applications in industrial sectors, but the emphasis is on enabling high-rate, efficient manufacturing for next-gen aerospace and potential defense extensions through lightweight, functional composites.

Source | Kilometro Rosso, Petroceramics, CIRA

Kilometro Rosso is a leading Italian innovation district and science-technology park in Bergamo, Italy. Famous for its 1-kilometer-long red wall along the A4 motorway, the large open innovation campus was inaugurated in 2009 and acts as a hub for industrial research and high-tech manufacturing, hosting more than 80 resident partners. Its lead and anchor tenant is the 28,000-square-meter Brembo Technical Center for brake research, production and testing which has also served to advance serial production of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) brakes and components.

Petroceramics (Stezzano, Italy), located adjacent to the Brembo Technical Center, was also one of Kilometro Rosso’s first tenants as a spin-off from the University of Milan. It has now progressed into a leader in CMC technology, championed by Kilometro Rosso as demonstrating how "deep tech" research can translate into a solid competitive advantage within the global space economy.

Applying its years of CMC experience and expertise, Petroceramics has developed components that can enable launcher exhaust nozzles. These high-tech panels resist temperatures up to 3,000°C without deforming or decomposing. Kilometro Rosso reports the strategic pillars of this innovative SME include:

• Intellectual property: A portfolio of more than 30 patents focused on high temperature performance.
• Diversification: Applications from automotive brakes to a variety of parts for major players in the space industry.
• Scale-up: The vital development of industrial processes, supported by know-how and partners such as Brembo.

Kilometro Rosso reports this type of success demonstrates how this ecosystem is an enabler for transforming materials and process innovations into industrial realities capable of competing on a global scale.

Source | Getty Images

IGCS International (Dallas, Texas, U.S.) a CVE-certified, service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) and provider of mission support and MRO supplies to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and federal agencies, has announced that Lacks Enterprises (Grand Rapids, Mich., U.S.) has acquired an equity stake in the company.

Founded in 1961, Lacks Enterprises is a family-owned advanced manufacturer with more than six decades of expertise in polymer chemistry, chrome plating on plastics, injection molding, metal finishing and high-performance composites. The company’s Lacks Carbon Fiber division produces ultra-lightweight, two-piece carbon fiber wheels and components — capabilities now positioned to benefit aerospace and government applications.

The strategic investment combines IGCS International’s expertise in government supply chain alignment, logistics and MRO solutions — including multiple multi-million dollar BPAs, IDIQs and other contract vehicles with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army commands — with Lacks Enterprises’ advanced manufacturing capabilities. Together, the companies will introduce high-performance automotive technologies, including electroplating, injection molding, composites and innovative lightweight materials to aerospace, defense and broader government sectors.

The partnership will focus on expanding the availability of lightweight composite technologies, advanced materials and integrated supply chain solutions to enhance mission readiness, reduce weight, improve performance and better support the DoD and other federal agencies.

Source | Wang Bing, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT, Beijing, China) has produced its first 5-meter-diameter composite propulsion cabin. This power module is the largest single-piece composite structure produced in China for reusable launch vehicle applications.

The module uses more than 60% composite materials, with a lightweight structure featuring wall panels capable of withstanding thousands of tons of axial pressure loads, and also features an adaptive adjustment interface.

This structure was completed in just 7 months from design to product delivery. CALT reports that the R&D team adopted a highly parallel and collaborative approach in the development of the power compartment structure, overcoming challenges such as high-precision and high-quality manufacturing of this new large-size composite structure.

This achievement plays a vital role in promoting the high-quality development of China's aerospace industry, says Wang Guohui, party secretary of the CALT. He expects the success of subsequent flight missions, and emphasized that, based on previous work, the team should stay focused on the goals, accelerate the progress of subsequent missions, push the technological level to a new level, and continue to take effective measures to steadily achieve large-scale production.

The original source, a posting from CALT, is available from SAMPE China.

This post is courtesy of the CompositesWorld and SAMPE China Insights media partnership. 

LK Metrology’s advanced ceramic materials for the beam and spindle guideways, which provide a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, have been combined with a robust structure for consistent accuracy and repeatable results down to 3 μm. Low gap, high-efficiency air bearings and drive systems provide high quality and low maintenance.

The Maxima series offers what the company says is the largest measurement volume on the market, from 12-72 m³, of any CMM with a granite table. The series is designed to maintain performance even when supporting the heaviest workpieces. Included in the range are 28 models in six table lengths from 3-8 m and seven variants of bridge cross section up to 3 m.

The Maxima R range features a twin-rail design engineered for heavyweight workpieces. The structure enables safe and efficient loading of heavy components on the floor and seamless integration with automated transfer systems. A key advantage of these models is that the design eliminates the need for specialized foundations while offering stability, simplified installation and cost efficiency. The Maxima R is available in the same range of sizes as the table-type models.

Both CMM product lines are equipped with an LK controller and are available in several configurations: either probe-ready for tactile inspection and laser scanning using a PH10MQ Plus multisensor indexing probe head with autojoint, or in a ScanTek configuration with a multisensor Revo2 head to provide five-axis scanning, or with an SP80 fixed scanning head with probe builds up to 1 m. The PH10MQ-ready models feature a multiwire cable that supports both SLK and L/LC/XC laser scanner technologies, eliminating the need for a separate probe-ready configuration for each type.

Join Manufacturing Connected, Additive Manufacturing and industry experts on Wednesday, April 22 as we explore the advanced manufacturing technologies helping to meet changing aerospace production demands.

Meet the Presenters

• DeWayne Howell, Toray Group
• Craig Neslen, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Zach Smith, Acutec Precision Aersopace, Inc.
• Steve Schuster, Norsk Titanium
• Bill Perez, Click Bond, Inc.

View agenda

MC Tech Days is sponsored by Toray Group and Composites One.

It is presented by Manufacturing Connected in collaboration with Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing Media, Products Finishing and CompositesWorld.

Learn more at https://www.mfgconnected.com/kc/tech-days/high-rate-aerospace.

Join Manufacturing Connected, CompositesWorld and industry experts on Wednesday, April 22 as we explore the advanced manufacturing technologies helping to meet changing aerospace production demands.

Meet the presenters

• DeWayne Howell, Toray Group
• Craig Neslen, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Zach Smith, Acutec Precision Aersopace Inc.
• Steve Schuster, Norsk Titanium
• Bill Perez, Click Bond

View agenda

MC Tech Days is sponsored by Toray Group and Composites One.

It is presented by Manufacturing Connected in collaboration with Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing Media, Products Finishing and CompositesWorld.

Learn more at this link.

Join Manufacturing Connected, Products Finishing and industry experts on Wednesday, April 22 as we explore the advanced manufacturing technologies helping to meet changing aerospace production demands.

