This year, my JEC World post-show report includes some typical short summaries but also a few longer pieces — a chance to tell stories that have been building for a while. As always, my focus is on what’s new and has the potential to open new opportunities and possibilities for composites.

Integrating AFP-RTM for high-rate composite production lines

Coexpair Dynamics (Namur, Belgium) was born from a partnership between André Bertin, founder of longtime resin transfer molding (RTM) and prepreg-based SQRTM technology and equipment supplier Coexpair (Namur) and the former Automated Dynamics team (now Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Albany), known for its decades of experience in providing automated fiber placement (AFP) deposition heads and technology for Coexpair processing thermoset as well as thermoplastic composites (TPC, see “Consolidating TPC aerostructures in place”).

“We formed Coexpair Dynamics several years ago to provide new automated solutions for net-shape parts,” explains Coexpair co-CEO Antoine Vierset. The new company provides AFP systems for the aeronautics, space and defense industries, including AFP gantry and robot machines plus a range of compact AFP heads.

“Our goal is to advance automation for high‑precision, high‑efficiency composite layups to enable the high-volume mass production that is being demanded by commercial and defense aircraft OEMs,” says Jean-Philippe Crépin, CEO of Coexpair Dynamics.

The company develops custom AFP machines tailored to specific customer applications linked to high-rate production, but can also act as an engineering and R&D partner to support customers from part design to development of specialized machinery to low-rate/initial production. In addition, Coexpair Dynamics offers an integrated digital environment through its Software 4.0 Suite, which includes Floware for production data acquisition and SCADA‑based integration, and Maestro for process monitoring, control and traceability across the entire composite manufacturing workflow.

In addition to supporting layups for conventional autoclave cure, Coexpair Dynamics collaborates with Coexpair to integrate AFP with out-of-autoclave (OOA) cure solutions, such as RTM and prepreg-based same qualified RTM (SQRTM), to increase automation for high-rate production of precision high-performance composite structures. “We are now setting up a first proof of concept full automated line which includes AFP of prepreg onto an SQRTM tool and automated handling into a pneumatic RTM press, followed by press closure, resin injection and cure,” says Vierset. “Integration of these two composite manufacturing processes constitutes a genuinely disruptive paradigm, aiming to revolutionize the way highly automated and robotized production lines for aerospace and defense composite structures are envisioned and engineered.”

The company is also working to develop thermoplastic composites using in situ consolidation (ISC) during AFP, adds Didier Granville, senior business developer for Coexpair Dynamics. In June 2025, Coexpair Dynamics announced a milestone in the ESI-F35 project for “Advanced thermoplastics manufacturing with [ISC] for high performance composite aerostructures: Coexpair Dynamics completed the design, development and manufacture of a unique [TPC] AFP automation equipment for Syensqo, supplier of advanced composite materials.”

Granville notes this system increases the processing speed of aerospace thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials by 400%, opening new markets, and features advanced control systems developed with contributions from Siemens (Munich, Germany)  in the development of automation and process control (read Siemens’ case history reports in 2022 and in 2023).

FACC leads TPC and RTM aerostructure demonstrators

Langzauner (Lambrechten, Austria) exhibited a TPC primary structure demonstrator developed in a project led by Tier 1 aerostructures supplier FACC (Ried im Innkreiss, Austria) and OEM Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil). The multispar wing movable measures 3.2-meters long with width tapering from 300 to 700 millimeters. The 3D skin layup and C-spars were created using AFP of Toray Advanced Composites (Nijverdal, Netherlands) Cetex TC1225 carbon fiber/LMPAEK (Victrex) unidirectional (UD) tape directly onto spring compensated layup tooling. This was achieved by partner Coriolis Composites (Queven, France) and then shipped to FACC for consolidation in autoclave.

