#PLANTTOUR

Aerospace

Plant tour: Joby Aviation, Marina, Calif., U.S.

As the advanced air mobility market begins to take shape, market leader Joby Aviation works to industrialize composites manufacturing for its first-generation, composites-intensive, all-electric air taxi.
#planttour #wingoftomorrow #space

CompositesWorld's top ten plant tours of all time

The editors at CW have been lucky enough to visit many unique facilities over the years. These tours have provided an in-depth look into these company’s manufacturing processes and their of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies. Here are the top ten plant tours our audience took an interest in. 
#planttour

Aerospace

Plant tour: Middle River Aerostructure Systems, Baltimore, Md., U.S.

The historic Martin Aircraft factory is advancing digitized automation for more sustainable production of composite aerostructures.
#automation #sustainability #planttour

Defense

Plant tour: Renegade Materials Corp., Miamisburg, Ohio, U.S.

Renegade Materials is known for high-performance prepregs for aerospace applications. Following its acquisition by Teijin in 2019, the company has expanded capacity and R&D efforts on a range of aerospace-targeted materials.
#wingoftomorrow #space #planttour

Fabrics/Preforms

Plant tour: Albany Engineered Composites, Rochester, N.H., U.S.

Efficient, high-quality, well-controlled composites manufacturing at volume is the mantra for this 3D weaving specialist.
#wingoftomorrow #space #planttour

Testing

Plant tour: Avel Robotics, Lorient, France

From AFP hydrofoils to more efficient aircraft parts, Avel uses digital design, multiprocess production and a rule-breaking approach for complex 4D composites.
#planttour #wingoftomorrow #space

Wind/Energy

Plant tour: AvCarb, Lowell, Mass., U.S.

Composites are often selected for their structural properties, but at AvCarb, innovation in carbon fiber-based products has driven fuel cell technology advances for decades.
#planttour #windblades

ATL/AFP

Plant tour: ÉireComposites, Galway, Ireland

An in-house testing business and R&D focus has led to innovative materials use and projects in a range of markets, from civil aerospace to renewable energy to marine.
#wingoftomorrow #space #planttour

RTM

Plant tour: Dowty Propellers, Gloucester, U.K.

Transforming decades of design and RTM production reliability into more sustainable, next-generation composite propellers.
#wingoftomorrow #space #planttour

Design/Simulation

Plant tour: National Institute for Aviation Research, Wichita, Kan., U.S.

NIAR, located at Wichita State University in the heart of the American aerospace manufacturing industry, has evolved to become a premier hub of teaching, R&D, creativity and innovation.
#planttour #wingoftomorrow #space

Prepregs

Plant tour: Qarbon Aerospace, Milledgeville, Ga. and Red Oak, Texas

Veteran aerostructures Tier 1 transforms into 21st century leader in thermoplastic composites and multiple new markets.
#planttour #wingoftomorrow #space

Thermoplastics

Plant tour: Victrex Composites Solutions, Bristol, Rhode Island, U.S.

De-risking thermoplastic composites at industrial scale via hybrid overmolding.
#wingoftomorrow #space #outofautoclave

Curing

Plant tour: Bucci Composites, Faenza, Italy

A stalwart in Italy’s “Motor Valley” opens its doors for a discussion and exploration of the company’s history in composites manufacturing for high-performance cars and other applications.
#planttour

Compression Molding

Plant tour: ATC Manufacturing, Post Falls, Idaho, U.S.

ATC is at the top of the list when it comes to thermoplastic composites and aerostructures manufacturing. CW explains why.
#planttour #wingoftomorrow #space

Urban Air Mobility

Plant tour: Hexcel, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The scale, precision, speed and quality of carbon fiber manufacture has evolved substantially since the material’s modern introduction in the late 1960s. Hexcel offers a glimpse of the state of the art today.
#a350 #adhesives #aeroengines

Prepregs

Plant Tour: RUAG Space, Decatur, Alabama, U.S.

Out-of-autoclave composites manufacturing facility comes of age with first U.S.-made composite structures for the Atlas V launcher, and qualification parts for the Vulcan.
#weaving #outofautoclave #ndi

Energy Storage

Plant Tour: Holland Composites, Lelystad, Netherlands

Balancing performance with affordable production, this industry veteran continues to explore composites’ infinite possibilities.
#autoclave #boeing #outofautoclave

Aerospace

Plant Tour: Veelo Technologies, Woodlawn, Ohio, U.S.

Advanced materials company evolves from nanomaterials to multifunctional composites and processing solutions.
#sustainability #electricvehicles #787

Testing

Plant Tour: STELIA Aerospace, Méaulte, France

Supplier of Airbus fuselage sections pushes boundaries of hybrid aerostructures production, assembly and thermoplastic composites.
#weaving #ndi #outofautoclave

Prepregs

Plant tour: Meggitt San Diego, CA, US

This aerospace and defense fabricator upgrades to a larger facility and gets, in the process, a chance to rethink and optimize material, people and process flow. 
#outofautoclave #wingoftomorrow #space