Meet the presenters

• DeWayne Howell, Toray Group
• Craig Neslen, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Zach Smith, Acutec Precision Aersopace, Inc.
• Steve Schuster, Norsk Titanium
• Bill Perez, Click Bond, Inch.

View agenda

MC Tech Days is sponsored by Toray Group and Composites One.

It is presented by Manufacturing Connected in collaboration with Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing Media, Products Finishing and CompositesWorld.

Learn more at this link.

Join Manufacturing Connected, Modern Machine Shop and industry experts on Wednesday, April 22 as we explore the advanced manufacturing technologies helping to meet changing aerospace production demands.

Meet the Presenters

• DeWayne Howell, Toray Group
• Craig Neslen, Air Force Research Laboratory
• Zach Smith, Acutec Precision Aersopace, Inc.
• Steve Schuster, Norsk Titanium
• Bill Perez, Click Bond, Inc.

View agenda

MC Tech Days is sponsored by Toray Group and Composites One.

It is presented by Manufacturing Connected in collaboration with Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing Media, Products Finishing and CompositesWorld.

Learn more at https://www.mfgconnected.com/kc/tech-days/high-rate-aerospace.

Sources | Hefei Sinopower, AECC, website for AEP100

As reported by Hefei Sinopower (Hefei, Anhui Province, China), a manufacturer of Type 4 hydrogen (H₂) pressure vessels under the brand name Rubri, China announced that the megawatt-class H₂-fueled turboprop engine AEP100, developed by Aero Engine Corp. of China (AECC, Beijing), has successfully completed its maiden flight, mounted on a 7.5-ton unmanned cargo aircraft in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province. According to official media, this marks “the world's first flight test of a megawatt-class H₂-fueled turboprop engine.”

The test flight lasted 16 minutes, covering a distance of 36 kilometers at a speed of 220 kilometers/hour and an altitude of 300 meters. The aircraft completed its planned maneuvers and returned safely to the airport. AECC reported that the engine operated smoothly and stably throughout the flight.

The news report noted this test flight was a short-duration, low-altitude unmanned validation, not a commercial breakthrough, yet it signifies that H₂-powered aviation propulsion technology has moved from the laboratory and ground testing into a real-world flight environment. AECC stated that this achievement demonstrates China’s complete technological chain for H₂-powered aviation engines, from core components to system integration, representing a crucial capability milestone before industrial application.

This technology is more likely in the short-term to be applied in low-altitude scenarios, AECC noted, such as unmanned cargo transport and island logistics. These areas are easier to realize compared to manned aviation in terms of payload, range, certification pressure and operational economics.

Relevant experts pointed out that the successful maiden flight indicates that China has established a complete H₂-powered aviation engine technology system, covering key components to whole-machine integration. This achievement lays the foundation for the industrial application of H₂ energy in the aviation sector.

This news has also been reported by Aviation Week and Fuel Cells Works, among other media outlets.

“We effectively doubled our capacity overnight,” says Nicholas Bass, engineering manager located at the Texas facility near Austin, where I met him last year. “It wasn’t so much an acquisition as a merging of equals.”

Most of what Cumberland Additive added to its fleet from former Stratasys Direct operations did not represent new or different capabilities; rather, the equipment acquisitions have helped to create redundancies, upgrade existing capabilities and, most importantly, enable more throughput for the company.

As a contract manufacturer specializing in powder-based metal and polymer 3D printing, Cumberland Additive has seen significant bounceback and growth post-covid. There are several external factors to that, Bass says, including reduced competition, maturation of the customer base and more streamlined development cycles for AM-suitable applications.

“And we — Cumberland — are ready now in a way we weren’t a few years ago,” he says.

Cumberland Additive’s Pflugerville, Texas, facility operates more than 20 laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D printers, in addition to its electron beam melting (EBM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) machines and postprocessing capabilities. Source: Cumberland Additive | All Images

Ready and Able

With its history as part of Arconic, and Alcoa before that, Cumberland’s strength has always been in maintaining technical data and rigor for production 3D printed parts. But now, demand for end-use parts like this (especially in the aerospace, space, energy and defense sectors) ha

s grown to the extent that it has caused the business to expand as well. Having spent the last few years building its capacity and presence across two states, Cumberland is now in position to meet that demand.

Prior to the equipment acquisition described above, the company had opened an outpost at Neighborhood 91 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2022 to take advantage of the N91 additive manufacturing hub that supports end-to-end serial production in one central location. That site continues to operate one Nikon SLM Solutions SLM 500 and two EOS 290 laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines as well as an electron beam melting (EBM) system from JEOL.

But in Texas, the scale and scope of the operation are both bigger. While primarily focused on metals, the Pflugerville facility includes a fleet of four polymer selective laser sintering (SLS) systems — DTM Sinterstations that are strategic to the business. These machines are used mainly for lightweight nylon parts required by defense and aerospace customers.

On the metals side, Texas has two additional Arcam EBM machines that are focused on 3D printing of Ti64 titanium, most commonly used for defense applications. One example that Bass shows me on our tour is a part for a military tank, designed to replace a much heavier weldment assembly made from steel.

“You wouldn’t think that weight matters for tanks, but it does,” he says. “Tanks have to be lifted by helicopters and moved into position. Lightweighting is valuable even here.”

Replacing a 30-pound weldment with a lighter titanium part saves weight that can ease transportation, or make room for additions elsewhere.

The primary workhorse machines at Cumberland Additive in Texas are its LPBF 3D printers from Nikon SLM Solutions and EOS. With the recent equipment acquisition, the company now has six SLM 280HL systems, three EOS M400 machines, two EOS M290s and 12 EOS M280s at this location. The company’s most common materials used are Inconel 718, mostly for energy applications, and aluminum alloys and stainless steels, primarily for defense and aerospace customers.

This vacuum furnace and the company’s four heat-treat ovens enable Cumberland Additive to do most heat treating in-house. Parts requiring HIPing are sent to external service providers. 

To support all this additive production, particularly in metals, the Texas facility is also equipped with postprocessing capabilities, many of which have been augmented and improved by the acquisition of Stratasys Direct’s equipment. The location is now equipped with two band saws and three wire EDMs for part cut-off; machine tools for finish machining, including several high-precision models from the acquisition; four heat treat ovens; and a larger vacuum furnace, another result of acquisition.

The addition of the furnace is particularly significant in that it means Cumberland Additive can do any type of heat treatment short of hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) in this facility, which shortens lead times and gives the company better control over its overall workflow.

CNC machining equipment at Cumberland Additive. 

Ongoing Production in Challenging Applications

Cumberland Additive’s Texas production floor is becoming a bit crowded with equipment, but it’s all necessary to the production work the company is doing, spanning multiple industries. I saw a number of complex metal parts being made on the laser powder bed fusion machines during my visit, including:

• Industrial valve components that can now be 3D printed as one piece instead of assembled
• Complex optics housings, a good use case for additive manufacturing because of their need for thermal conductivity and “oddball shapes” restricted by surrounding equipment, Bass says;
• Replacement parts for aircraft, another growing market where additive can deliver equivalent or improved parts for maintenance and repair in a shorter lead-time; and
• Space system components. Cumberland Additive manufactures parts for commercial spacecraft including landing gear components and engine-mounting structures, often from titanium.