The assembly was executed using FACC’s in-house developed robotic induction welding process. In a first step, the spars were induction-welded to the upper skin, followed by the lower skin welded to the previous sub-assembly. This features a patented control system for maintaining optimized temperature and pressure during heating and cool-down, as well as pressure on the top skin — which included multiple ply-drop sections — and underlying C-rib flanges during the welding process to achieve a fully fused welded joint. Scrap from the AFP process was recycled into long fiber molding compound used to press-form the trailing edge in a Langzauner press. This was also induction welded, closing out the structure with top and bottom skins. Metal fittings were integrated with fasteners for load introduction during full-scale load testing under realistic load case conditions. The project demonstrated a 40% reduction in assembly time for high-rate production and a low 1.1 buy-to-fly ratio.

A second demonstrator was exhibited by Hexcel (Stamford, Conn., U.S.) at JEC, and was developed as part of Clean Aviation’s Ultra Performance Wing (UP-Wing) project (2023-2026) for short/medium-range aircraft (SMR, typified by 1,000-2,000 nautical miles, 150-250 passengers) to achieve a double digit percentage fuel burn reduction versus current state of art SMR aircraft as reference. The project’s TRL 4 outcomes are aligned with plans for future aircraft entering service by the second half of the next decade.

This multi-spar flaperon was made using various technologies to demonstrate using the right materials in the right place:

• Lower rear skin was press-molded using Hexcel’s M51 out-of-autoclave (OOA) UD prepreg with IM5-24K carbon fiber in fast-cure epoxy for a 40-minute cycle.
• Leading edge used Hexcel M21E standard autoclave-cure prepreg with HexTow IMA-12K carbon fiber.
• Closing ribs at each end of the part used HexForce G0926 HS-6K, 375g/m² 5-harness satin fabric infused with Hexcel RTM 6 epoxy resin using FACC’s patented MARI process.
• Main box was made using resin transfer molding (RTM) with Hexcel fast-cure HF610F-2K (two-component) epoxy resin. Preforms comprised two simple skins plus C-, L- and Z-stringers preforms made using Hexcel HiMax IM-12K dry carbon fiber +/- 45° and 0°/90° noncrimp fabric (NCF) with a nonwoven veil for toughness. The preforms were assembled in the RTM tool, the resin was mixed in a Hübers mix, meter, dispense (MMD) system and the integrated part was infused and cured in 30 minutes.

Final assembly of these parts was achieved using mechanical fasteners and required no shims due to the high geometric accuracy of all parts.

Isovolta’s new vitrimer-based prepreg

Isovolta (Wiener Neudorf, Austria) launched its new prepreg which combines it novel vitrimer, based on epoxy, with reinforcements such as glass, carbon, aramid or other fibers. Vitrimers are polymers that crosslink when heated but can then be thermoformed and recycled similar to thermoplastics.

Isovolta showcased an aircraft interior sidewall demonstrator made with a glass-reinforced vitrimer prepreg and honeycomb core. Carbon Cleanup (Traun, Austria) then recycled such pressed laminates using its mechanical process to create pellets which were fed into a desktop extrusion 3D printer, creating the aircraft-shaped paper holder demonstrator shown at the show. “It’s important to consider circularity from the outset when developing new materials,” says Jörg Radanitsch, founder and CEO of Carbon Cleanup. “We’re excited to be working with Isovolta and showcasing our containerized equipment solution for recycling this material as they work with customers on a range of new applications.”

UniSQ pushes boundaries in digital twins, TPC, CMC and more

The University of Southern Queensland (Toowoomba, Australia), just west of Brisbane, houses the Centre for Future Materials (CFM), which focuses on advancing fiber-reinforced polymer and ceramic composites. It received a JEC World 2026 Innovation Award for its work with partners MEMKO (Melbourne), Dassault Systèmes ( Vélizy-Villacoublay, France) and Boeing Australia (Melbourne) to develop an end-to-end digital thread for composite aerostructures to accelerate and improve repair and manufacturing. Announced in 2023 and part of Australia’s iLAuNCH Trailblazer program, this project seeks to advance:

• Interpreting inspection data and embedding it in digital twins
• Rapidly generating optimized, damage-specific patch designs
• Using in-situ monitoring for the patch adhesion process, including use of microwire sensors by RVmagnetics (Košice, Slovakia).

