Arkema and Hexcel highlight thermoplastics breakthrough at Paris Air Show

At the Paris Air Show, the HELUES project, formed by Arkema and Hexcel, illustrated thermoplastic solutions with a new demonstrator, a complex structural component for an overwing emergency exit door.

Arkema and Hexcel partnered on the HELUES project to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector.

The two partners signed a strategic alliance in 2018 to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector combining the expertise of Hexcel in carbon fiber and that of Arkema in PEKK.

At the core of the highly innovative PEKK/carbon thermoplastics component from the HELUES project is a one-step forming and injection overmolding technology that utilizes HexPly unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced Kepstan PEKK tapes in conjunction with Kepstan PEKK injection molding compounds.

This integrated approach enables the rapid creation of a fully formed, structurally complex component, including reinforcing ribs and functional elements, in less than two minutes.

The HELUES demonstrator directly replaces a traditionally assembled door structure with a single, integrated part, reducing component count and assembly steps by up to 90%.

Early-stage testing confirmed excellent material bonding between molded ribs and thermoformed laminates, further supporting the part’s viability in demanding aerospace environments.