Aerospace Industry Thermoset Composites

Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry’s main product line is flight vehicles, each requiring many individual parts. As one of the largest industries in the U.S., aerospace includes several markets, such as missiles, commercial airliners, military defense vehicles, and space. Each aerospace market needs high-quality, reliable parts and services.

Altas Fibre provides thermoset composite laminate shapes and parts. We work with our aerospace customers to help them choose materials to reduce their project’s complexity and cost.

Types of Composites for the Aerospace Industry

Thermoset composites form many of the parts used by aerospace companies, including:

Wing assemblies
Blades and propellers
Instrument enclosures
Seats
Controls
Engines
Ring seals
Nozzles
Wall and floor structures
Braking systems
Window frames

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Benefits of Aerospace Composites Manufacturing

Thermoset composite materials are produced in a high-temperature, high-pressure lamination process that sets their chemical and physical properties. They are ideal for use in high-impact, demanding environments.

Thermoset composite materials offer multiple benefits to the aerospace industry, including:

Weight: Thermoset composites are lightweight and weigh much less than metal. Due to their reduced weight, the materials help to reduce fuel use and emissions, improving costs.
Strength: The materials also have a high strength-to-weight ratio. Glass epoxy composites, such as G10, have a tensile strength-to-weight ratio nearly twice that of aluminum. Due to their strength, composites are often used for the structural components of aerospace vehicles, such as wings and floor beams.
Insulation: Composites offer thermal and electrical insulation for aerospace applications, protecting equipment from high heat and electrical currents. Composite materials, like G10 or FR4, don’t conduct electricity or heat well, allowing them to act as superior insulators.

Corrosion resistance: Corrosion is the gradual destruction of materials due to exposure to oxygen. Many metals corrode and become weak over time. Thermoset composites are corrosion-resistant. A resin binder can also be added to the material during manufacturing to enhance its corrosion resistance.
Fatigue resistance: After repeated bending, metals can undergo a process under which microfractures grow to the point where the material fatigues and breaks.
Temperature tolerance: Vehicles in the aerospace industry get exposed to high temperatures and must withstand extreme heat and cold. Thermoset composites have a high-temperature tolerance and can withstand an aircraft’s extreme temperatures.
Flexibility: Atlas Fibre works with each of our customers to create materials and parts that fit their unique designs. We can machine phenolic and glass thermosets plus PEEK thermoplastic for the aerospace industry.

Custom and In-Stock Materials for the Aerospace Industry

Atlas Fibre has the largest selection of in-stock materials available in the U.S., making us the leading supplier of thermoset composite laminate in the country. Our 120,000-square-foot warehouse in Illinois has more than $8,000,000 worth of inventory. Our partner facilities hold an additional $4,000,000 of raw materials in Massachusetts and Hyderabad, India.

We can fabricate your parts to your custom specifications using machine-ready precision blanks. We’re a resource center, so we can help you choose the right material for your project. Work with us to determine which material will provide your vehicles with the best corrosion resistance, wear, noise, and weight reduction.