Manufacturing is also digitized, including AI-enhanced monitoring of the filament-winding process, enabled through Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE tools. The digital thread is updated with this in-process manufacturing data, supporting design analysis of the as-manufactured structure as well as future repair and end-of-life decisions. (Read more in an article by Dassault Systèmes.)

Dr. Tristan Shelley, who leads the iLAuNCH funded project on Digitising Composites Manufacturing and Repair, and Dr. Molly Hall were both present to explain their work exhibited in the JEC World 2026 Mobility Planet. But this is just one of a wide range of efforts the CFM is pursuing in composites. Another project, funded by Australia's Economic Accelerator Ignite program, features TPC.

As an ex-Boeing engineer working in TPC, Hall is a big proponent of the technology, but also of using sensors to dial in process control and as explained above, to improve digital twins (check out CW’s Sensors knowledge center). Work includes identifying key material transitions like melt and crystallization using Netzsch (Selb, Germany) dielectric sensors. Hall notes the data and insights provided by such sensors are critical not only for more optimized and efficient processing but also for certification of aerostructures. (Watch Hall’s webinar on cure monitoring of thermoset composites.)

The team is also working on oxide ceramic matrix composites (OCMC) via the CFM’s participation in the DART CMP (composite material platform) Airframe project. For this project, the team is proving out automated manufacturing processes for OCMC made using filament winding as well as performing design and simulation for analyzing the reusability of such components to be used in space — for example, in the hypersonic vehicle family being developed by Hypersonix (Brisbane, Australia). The CFM has recently installed an XPlace mk3 AFP head from Carbon Axis (Périgny, France) into its existing MF Tech (Quéven, France) filament winding cell to enable hybrid manufacturing of traditional thermoset, thermoplastic and also CMC structures.

Mapping AFP data positionally for visualizing as-manufactured digital twins

Nebumind (Munich, Germany) has developed software that (see my 2020 article) “builds digital twins from manufacturing data to trace defects, compare manufactured parts, qualify processes, develop tolerance windows for process monitoring and more.” Its co-founders, Franz Engel and Caroline Albert, previously managed the Airbus subsidiary, InFactory Solutions. At JEC World 2026, Engel discussed how the software is now being used to improve AFP processes and parts.

“AFP generates large amounts of process and machine data,” he explains, “but its true value emerges only when this data is linked directly to the part. Our core approach is to structure all data spatially, assigning every data point to its exact X-Y-Z position on the component.” For robot- or NC-controlled AFP systems, this is achieved by tracking the fiber layup point at high sampling rates of up to 1 kHz, enabling millimeter-level spatial resolution even at process speeds of around 1 meter/second. “This creates a high-quality, position-based data foundation for analyzing the manufacturing process,” says Engel.

“Unlike traditional time-series approaches, which are mainly used for condition monitoring,” he continues, “spatial data enables direct comparison of how parts are actually manufactured.” Process parameters such as layup speed, compaction force and temperature from both machine controllers and external sensors can be evaluated from precisely where they occur on the part. “This allows manufacturers to compare components on a point-by-point basis, providing a strong indication of process consistency and resulting part quality.”

However, this level of analysis requires precise synchronization of all data streams, particularly in high-speed AFP processes. “Our nebumind software ensures the required data quality through careful system integration and synchronization strategies,” explains Engel. In addition, nebumind collaborates with partners such as Siemens to ensure seamless integration into industrial environments. “We are providing reliable spatial data fusion and enabling advanced process understanding, monitoring and quality assurance.”

Chinese-European collaboration for AluCoat fibers in composite EV battery cases

FibreCoat (Aachen, Germany), in collaboration with Forward Engineering (Munich, Germany) and parts producer Coleitec (Hangzhou, China), unveiled a next-generation composite battery case for electric vehicles (EVs) featuring AluCoat aluminum-coated basalt fiber. Directly integrated into the composite case, AluCoat woven fabric replaces the need for added metal foils, plates or coatings, delivering EMI shielding, passive cooling and improved fire resistance while reducing process steps, weight and carbon footprint. FibreCoat supplied material, Forward Engineering mediated the development process and Coleitec was the manufacturing partner, using their HP-RTM process with epoxy resin.

