herone GmbH inaugurates new pilot facility for thermoplastic profiles, earns aviation certification

Four years after its founding, the aviation industry supplier, herone GmbH (Dresden, Germany), announces that it has reached two important milestones in 2022. Shortly after moving into a new production hall, the company completed and earned quality management (QM) aviation certification AS/EN9100. Herone says the company is now ready for serial production.

Aiming for emissions-free mobility using ultra-light thermoplastic profiles, the company inaugurated the new, 1,000-square-meter production facility in a ceremony on March 18, 2022, where it was shortly put into operation. At the pilot production plant, its 13 employees will be producing thermoplastic composite components in series; the company reports that it can produce up to 20,000 parts per year via its automated Herone Technology system (more on this below).

“For us, the opening marks an important milestone on the way to become a supplier of thermoplastic fiber composite profiles for the aviation industry,” Dr. Christian Garthaus, one of the two managing directors and co-founders of herone GmbH, explains.

The company invested a total of around €4.6 million with the help of the KETs pilot line funding, a funding program of the Saxon Development Bank (SAB, Leipzig, Germany) to promote research and development (R&D) for pilot lines in the field of key-enabling technologies. “Thanks to the funding, we were not only able to implement the pilot plant, but also the way to the product launch” Daniel Barfuss, managing director of the founding team with Alexander Rohkamm, adds.

Based on the automated processing of thermoplastic tapes in a braiding process and subsequent consolidation in an internal pressure-based pressing process, Herone Technology can be used to produce thermoplastic composite hollow profiles — with variable architecture, cross-sections and load introduction element — in what is said to be a resource-saving and cost-efficient manner. In addition to manufacturing what were formerly metallic connecting elements via thermoplastic profiles in the form of struts, shafts and pipes, the company notes its technology is able to produce component solutions for transferring loads, movements and liquids in mobility, sports and industry on a large scale that are lightweight and completely recyclable.

“Our goal is to offer solutions to exceed limits and thus make our contribution to overcoming global social challenges,” Garthaus adds. “With the Herone Technology, for example, we can support the change towards emission-free air traffic in a decisive way.”

Aviation certification for supplying parts was the next step in this process. The QM aviation certification according to AS/EN9100 was achieved a few days after the inauguration of the new facility, herone says — and means that the company has successfully set up an internationally recognized quality management system for the aviation industry and can therefore supply products of the required quality and verify the quality.

“The certification is a very big step for us. It makes us happy to have turned plans and visions that only existed on paper four years ago into reality. We are proud of our team,” Barfuss, says. He thanks the employees, and partners such as Boeing and supporting financial partners.

“For the first time we were represented as a supplier capable of series production at JEC World in Paris — and not only with our own stand, but also on the Industry and Mobility planets” Garthaus adds. The company showed the entire range of its products, from an integral turbine housing for air taxis to prestressed engine compartment struts to a line segment for transporting hydrogen — all made from 100% thermoplastic composites.