Under a strategic partnership, Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) and Arkema (King of Prussia, Pa., U.S.) have designed and manufactured a high-performance composite structure demonstrator for aerospace using HexPly thermoplastic tapes. These aerospace-grade materials are developed from Arkema’s Kepstan polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) resin and Hexcel HexTow AS7 and IM7 carbon fibers.

The demonstrator project was carried out as part of the collaborative project, “Highly Automatized Integrated Composites for Performing Adaptable Structures” or HAICoPAS. Its primary goal is to optimize the design and production process for unidirectional (UD) composite tapes made from high-performance thermoplastic resins and continuous carbon fibers. Additionally, the project aims to develop a more efficient tape placement technology and a novel continuous and dynamic in-situ welding (ISW) assembly system with real-time quality control. Ultimately, the objective is to produce composite parts that can replace metallic materials (such as steel, aluminum and titanium) in aircraft structures, achieving cost competitiveness and high production rates.

Project partners has successfully overcome the technological barriers identified at the beginning of the project, including:

• The development, implementation and characterization of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic tapes;
• The creation of an automated deposition process for consolidation outside of autoclaves;
• The establishment of the ISW welding technology for assembly.

The definition of elementary parts intended to form the assembled components of the HAICoPAS demonstrator was carried out in close collaboration with an industrial advisory committee comprising Airbus, Safran, Daher, Hutchinson and ATC. The final version of the aeronautical demonstrator is made from composite tapes and was assembled using this ISW technology.

The HAICoPAS project also includes Hexcel and Arkema’s industrial partners (Ingecal, Coriolis Composites, Pinette Emidecau Industries (PEI) and Institut de Soudure). Additionally, a consortium of university laboratories, spearheaded by CNRS and comprising the PIMM (CNRS - Arts et Métiers ParisTech - Cnam) and LTEN (CNRS - Université de Nantes), have played a crucial role in this endeavor.