“Almost everything we manufacture is a functional part,” Bass says, summarizing the activity on the production floor. The one notable anomaly to this during my visit was a dual-laser SLM 280HL machine that was printing 316L test coupons for a defense agency that will be used to develop material data on AM parts.

The Line Between Science and Production

The test coupons are the exception rather than the rule at Cumberland Additive. Almost all the work coming through the company is production, thanks in part to its legacy of producing high-quality parts for regulated industries. This historic perspective and ongoing focus shapes various aspects of the business, from the customer base served down to the practice of not reusing powder from batch to batch as a means of reducing variability.

Some experimentation is still necessary with the science-heavy nature of additive manufacturing, but Cumberland limits this activity to answering only the most necessary questions for the job at hand.

“We need to move fast and be cost-aware,” Bass notes. “We have to do some research as questions arise, but everything goes toward a P.O.”

“You’re not going to find the corners of the process,” he says to manufacturing engineers when these experiments are necessary. “It’s about finding the range that matters for production.”

Cumberland Additive does not design parts, but it can execute almost everything else in the additive manufacturing workflow that follows from printing to inspection to machining.  

That relentless focus on production also plays into the one service Cumberland does not provide: design.

“We even exclude design from AS9100,” Bass says, which serves as a signal to customers that Cumberland Additive is not competing with them on IP and development.

All of this — the focus on regulated industries, the pursuit of AM knowledge only in service of AM production, and separation from design — has enabled Cumberland Additive to narrow in on steady, higher-volume applications and unlock economies of scale that now serve its customers. 

“Additive manufacturing is still very expensive if you just want to make two of something. By the time you figure in the printing and all of the postprocessing, it’s costly,” Bass says. “For us, the volumes are what make the costs work.”

Source | Pen Aviation

“The aerospace industry talks a lot about sustainability. But when it comes to actually flying with recycled materials, progress has been glacially slow,” explains Ben Trenchard, head of design, Pen Aviation (Selangor, Malaysia), a company advancing modern mobility through the development and deployment of certified UAS powered by AI software and multi-fuel propulsion engines.

This slow pace is partly understandable. Even as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) moves toward risk-based approval pathways, the practical reality for novel structural materials hasn’t changed much. Introducing rCF into a type-certified structure still means building an entirely new dataset: mechanical characterization, allowables, fatigue, environmental degradation, repairability. Risk-proportionate frameworks streamline the process — they don’t eliminate the evidence requirement.

But UAVs don’t have to wait, Trenchard argues. “Certification frameworks like SORA, and the Airworthiness Design Standards that accompany them, are risk-proportionate by design,” he explains. “They don’t demand the same depth of evidence, and that creates a genuine engineering opportunity the industry isn’t fully exploiting.”

“Recycled carbon fiber [rCF] already demonstrates comparable stiffness to virgin fiber,” he continues. “The mechanical scatter is higher, the anisotropy harder to control, the supply chain until recently has been fragmented. All real problems, but solvable ones. And the UAV sector can absorb that development risk in a way that a commercial aircraft OEM simply cannot.”

Pen Aviation is exploring these alternative options for its critical material supply chains with a new breed of suppliers that are focusing on production of rCF. 

The argument isn’t just “use rCF because it’s greener.” There’s a second case that doesn’t get made enough: supply chain resilience. Virgin carbon fiber production is heavily concentrated in certain regions. The supply chains that depend on it are exposed to a volatile and increasingly unpredictable geopolitical environment. Materials like rCF changes that picture. Feedstock is recovered domestically from end-of-life (EOL) structures and manufacturing off-cuts. Processing can be regionalized. For defense-adjacent UAV programs especially, that’s not a secondary benefit — it’s a primary one.

“Pen Aviation embeds sustainability in its products from the ground up — it is not an afterthought,” says Trenchard. “When considering a materials strategy, the inclusion of rCF into our design process is high on our list of priorities.”

UAVs and rCF: A collaborative environment

Nandina REM (Singapore) is one company building alternative supply pathways for aerospace-grade composites through advanced materials recovery and its proprietary Rapid Production remanufacturing model. Through its high-performance materials, free of oil-dependent precursors, Nandina REM provides a decoupled, secure supply chain for sectors operating in highly demanding conditions that require lightweighting and longevity in high-temperature, pressurized and corrosive environments. This is particularly relevant as demand grows across emerging applications such as UAVs and defense systems.

In February 2026, Nandina REM launched a high-volume rCF production facility in Singapore, which has the capacity to “produce 5 tonnes (11,000 pounds) of carbon fiber each month to support production of between 120 and 8,000 drones,” according to ainonline.com reports. Other regionalized production facilities are also being planned with its expansion in the U.S. and Australia markets.

With the rCF that it produces, Nandina REM also delivers a range of thermoplastic-based carbon fiber composite materials that are said to offer advantages over thermoset ones in terms of speed, recyclability and toughness. These materials, which come in formats as pellets, filaments, sheets and bulk molding compounds, can be readily used in existing manufacturing processes to serve various applications across the UAV/USV, energy, mining and AI sectors.

At the Singapore Airshow, Nandina REM also launched its Salis operation — a brand focused on making industrial and commercial fabrics from recycled textiles — and formalized a partnership with defense and aerospace partner AV (Arlington, Va., U.S.) to explore a clean, transparent supply chain framework for UAS. 

“The proximity of new material suppliers like Nandina REM to our production facilities in Malaysia creates the potential for a localized, more resilient supply chain, and this is a key part of our materials strategy,” explains Trenchard. “Unlike traditional carbon fiber materials, the implementation of rCF means we can reduce our risk profile through reduced oil dependence and secure localized feedstocks and production of our most critical materials.”

Learn more on LinkedIn. Make sure to also visit CW’s Sustainability page, which features a comprehensive list of recyclers and recycling technology suppliers.

The first phase of an integrate design-manufacture-test campaign for an iVABS-designed composite blade. This phase focuses on a spar structure that is similar to that of Bell 412. Source (All Images) | Penn State

Penn State (University Park, Pa., U.S.) has been participating in the AnalySwift (West Lafayette, Ind., U.S.) Academic Partner Program (AAP) to improve the manufacturability of composite rotor blades used for helicopters, air mobility and other rotorcraft. The work is part of the Penn State Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE), a research and education hub at Penn State dedicated to advancing vertical lift technologies — such as helicopters, drones and VTOL systems — in key areas like aeromechanics, flight dynamics, propulsion, acoustics and survivability.

