KraussMaffei and the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University, USA, are driving the advancement of thermoplastic lightweight construction in the aerospace industry.

The newly developed structural component with a complex rib structure was specifically designed for eVTOL aircraft, such as air taxis. KraussMaffei’s FiberForm process is used in its production, with a result of shorter manufacturing time.

(From left) Induwara Herath, Research Engineer from NIAR ATLAS, Eugen Schubert, Sales and Applications Manager, IMM & Automation at KraussMaffei, and Dr. Waruna Seneviratne, Director of NIAR ATLAS, in front of the GXW 450 FiberForm at the NIAR ATLAS lab.

The FiberForm-manufactured structural component with a highly complex rib structure.

In addition to KraussMaffei, the companies Joby Aviation, Toyota, Victrex, and Prospect were also involved in the development. The project is part of the ‘Manufacturing for Affordable Sustainable Composites Program’ by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

FiberForm process

The FiberForm process involves placing an organo sheet – thermoplasticimpregnated continuous fibers – into the mold, forming it, and overmolding it.

Compared to conventional metal part manufacturing, this fully automated combination of thermoforming and thermoplastic overmolding offers significant advantages, including lower costs, reduced weight, and a reduced production time from over 100 hours to just two minutes, all while ensuring the same mechanical strength and safety.

At the same time, the FiberForm process allows for significantly greater design freedom.

The results highlight the potential of FiberForm technology, which originates from the automotive industry, for the mass production of primary and secondary structures in aerospace.

See also: NIAR and KraussMaffei jointly develop lightweight window plugs for cargo aircraft conversion