A new approach to creating aircraft parts has been developed by reusing production waste from the manufacturing of clips and cleats for the Airbus A350. This approach uses thermoplastic composites made from recycled materials, which provide a more circular alternative to contemporary thermoset composites. The use of thermoplastic composites has several advantages, including short cycle times, high toughness, and weldability, making it an ideal material for next generation aircraft.
The crown module of the Multi-Functional Fuselage Demonstrator (MFFD) is made of ultra-light rods. The rods are made from Teijin TPUD HT CF-PPS thermoplastic slit tape in combination SPIRAL’s recycled SPIRAL light PPS CF40 compound. The length adjustable rods are a great example of how production waste can be reused to create new and innovative products.
The recycled material used in this case comes from the production waste of clips and cleats for the Airbus A350 produced by Collins Aerospace, Almere. The material is mechanically shredded (size reduction) and compounded to injection molding compound by SPIRAL. The reuse of the material helps to avoid approximately 20 kg of CO2 emissions per kg of granulate. This is an environmental benefit that can help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation industry and close the loop for performance materials. The final part is manufactured by herone based on the automated processing of thermoplastic tapes in a braiding process and subsequent energy efficient consolidation process. The formerly metallic connecting elements are replaced by injection molded parts using the recycled compound. All components use the same thermoplastic base material, so that the composite components can completely be recycled again.
We are excited to see the aviation industry taking steps towards sustainability by reusing production waste and reducing carbon emissions. This innovative approach is a promising solution that can help support the journey to decarbonize aviation.