The 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 optimization of rotor blade design plays a critical role in improving overall rotorcraft performance,” explains Jiwoo Song, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Penn State. “Recent advancements in computational toolchains, such as iVABS, enable rapid exploration of design spaces while satisfying prescribed performance objectives. The goal of the project is to achieve a design-to-production capability by developing a drastically more manufacturing-aware iVABS blade design framework. Looking ahead, this project aims to move beyond virtual optimization into physical realization, with plans to fabricate a composite rotor blade in collaboration with the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, validating the computational design process through experimental testing.”

Song says the VABS software has been central to his research. Its high-fidelity cross-sectional analysis capability enables him to rapidly compute stiffness, mass and coupling properties for complex, realistic blade geometries. Employing the iVABS design framework — which enables VABS for design and optimization, parametric studies and uncertainty quantifications in a user-friendly way — “we have been able to evaluate large numbers of candidate designs efficiently, narrowing down to configurations that meet demanding structural targets such as stiffness, strength constraints and weight requirements,” says Song. “This level of accuracy and computational speed would be challenging to achieve with traditional 3D finite element modeling alone.”

IVABS design workflow. 

In the current phase of the project, VABS/iVABS is being used to incorporate manufacturing constraints directly into the design process, enabling more realistic geometry parameterization. The blade template includes features such as rounded spar corners, airfoil trailing-edge treatment, continuous skin laminates and variable spar thickness along the span. These details improve structural fidelity in the analysis but also make the designs more directly transferrable into manufacturable hardware.

Prior to developing a full-scale blade, the team fabricated a composite spar using aerospace-grade carbon fiber prepreg materials assembled from an iVABS-derived stacking sequence to validate the manufacturing methodology. After fabrication, the spar was tested to determine cross-sectional and spanwise properties while establishing confidence in the iVABS optimizer by comparing the experimental and analytical results.

“Future work will expand this effort by modeling, fabricating and validating progressively higher-complexity spar configurations, building toward a representative blade section with elements such as an outer composite skin and sandwich core section aft of the spar,” says Michael Sheppard, graduate student in the PSU Applied Research Lab. “At each phase, experimental measurements will be used to verify and refine the computational results to achieve the desired product. The iVABS framework has also been instrumental in predicting failure loads prior to physical testing, enabling informed experimental planning while strengthening the correlation between analysis and testing.”

Source | Piper Aircraft

Piper Aircraft (Vero Beach, Fla., U.S.) has announced that the advanced seven-blade MT‑Propeller produced by MT-Propeller Entwicklung GmbH (Atting, Germany) has received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for the Piper M700 Fury aircraft with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification expected in the near future.

Designed with composite materials and aerodynamic efficiency, the seven-blade MT‑Propeller enhances both performance and cabin comfort, offering pilots a refined and responsive flight profile as well as notable performance improvements, including decreased takeoff distance, higher climb rate and a quieter cabin.

MT-Propeller Entwicklung GmbH was founded in 1981 by Gerd Muehlbauer and is well known in the world of general aviation as a manufacturer of natural composite propellers for single- and twin-engine aircraft, airships, wind tunnels and other special applications.

“Integrating the seven-blade MT‑Propeller into the Fury platform underscores Piper’s commitment to continuous innovation and customer‑driven enhancements.” — Marc Ouellet, VP of Engineering and Manufacturing for Piper Aircraft

Piper Aircraft’s single-engine M-Class series — the M700 Fury, M500 and M350 — offers businesses and individuals high performance, value and ownership experience. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

Source | Plyable Ltd.

Plyable Ltd. (Oxford, U.K.), a leader in AI powered manufacturing solutions for composite tooling, announced two new strategic partnerships with Corebon (Malmö, Sweden) and Synthesites (Uccle, Belgium). These collaborations are focused on co-marketing and co-developing integrated advanced technologies to enable seamless integration of tooling processes within composite production environments.

While Corebon and Synthesites are not partnering with each other, each collaboration with Plyable is designed to bring complementary capabilities that enhance digital workflows, improve manufacturing efficiency, and accelerate innovation across the composites industry.

“These partnerships represent a major step forward in our mission to modernize and connect composite tooling processes,” says Jamie Snudden, sales director at Plyable. “Corebon and Synthesites each bring unique strengths that, when combined with Plyable’s platform, will allow us to deliver more powerful and integrated solutions to our customers whilst also supporting both Synthesites and Corebon in servicing their customers.”

Partners

Corebon is recognized as a pioneer in induction heating technology for composite manufacturing, while Synthesites specializes in process monitoring and optimization technologies. Plyable and these partners aim to bridge the gap between development and adoption of advanced technology in tooling design, production and process control.

Source | Corebon

Source | Synthesites

The partnerships will focus on:

• Designing integrated solutions that connect tooling design, heating and cooling, quoting, manufacturing and process monitoring to allow customers to adopt new technologies with reduced risk and effort.
• Collaborating on AI manufacturing technologies.
• Co-marketing joint offerings to expand global reach and customer adoption.
• Driving innovation through collaborative development and shared technical expertise.

Through these efforts, Plyable and its partners will enable manufacturers to streamline operations, reduce lead times and improve overall production speed and quality.

“Growing backlogs are pushing aerospace to rethink production, induction heated tools unlocks speed for both thermosets and thermoplastics,” says Rasmus Kjellstrand, CCO at Corebon. “Through Plyable’s platform, customers get a complete solution: world-class tooling, induction heating and cooling, advanced process monitoring and more, all seamlessly connected.”

“Our customers demand smarter molds and more connected and intelligent processes,” adds Dr. Nikos Pantelelis, director at Synthesites UK. “These collaborations allow us to deliver and expand that vision while maintaining control and quality in each area of the workflow.”

REGENT Defense Squire Seaglider drone performs a flight demonstration in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Source | REGENT Defense

REGENT (Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport Craft Inc. in North Kingstown, R.I., U.S.), the developer and manufacturer of carbon fiber composite Seaglider vessels, has successfully completed a ground-effect flight of Squire, its autonomous Seaglider drone built for defense missions. This milestone reportedly represents the first time a defense-specific wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft has flown in the U.S., positioning REGENT to overtake China in this critical technology space.

The flight demonstration marks the latest achievement in REGENT’s ongoing Squire test campaign and underscores the company’s deliberate prioritization of the platform in response to urgent defense needs. REGENT is advancing Squire and other defense-specific Seaglider vessels to support the U.S. and its allies with modern maritime capabilities.

Seaglider vessels are WIG craft that fly on an aerodynamically efficient cushion of air within a wingspan of the surface of the water, enabling efficient, long-range performance that is below line-of-sight radar. With speeds up to 70 knots (81 miles per hour), a planned operational range of more than 100 nautical miles and a 50-pound payload, Squire can enable critical defense missions including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as well as tailored logistics, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue.

Defense customers require platforms that can operate across wide maritime areas with speed, range and mission flexibility. Squire is designed to meet that exact need. This demonstration shows real progress toward delivering high-speed autonomous missions capability.

Interest in Squire and the broader REGENT Defense portfolio continues to grow. The U.S. government has highlighted the importance of emerging defense companies like REGENT that are moving with speed to deliver mission-ready capabilities to the field.

But propulsion is not the only front on which Ursa Major is innovating and pushing forward.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been core to the company since its beginning, first as a rapid iteration tool and now a full-fledged production solution: Its Hadley engine is 80% metal 3D printed parts by mass, and most other products have significant additive content as well. 

As a result of its ongoing use of AM, Ursa Major has now found itself at the cutting edge of this technology’s advance. In order to scale production with additive manufacturing, the company has become invested in reducing its inherent complexity.  

From Ursa Major’s point of view as an AM user, too much capability has been tied up in proprietary and obfuscating machine functionality, and too much expertise has been needed to effectively deploy additive. In addition to advancing propulsion, the company is working to solve these AM problems through extensive data capture, algorithm development and collaboration — in other words, treating additive manufacturing as a truly digital technology that is better optimized by code than humans.

Launch Pad

The initial vision for Ursa Major was to supply rockets for space launches. Additive manufacturing was merely a means to that end in the beginning.

Ursa Major’s propulsion technology relies on complex metal 3D printed parts like this one. But to scale production, the company is also working to advance additive manufacturing. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

“The only way to attract investor dollars was to go out and prove that we could build a really advanced-stage combustion rocket engine,” Doucette says. “In 12 to 18 months, we needed to go from clean sheet to this thing working, or we would not be able to raise the required capital to scale. So we printed as much as we could, because it was the fastest way to get complicated hardware.”

Working with external additive suppliers, Ursa Major was able to quickly develop a 5,000-pound-thrust liquid rocket engine that would become its first commercial product, called Hadley.

“Hadley went from clean sheet to hot fire very quickly, in conventional terms, but then it became a product that we sold to launch customers, and then eventually hypersonics,” Doucette says. “That's what's currently flying.”

The Hadley engine uses liquid oxygen at extremely cold temperatures as an oxidizer for its liquid kerosene fuel. Ursa Major was the first U.S. company to fire such an oxygen-rich staged combustion (ORSC) engine when it hot fired Hadley in 2017. The company quickly scaled production, getting Hadley and its variants into launch and hypersonic applications, with many of these engines in the field today.

Although Ursa Major originally chose 3D printing for speed in development, it has continued to 3D print in production for additional reasons.

“It became evident that we could start to combine what would be individual pieces of hardware into one,” Doucette says. For example, metal 3D printing is used to make a portion of Hadley’s turbine manifold that would otherwise require a group of traditionally manufactured bellows, vanes and other features to be machined and welded together.

“Additive is combining what would be a pretty expensive manufacturing process into one part, so then you’re getting some cost benefit,” he says.

Ursa Major has also realized performance advantages from the designs AM makes possible, which would not be manufacturable with any other technology. “We can essentially take the performance knob from 8 to 11,” Doucette says.

The early advantages realized with additive manufacturing in the Hadley engine have proliferated as Ursa Major has expanded. Today the company’s product line also includes Draper, another liquid rocket engine designed for hypersonics applications both in and beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Draper uses hydrogen peroxide as its oxidizer (rather than liquid oxygen), but also relies on metal 3D printed parts similar to Hadley.

AM even supports the company’s production of solid rocket motors. Ursa Major developed its own “Lynx” manufacturing process, which incorporates both 3D printed metal parts and advanced, flexible manufacturing methods.

(The company also manufactures in-space mobility systems which do not use any 3D printed components, instead relying on machining for part production. “Because we’re experts in additive, we also know when not to use it,” says Savanah Bray, Ursa Major’s director of marketing and communication.)

Lift Off

While Ursa Major initially worked with external suppliers, outsourcing 3D printing grew to be a challenge as the products and quantities scaled. So, in October of 2021, the Colorado-based company established an Advanced Manufacturing Lab at the Youngstown Business Incubator in Youngstown, Ohio, equipped with two metal 3D printers from EOS.

“We were challenged with finding suppliers who could print the crazy stuff,” Doucette says. “So we decided to stand up additive out here. That really set us on a trajectory to insource all of it.”

In 2024, Ursa Major expanded its Ohio footprint with an R&D facility in nearby Boardman, which now also serves as a production hub for additive parts with nine metal 3D printers from EOS and its custom machine brand, AMCM, as well as Velo3D. On-site CNC milling and wire EDM capability round out its additive manufacturing workflow.

Ursa Major’s additive production facility in Boardman, Ohio, features 3D printers from Velo3D as well as EOS and AMCM. Source: Ursa Major

While engine design, assembly and testing are all co-located at the company’s Berthoud, Colorado, facility, Ohio has proved to be a prime location for additive production, according to Doucette.

“Youngstown is actually one of the easiest places to hire for us,” he says, citing the region’s strong industrial base. The facility is also close to heat treat and HIP facilities, which helps shorten production timelines.

Ursa Major’s facility includes equipment for almost every stage of the AM workflow, save heat treat and HIPing. Source: Ursa Major

Ascent with Additive

But as Ursa Major has expanded its product offering and grown its additive production, the company has also been contending with the challenges of metal AM. Many of the company’s products are going into applications serving the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), which exacerbates the difficulties.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is qualification and adoption within the DOD,” says Thomas Pomorski, director of additive manufacturing. “Right now, every additive part is qualified using a very boutique process, where individual machine serial numbers are qualified. That is very difficult, slash impossible, to scale. How do we define what that next generation of qualification looks like for advanced aerospace and defense hardware?”

Today qualification of additive parts mostly depends on qualification of specific machines; Ursa Major is working toward a shift to process window-based qualification, coupled with a slicer that can translate designs from one machine to the next. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

That next-generation approach to qualification, Pomorski believes, will be based on acceptable process windows, not static serial numbers and print parameters. By applying qualified algorithms to control the print process on characterized machines, additive manufacturing can scale alongside qualification.

There are three pieces to the puzzle, Pomorski says:

1. Machine characterization. “How do you actually characterize all the functionality of the machine, scanner, power and spot size across the build plate?” Pomorski asks. “Part of this needs to be unlocked by the OEMs, but they’re open to this.” Ursa Major has recently announced collaborations with EOS, Velo3D and others that are making this characterization possible.
2. Build file equivalency. To achieve build files that print the same part on any metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machine, it’s necessary to create those files as vectors — the metal 3D printer’s G-code equivalent. That means, essentially, going “around” whatever custom software the OEM offers to feed the vectors directly to the 3D printer, telling it exactly how the scanner, power and spot size should work. Again, this requires cooperation from machine builders, which Ursa Major has been working to achieve.
3. Validation. Finally, AM users need to answer the question, “Are we running what we think we’re running?” Pomorski says. Steps to do this involve using built-in machine sensors or adding new ones to measure information around the printer’s laser, encoder, diode, meltpool and more.

Ursa Major is aiming to address all three of these challenges, both for its own use and that of other additive manufacturers. The potential is big: With characterized machines, equivalent build files and a method for validation, industrial 3D printers can function much more like any CNC machine tool, controlled by standard G-code rather than proprietary software.

Not only does such a solution simplify production, but, broadly applied, it would also help AM users overcome current hurdles with moving production between machines and ensure repeatability when and where parts are made in future.

More Than Translation

To enable that control, Ursa Major is collaborating with software company Dyndrite to build a custom slicer that effectively bypasses OEM build prep software to communicate directly with any additive machine.

The advantage of this customized slicer is that it can serve as a bridge between design and 3D printer, automatically adjusting for the unique characteristics of each platform such as recoat direction and gas flow, and taking over control of those parameters which are more malleable such as laser path and power.

Bags of sample parts provided by different additive machine builders, produced to study the effectiveness of the custom slicer across printers. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

Accounting for these differences is only possible with OEM support to characterize machines and enable this control. Ursa Major has worked out licensing deals with multiple 3D printer manufacturers to grant access required to characterize and control machines through its custom slicer. Partners include EOS and Velo3D, builders of the machines Ursa Major currently uses in-house, as well as Aconity3D, Additive Industries, Nikon SLM Solutions and Renishaw.

“We’re setting this up like a postprocessor for a CNC machine,” Pomorski says. “When you program your G code, you put in the capabilities of your machine, you program it, and postprocess the code for each machine’s nuance. I can generate code for seven different machines with one button click.”

“I can generate code for seven different machines with one button click.”

But the greatest promise of the tool that Ursa Major is developing will come from the ability to more easily tap into a greater level of 3D printer control. Without becoming an expert in laser mechanics or metallurgy, users can deploy the tool to effectively make a legacy LPBF machine function like one fresh from the factory, achieving better results with the machines they already have.

“Dyndrite allows us to build custom scan strategies and tool paths in Python,” Pomorski explains. “We can write custom vectors to be able to build very complex geometries systematically across machines.”

For example, the slicer can recognize and optimize certain types of features, such as low overhangs. When it detects an overhang, the program automatically applies a technique called “keyhole remelting” whereby the laser power is manipulated to remelt layers beneath the current working layer to achieve a smooth, shiny downskin surface.

A sample print intended to stress test the slicer’s capability when encountering overhangs. 
Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

“The laser dynamically changes power and speed to lower the energy density as you get to the edge,” Pomorski explains. “Then you go back and remelt down multiple layers to incorporate that rough powder.”

A closer look at a downskin surface produced via keyhole remelting. Effectively “overshooting” the working layer helps smooth the ones below it, producing a better surface finish even beneath overhangs. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

Crucially, keyhole remelting and other techniques like it happen behind the scenes, automatically, through artificial intelligence-enabled algorithms that can analyze the code, identify these features and generate the necessary printer vectors. New algorithms can be created quickly using Python, or even an LLM interface.

“It’s all code, so now we can use AI to help us develop algorithms in our additive software,” Pomorski says. That makes improvements more accessible to AM users less experienced in the scientific aspects of additive manufacturing. But in addition to improving print results, AI integration could also enable a new approach to part qualification.

“What I imagine for this qualification is you take all the vectors you ran, convert to a mathematical model and then validate that the machine actually ran those things,” Pomorski says. As long as the machine is equipped for capturing the necessary data, part qualification can be accomplished without destructive testing or other currently common measures. 

Not only does this approach speed the initial development of a part for 3D printing, it also dramatically simplifies changes. When a model is altered or the material is changed, the operator doesn’t need to modify the parameters, because the slicer automatically updates them as needed.

Ultimately for build setup, Pomorski says, “I want one button click. I want maximum five minutes from a part’s release in CAD till it starts slicing.”

Into the Future

When I visited Ursa Major last fall, the company had just recently reached the point of deploying the custom slicer in its own production work.

“We're converting all of the next-generation Draper parts to using this approach,” Doucette says. “We’ve already printed one of our most challenging components with this process. But all the parts have some nuance to them, so we have to add in capability to print all those features.”

“We're basically optimizing our process window for each feature so they're actually less sensitive to small changes in different machines,” Pomorski says.

As Ursa Major adopts this software-driven approach to production, the company anticipates that its workforce will begin to look different than it has in the past.

“It’s changing the roadmap of the types of engineers that we need to hire,” Doucette says. “Printing is slowly leaking into a software-based problem. We need to start thinking about software developers to sit in tandem with folks like Tom who understand the tech.”

Test prints at Ursa Major. A significant part of the company’s work relates not to propulsion parts but to advancing the vision of faster, flexible and transferrable additive manufacturing. Source: Additive Manufacturing Media

That shift in who works in additive manufacturing could have broader impact beyond Ursa Major as well, as its advances begin to spread throughout the larger AM user base. A major objective for the company has now become sharing its learnings with other manufacturers in the U.S. in the interest of growing AM usage and prowess.

“We need broad adoption,” Doucette says. “It does not benefit us if we’re selfish about it.”

Tools like the standardized slicer can make AM more reliable and easier to adopt for manufacturers, regardless of the hardware they are working with. They may also offer a solution for more responsive and flexible manufacturing nationwide, particularly in relation to defense needs.

“We know for a fact that China has essentially industrialized their entire printing base to do defense-related applications,” Doucette says. “The U.S. has thousands of 3D printers across the country. If we can figure out a way to get this to work, it’s a light switch that can make the U.S. capable of using all those printers to do defense-related things.” 

Quartz nonwoven. Source | Southeast Nonwovens Composites

Southeast Nonwovens (SENW) Composites (Clover, S.C., U.S.) has developed a broad portfolio of quartz fiber nonwovens, ranging from ultralight 5 gsm veils to high loft felts up to 1,000 gsm, enabling engineers to tailor material performance across a wide spectrum of composite and thermal protection applications.

Why quartz fiber? Produced from high-purity silica, they offer several advantages, particularly for applications ranging from aerospace radomes to high-temperature insulation systems. Quartz fibers feature optimal thermal stability, withstanding continuous high temperatures without significant degradation. They also have low dielectric constant and loss, making them ideal for radio frequency-transparent structures. Chemical inertness and resistance to harsh environments, as well as minimal thermal expansion, further characterize these fibers.

SENW’s nonwoven processing capabilities enable the transformation of quartz fibers into a variety of engineered forms:

• 5-50 gsm veils: Used as surface layers for improved finish, dielectric control and crack resistance.
• 50-200 gsm mats: Provide reinforcement, insulation and controlled permeability.
• 200-1,000 gsm felts: High-loft structures for thermal insulation, acoustic damping and fire protection.

Because of their porous structure, quartz veils and mats maintain resin permeability, making them compatible with infusion, RTM and prepreg processing.

