PINETTE PEI at Paris Air Show 2023!

 Meet us at the Paris Airshow 2023 from 19th to 22nd of June 2023 at our booth C158, in hall 2B.

This year marks the return of the biggest airshow in the world: the Paris Air Show! Held at le Bourget airport every 2 two years, in 2023 the show comes back after the 2021 occasion being canceled because of Covid. Long-awaited by the aeronautic industry which had to go through a crisis due to the pandemic, and now facing environmental constraints, exhibitors are eager to show their latest innovations.

Driven by future markets like eVTOLs (electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircrafts, the need to drastically reduce weight to reduce fuel consumption, or hydrogen tanks in the future, composite parts production for aeronautics will grow even bigger.

Future of composite in aircrafts

Primarily focused on thermoset composite at the moment, the industry is shifting to thermoplastic materials because of their benefits, namely repairability, recyclability, ease of storage, and the high production volume possible.

R&D projects all around the world are developing processes to produce large, thick, and multi-thickness thermoplastic parts, and to weld them.

Bio sourced composite materials

Bio-based composite materials, similar to contemporary composites, consist of a resin matrix and a fiber, but with a biological source. These materials are increasingly utilized in industrial settings due to their numerous advantages, including being lightweight, flexible, cost-effective, and recyclable.

The raw materials for bio-based composites are obtained from renewable natural resources such as biomass, plants, crops, micro-organisms, animals, minerals, and bio-wastes. Chemical and/or mechanical processes are necessary to convert these raw materials into bio-based composites, which can be used alone or in conjunction with standard materials like carbon and/or glass fiber.

Presently, bio-based composites may comprise one or more of the following components:

Natural fibers: These fibers can be sourced from animals, plants, or minerals and do not require a carbonization process, which involves converting an organic substance into carbon or a carbon-containing residue.

Biomass carbon fibers: Biomass materials like algae, cellulose, and lignin are employed to produce feedstock and raw materials that are further transformed into fibers and resins.

Bio-resins: Resins, highly viscous substances that are converted into polymers or materials, are derived from biological sources, predominantly plant oils, biomass, or bio-wastes.

eVTOLs for Urban Air Mobility

The eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) industry presents significant opportunities for the composites market. Compared to other industries like aerospace and automotive, eVTOLs have a higher penetration of composite materials, accounting for approximately 70% of the material mix.

The lightweight and structural benefits of composites make them an ideal choice for eVTOL manufacturers, who require both lightweight components and strong structural integrity. The demand for composite materials in the eVTOL industry is expected to increase rapidly, with projections estimating a 20-fold growth in demand from 2024 to 2030.

Key players in the composites industry are already partnering with eVTOL manufacturers to provide composite materials. However, challenges such as certification, manufacturing capacity, and customer acceptance remain to be addressed for the full realization of the eVTOL revolution.

PINETTE PEI: Exploring the future of aeronautics

At PINETTE PEI, we are working hand-in hand with you to design and manufacture presses and automated production means that help you face the challenges of tomorrow.

We invite you to come and meet us at our booth to discover our solutions for thermoplastic materials processing and other solutions for aeronautics:

• High volume thermoplastic production line
• High temperature consolidation
• Automated preforming solutions
• Hot Drape Forming
• Composite curing
• Honeycomb forming
• RTM presses
• C-RTM
• Laboratory and R&D presses
• Testing solutions
• Large assembly machines