FACC joins the ICRC

Red M Increas (A) Aviation is experiencing major changes. This requires new materials that are highly flexible and sustainable in production. By now joining the international research network TPRC, FACC is taking an important step towards expanding its role as one of the leading aviation groups worldwide.

Together with the world’s leading technology companies, FACC is researching further development of lightweight materials, called thermoplastic fiber composites. These are fully recyclable and, due to their light weight, are particularly attractive to the aviation sector. Major international airlines, including Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, Collins Aerospace, GKN Aerospace – and most recently also FACC – are pooling their strengths at the Thermal Compounds Research Center (TPRC): at a research center in Enschede (Netherlands) for further development and research on Use this promising material.

Many areas of application
“The short component manufacturing time is particularly interesting,” explains Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC AG. As a result, costs can be saved and energy consumption reduced for operations, which is a critical competitive advantage, particularly in the dynamic urban air mobility sector. The bandwidth of the possible solutions ranges from the wings and control surfaces to the cabin components.

“Flexibility, weight reduction, processability, recyclability, and cost-effectiveness: Material requirements for aircraft construction and in the UAV field are extremely high,” emphasizes Renee Adam, Director of Research and Technology at FACC. The materials that are now being researched with international partners have huge potential in this regard. Manufacturing with thermoplastic fibers composites is now a core component of materials and process research in the aerospace sector,” says Adam.

Sebastian Wijskamp, ​​Technical Director of TPRC: “We are very excited to have FACC join our consortium. FACC’s ambitions for the use of thermoplastic composites fit seamlessly with TPRC’s research roadmap. Our knowledge of the basics of thermoplastics composites will certainly accelerate the further use of thermoplastic technologies. At FACC, while we in turn benefit greatly from the leadership and control of FACC as an industrial partner with a vision of commercial application of thermoplastic composites.”