SENW targets aerospace (radomes, thermal protection systems, insulation blankets), defense (RF-transparent enclosures and high-temperature structures), electronics (dielectric layers and high-frequency components) and industrial systems (high-temperature filtration and insulation) with these materials.

The space sector also has promising potential. SENW’s product flexibility — combined with tailored binder systems and hybrid construction — allows quartz nonwovens to function as both structural and functional layers within advanced composites, the company notes. 

In addition to quartz, SENW continues to develop nonwoven solutions using other high-temperature materials, including ceramics, oxidized polyacrylonitrile (OPAN), alumina, basalt and silicon carbide, further expanding the range of applications for extreme environments.

Shown above is Safran Seats Unity, a current Business Class suite. Source | SHD Composites

SHD Composites (Sleaford, U.K.), a Cambium company, announces its role in EcoSuite, an initiative developing next‑gen aircraft seating through sustainable materials and advanced manufacturing. SHD will supply its composites expertise with FR308 — a bio‑based, fully FST‑compliant resin system for aircraft interiors, derived from cane sugar production waste streams.

EcoSuite unites Safran Seats GB, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Innovate UK and other leading U.K. industry and academic partners — a consortium combining U.K. innovation with Safran Group’s (Paris, France) global engineering capability to deliver aircraft seating solutions that are high performance and environmentally responsible.

The project secured ATI Programme funding at the Paris Airshow in 2025, the first direct investment in aircraft seating. This support reinforces the U.K.’s aerospace ambitions and aligns with ATI’s Destination Zero strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

According to SHD, FR308, reinforced with 300 gsm glass fiber, delivers significant sustainability and health and safety advantages over traditional phenolic prepregs. Free from formaldehyde, phenol and organic solvents, its bio‑based formulation contributes to a reduced carbon footprint. Supported by a detailed cradle-to-gate analysis covering raw material sourcing to material dispatch, FR308 is an ideal lower-carbon material choice for aircraft interiors.

Source | SPE ACCE

The SPE Automotive Composites Conference & Expo (ACCE) executive planning committee welcomes the 2026 event’s first keynote speaker, Jeff Bosworth, senior manager – X-Bat structures lead at Shield AI (San Diego, Calif., U.S.).

Bosworth’s presentation, “Fly by: Aerospace composites for an automotive audience” will be a high-level discussion of how composites are essential in making modern aircraft, especially vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) platforms. Attendees can expect to learn about the basics of design philosophy, nuances of analysis and multiple manufacturing techniques, as well as some speculation about where the aerospace composites industry will go over the next decade. 

The X-Bat is an AI-piloted (unmanned) VTOL fighter jet that “reimagines airpower” —  from training and logistics to operations and operating costs.  With VTOL, long range and full autonomy, X-Bat delivers combat power anywhere, anytime.

The platform will the leading edge of a distributed unmanned fires network, capable of launching and recovering from ships, remote islands or austere forward bases while eliminating dependency on traditional infrastructure. X-Bat can carry both air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons in its internal bays and carry large strike weapons on external hardpoints.  

“The VTOL market is a great opportunity for automotive composites suppliers to expand,” says Bosworth. “I believe this presentation will enlighten the industry to new opportunities for growth and be inspiring.”

Source | Toray, Syensqo

Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. (Tacoma, Wash., U.S.), a Toray Group company specializing in polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber and carbon fiber prepreg, has entered into a long-term carbon fiber supply agreement with Syensqo SA (Brussels, Belgium).

Through this 5-year agreement, which took effect in January 2026, both companies will work to enhance supply stability and resilience across aircraft, space and defense applications, strengthening the global supply chain and contributing to long-term market growth.

With the recovery of global passenger demand and progress in next-generation aircraft development, the aircraft market is expected to maintain stable medium- to long-term growth. The renewal and advancement of aircraft is also continuing to progress, thus driving firm growth in carbon fiber demand.

Amid a rapidly changing global environment, Toray Group remains committed to strengthening its long-term stable supply to meet the increasing demand of carbon fiber for the aerospace industry.

For more information, visit www.toray.com.

Source | Uavos Inc.

Uavos Inc. (Dover, Del., U.S.) is supplying high-performance rotor blades to U.S. aerospace startups participating in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Lift Challenge, which calls on developers to design and build an unmanned helicopter capable of carrying four times its own weight. In this effort, Uavos is supporting participants as a technology and supply partner, providing rotor blades engineered to meet the demanding performance standards required for advanced, heavy-lift unmanned rotorcraft.

Uavos rotor blades are manufactured using a construction approach based on its latest carbon fiber multi-cross-layer technology, without additional mechanical processing. This design ensures optimal geometric stability, structural reliability and consistent performance under challenging operating conditions.

Blades also incorporate the NACA 23012 airfoil, selected by Uavos engineers for its aerodynamic efficiency and enhanced performance under high-load conditions. Special attention has also been given to blade twist optimization, a critical factor in rotorcraft efficiency. Optimized twist geometry helps reduce power consumption and improve flight endurance, key advantages for heavy-lift unmanned helicopter platforms. 

Uavos rotor blades have also been tested for overload resistance and environmental reliability by an independent European laboratory, further confirming their suitability. The blades offer a proven service life of 3,000 hours.

For related content, read about the Jetoptera drone, a participating company in the DARPA competition supported by Walter Pritzkow OCMC.

On 14 April 2026, Vertical became the second company globally to complete a two-way piloted transition flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight. Source | Vertical Aerospace

Vertical Aerospace (London, U.K.) announced that on April 14, it successfully completed a two-way piloted transition flight of its full-scale tiltrotor electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. According to Vertical, it is the second company globally to complete this flight milestone, and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight.

Vertical’s VX4 prototype aircraft is reportedly manufactured with composite materials across its entire structure, supplied by a long-term supplier partnership with Syensqo (Brussels, Belgium). The airframe will be manufactured by Aciturri Aerostructures (Mirando de Ebro, Spain). The battery packs are produced at a Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) in Bristol, U.K., which Vertical reports has been upgraded into a pilot production line with automated aerospace-grade manufacturing processes to support certification and production.

On April 14, Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies completed the flight — transitioning from vertical take-off to wingborne cruise and back to vertical landing — all in one continuous flight. This builds on Vertical’s thrustborne transition on April 2 and marks the completion of two-way transition. According to Vertical, this capability for transition flight validates the technology which will enable its commercial aircraft Valo to take off vertically from a city center vertiport or rooftop with passengers, fly efficiently at speed like an airplane, and land vertically at its destination comfortably, quietly and without a runway. Planned real-world routes include Canary Wharf to Heathrow or JFK to Manhattan.

As with all Vertical flight tests since 2023, this milestone was achieved under the direct oversight of the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who are working in close collaboration  with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) toward Type Certification of Valo. Testing is conducted under Vertical’s Design Organisation Approval, a pre-requisite for  entry into service. 

With all phases of flight now proven — vertical take-off, wingborne flight and transition between the two — Vertical is moving into the next stage of certification testing. This will include critical design review, when the aircraft design is locked, followed by the build of seven pre-production Valo aircraft in the U.K. for compliance and verification testing with  the CAA and EASA. 

Vertical is targeting certification of Valo in 2028, with entry into service expected shortly thereafter. The certification approach is designed to be transferable to other regulators, including the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), supporting global deployment with airline and operating  partners including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. 

Over the next 12 months and beyond, Vertical says it will execute public flight demonstrations including at Farnborough International Airshow in July, progression of the hybrid-electric demonstrator, expansion of the Vertical Energy Center, advancement of the manufacturing facility, and production of the first full-scale Valo certification aircraft. 

Further, Vertical expects its U.K.-based manufacturing and supply chain to support thousands  of high-skilled jobs and significant export growth, with its ecosystem projected to  grow to over 2,000 jobs by 2035. 

“This is now the most significant technical milestone in our history,” says Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Full piloted transition is the most critical and complex challenge in eVTOL development, and we’ve achieved it under more rigorous regulatory oversight than anyone in the category. Our focus now is on executing our roadmap and bringing certified electric flight into commercial service.” 

“Through our Industrial Strategy and the Aerospace Technology Institute we’re backing companies like Vertical who are demonstrating the kind of innovation, engineering excellence and export potential that can keep Britain at the forefront of the global aerospace industry, and create high-skilled jobs for local people,” says Peter Kyle, U.K. Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Walter has introduced the TC620 Supreme thread milling cutter, which has a multi-row design that exerts low cutting forces, reduces deflection and enables optimal dimensional accuracy. The tool is well suited for producing J-thread profiles, which are intended for aerospace and other applications in which threaded components experience high-temperature and high stress levels.

J-threads feature a root radius that improves the tensile strength of the connection by reducing the stress concentration factor in the thread, making the thread more reliable. The usable length of the tool is up to 2.5 × DN in the standard program.

The primary application is threading stainless steel and heat-resistant super alloys with a hardness up to 48 HRC (ISO material groups M and S), and the secondary application is cutting steel, cast iron and non-ferrous metals also up to 48 HRC (ISO material groups P, K and N). The tool is suitable for difficult applications such as threading Inconel 718 and ones that require a high level of process reliability.

The thread mill is made of the high-performance grade WB10RA carbide for thread milling nickel-base and titanium alloys. The tool features internal coolant for reliable chip removal even when machining at a high feed per tooth. The cutter is said to provide low costs per thread due to long tool life capabilities and short machining times. In addition, the company says it enables high process reliability and easy handling as radius corrections are rare.

BladeScanner concept inspections aircraft propellers. Source | Wemech

Wemech S.r.l. (Besnate), an Italian engineering company specialized in advanced mechanical design, robotics and manufacturing, and the R&D spin-off of Meccanica Besnatese (MB) — an EN 9100-certified precision machining company serving demanding industrial sectors — has launched a new experimental development program focused on acoustic analysis for the nondestructive inspection (NID) of composite structural elements that have an airfoil profile.

The initiative builds on Wemech’s protected intellectual property in the field of robotic inspection of critical composite structures. It is being developed under the BladeScanner technology platform — including U.S. Patent No. 12.391.407 and European Patent EP 4402061 — granted by decision of the European Patent Office on March 26, 2026, with the mention of grant scheduled for publication on April 22, 2026.

This new phase is centered on the experimental acquisition, classification and interpretation of acoustic data generated during the controlled inspection of composite parts. The objective is to support the development of a more objective, repeatable and traceable inspection methodology for critical composite structures used in aerospace and other advanced industrial sectors.

As part of this development phase, and under a collaboration agreement, Wemech will use Qairos, an acoustic-analysis software solution provided by German company gfai tech GmbH (Berlin) to support measurement, data processing and interpretation activities within the experimental program.

Wemech’s concept combines robotics, positioning, controlled impact excitation and acoustic sensing within a portable inspection architecture designed to improve inspection consistency while enabling digital recording of test results, structured dataset generation and future software-driven analysis. The broader development vision is to help move inspection processes from manual, experience-based practices toward more standardized and data-supported workflows.

The program is intended to create the technical basis for the next stage of product and software development, including acoustic dataset creation, signal interpretation models, inspection repeatability studies and integration with robotic handling and sensing platforms. In this context, Wemech sees significant potential for future developments involving advanced software, automation and machine learning-based interpretation tools.

“We are now entering the experimental phase of acoustic analysis,” says Roberto Passerini, founder of Wemech. “Our goal is to contribute to a more structured and data-supported inspection workflow for critical composite components. We believe this field offers strong industrial and commercial potential, and to accelerate development we are actively seeking qualified industrial, technical and financial partners.”

Cooperation opportunities

Wemech is currently interested in cooperation with OEMs, MRO organizations, aerospace suppliers, robotics integrators, sensor companies, research centers and industrial investors willing to contribute to the next stage of development. Areas of collaboration may include:

• Test articles
• Inspection procedures
• Sensing technologies
• Robotic integration
• Acoustic data acquisition campaigns
• Software development for signal interpretation
• Broader industrialization activities.

Within selected cooperation frameworks, Wemech is also open to evaluating licensing and co-development arrangements related to its protected technology, particularly where such structures may accelerate industrial validation, territorial deployment, market access or application-specific development programs.

The company believes that the increasing use of composite materials in aerospace, defense and other high-performance sectors is creating a growing need for more reliable, scalable and digitally traceable inspection solutions. Within this context, Wemech intends to position its technology platform as a basis for future industrial partnerships, joint development programs and application-specific validation projects.

Source | Zotefoam

Global cellular foam manufacturer Zotefoams (Croydon, U.K.) has appointed German aviation specialist, Wulfmeyer (Langenhagen), as its first Approved Fabricator for aerospace under the company’s flagship Global Partner Program.

Wulfmeyer develops and manufactures aircraft interior components, including non-textile flooring, precision-engineered foam parts and adhesive systems. The company serves customers across commercial and business aviation, including major European aerospace OEMs such as Airbus and its complete supply chain. 

Formalizing and building on a trusted relationship of more than 30 years, the partnership strengthens Zotefoams capacity to serve its aerospace customers through a specialist fabricator with deep sector knowledge, precision manufacturing capability and close proximity to key European markets. For Wulfmeyer, the partnership brings closer access to Zotefoams’ wider product portfolio and technical expertise, creating greater scope to develop lightweight, high-performance foam applications for the aerospace industry.

“At a time when the aviation industry is under pressure to increase output, closer alignment between material innovation and precision manufacturing will be critical to helping customers scale with confidence and deliver for end users,” notes Fabrice Lacroix, sales director EMEA at Zotefoams.