Aerospace & Defense Technology - October 2021 - 8

Developing
Thermoplastic Composites
for Use in Commercial Aircraft
T
hermoplastic composite materials
(TPC) are gaining momentum
for use in commercial
airplanes and other
aerospace applications, including electric
vertical takeoff and landing
(eVTOL) aircraft. TPC were once considered
too expensive for applications
other than small components. Now,
material and processing advances are
propelling TPC into the aerospace industry
spotlight.
Why Thermoplastics? Why Now?
TPC are replacing thermoset composite
materials (TS) and metal materials
in a growing number of aerospace
applications because TPC components
and parts are lighter, more durable and
more efficient to process, depending
on the application. TPC properties also
open design and manufacturing options
not possible or easily achievable
with TS or metals.
From an environmental sustainability
standpoint, the lighter weight of TPC
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Cov
parts and structures helps airplane original
equipment manufacturers (OEM)
reduce aircraft fuel consumption and
emissions. The weight reductions are
dramatic - well over 2,000 pounds in
some cases. In addition, TPC can be
readily recycled and reused, whereas TS
recycling, such as with pyrolysis, is a
complex and energy-intensive process.
TS parts typically must be cured in an
autoclave. TPC can be cured in-situ,
during the assembly process. New automated
fiber placement (AFP) and automated
tape laying (ATL) equipment includes
laser heads, which cure the TPC
instantly as the fiber or tape is laid
down. TPC are also compatible with
compression molding, continuous compression
molding, braiding and 3D
printing manufacturing methods. In
many applications, after the TPC undergoes
these processes, there is little to no
post-processing required other than
some final trimming.
TPC opens the door for aircraft components
and structures to be made with
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ToC
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fewer overall pieces and steps. For example,
a component that traditionally
was made by fastening two or three
parts together might now be a single,
welded TPC component that, in turn,
can now be welded onto the aircraft.
This means there is less material waste,
improving the buy-to-fly ratio.
TPC is still considerably more expensive
than TS and some metals, but the
economic model to use them makes
sense now due to advances in TPC processing
equipment. With this automated
equipment, TPC component
manufacturing is much faster and
more efficient than TS production
processes. The ability to weld TPC is
important to their growing adoption.
When OEMs can weld TPC parts instead
of joining pieces with fasteners,
adhesives, and brackets, they save
weight and manufacturing steps. In addition,
weldability lends itself to modular
assembly processes.
For example, different parts and subsystems
of an airplane can be made by
Aerospace & Defense Technology, October 2021
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Aerospace & Defense Technology - October 2021

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