“There is a strong demand to find better solutions for how to deal with EMI shielding in plastic and composite materials,” notes Georg Käsmeier, managing partner of Forward Engineering. “We've been involved in many battery case developments for multiple OEMs in the last years, and lightweight EMI has remained an unmet need. However, FibreCoat’s technology, adding a functional layer around the technical fiber is a new approach for composites that we can use flexibly in many ways. Our toolbox is now larger for product designs and we can see many other applications in space, robotics and other industries that might benefit.”

The technology also saves cost, asserts FibreCoat CEO, Robert Brüll. “Compared to existing metal-coated fibers or metal fibers, we are 10 to 20 times cheaper, because we coat each glass or basalt filament as it is produced at 1,500 to 2,000 meters/minute. This also enables very quick scaling and production of large quantities for automotive, defense and space, where it’s critical to meet cost and speed pressure while maintaining high performance.”

Further, for this battery case, not only was FibreCoat a drop-in solution, but it removed steps previously required in such applications. “Coleitec did not have to make any changes to its setup and or add any further steps to integrate the AluCoat woven material into its HP-RTM process,” explains Neel Savla, business development manager for FibreCoat. “It also eliminates additional processes that would otherwise be required downstream to attach metal foils or apply coatings. Thus, it reduces the EV component production steps and time, enabling even further cost savings.”

The battery case exhibited at JEC took less than 6 months from concept to finished prototype.

“This is an excellent example of how a global supply chain can closely cooperate to use each partner’s strengths and advantages,” says Bin Wei, CTO of Coleitec, which has produced 600,000 battery boxes over the past 3 years and has a backlog of more than one million orders. “We specialize in lightweight composites technology and this kind of synchronized development accelerates the commercialization of such innovative technology.”

The partners’ next steps are to finish system level tests with the battery case. “We will then jointly approach OEMs and the supply chain in China and in Europe,” says Brüll. Coleitec is introducing FibreCoat to the major fiber producers in China, while FibreCoat is exploring new production in addition to its sites in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and the nation of Georgia. “We have stood up four sites in 6 years and can offer a fully European supply chain but also license the technology and quickly scale in Asia, the U.S. or wherever our products are needed.”

Amorphous TPC

After more than 20 years working with high-performance thermoplastics, Pierre Coat, technology and strategy lead at COREX Materials Co. (Taichung, Taiwan), observed that barriers to adopting TPC are often not only related to material cost, but also to manufacturing complexity. Semi-crystalline polymers such as PEEK and PEKK require tight process control and narrow thermal windows, which can limit scalability in certain industrial environments.

Coat says the focus at COREX has been to approach TPC as a system, where material, process and application are developed together. With this approach, amorphous thermoplastics offer a distinct advantage: their stable processing behavior eliminates crystallization constraints, enabling more robust and repeatable manufacturing.

“We initially developed polycarbonate (PC)-based composites to support Taiwan’s strong electronics manufacturing,” says Coat. As applications expanded into sporting goods and structural components, the company extended its portfolio to higher-performance polymers including polysulfone (PSU), polyethersulfone (PES), polyetherimide (PEI) and polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), each offering different balances of thermal resistance, toughness and processability.

COREX develops multiple composite product forms aligned with manufacturing routes. These include UD tapes for continuous reinforcement, consolidated laminates and organosheets for forming processes and discontinuous “chopped UD” formats that enable in-plane quasi-isotropic behavior and design flexibility in compression molding. In addition, thermoplastic pultruded profiles such as rods enable highly controlled, continuous geometries. “By combining these formats, engineers can design hybrid structures that integrate performance, geometry, manufacturability and multifunctionality from the outset,” notes Coat. “Materials are only one part of the equation. Most challenges arise at the interfaces between material behavior, process conditions and part design. Our role is to work within that intersection.”

Using TPC for drone parts and drill bits

Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo, