Plant Tours
Plant tour: Airbus, Illescas, Spain
Airbus’ Illescas facility, featuring highly automated composites processes for the A350 lower wing cover and one-piece Section 19 fuselage barrels, works toward production ramp-ups and next-generation aircraft.
Hannah Mason
Technical Editor, CompositesWorld
Plant tour: BeSpline/Addcomp, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
Composites automation specialist increases access to next-gen technologies, including novel AFP systems and unique 3D parts using adaptive molds.
Read MorePlant tour: Daher Shap’in TechCenter and composites production plant, Saint-Aignan-de-Grandlieu, France
Co-located R&D and production advance OOA thermosets, thermoplastics, welding, recycling and digital technologies for faster processing and certification of lighter, more sustainable composites.
Read MorePlant tour: Arris Composites, Berkeley, Calif., U.S.
The creator of Additive Molding is leveraging automation and thermoplastics to provide high-volume, high-quality, sustainable composites manufacturing services.
Read MorePlant tour: Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.
Purpose-built facility employs resin transfer infusion (RTI) and assembly technology to manufacture today’s composite A220 wings, and prepares for future new programs and production ramp-ups.
Read MorePlant tour: Airtech International, Springfield, Tenn., U.S.
Fifty years of supplying materials for composites manufacturing includes custom fabrication and now aims to advance 3D-printed tooling, parts and new resins.
Read MorePlant 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.
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Plant tour: Aernnova Composites, Toledo and Illescas, Spain
RTM and ATL/AFP high-rate production sites feature this composites and engineering leader’s continued push for excellence and innovation for future airframes.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld
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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
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Plant tour: Teijin Carbon America Inc., Greenwood, S.C., U.S.
In 2018, Teijin broke ground on a facility that is reportedly the largest capacity carbon fiber line currently in existence. The line has been fully functional for nearly two years and has plenty of room for expansion.
Scott Francis
Editor-In-Chief, Gardner Business Media
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.
Read MorePlant tour: Dowty Propellers, Gloucester, U.K.
Transforming decades of design and RTM production reliability into more sustainable, next-generation composite propellers.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant tour: Victrex Composites Solutions, Bristol, Rhode Island, U.S.
De-risking thermoplastic composites at industrial scale via hybrid overmolding.
Read MorePlant 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.
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Plant tour: Sekisui Aerospace, Orange City, Iowa, Renton and Sumner, Wash., U.S.
Veteran composites sites use kaizen and innovation culture to expand thermoplastic serial production, 4.0 digitization and new technology for diversified new markets.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld
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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant 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.
Read MorePlant Tour: Holland Composites, Lelystad, Netherlands
Balancing performance with affordable production, this industry veteran continues to explore composites’ infinite possibilities.
Read MorePlant Tour: Veelo Technologies, Woodlawn, Ohio, U.S.
Advanced materials company evolves from nanomaterials to multifunctional composites and processing solutions.
Read MorePlant Tour: STELIA Aerospace, Méaulte, France
Supplier of Airbus fuselage sections pushes boundaries of hybrid aerostructures production, assembly and thermoplastic composites.
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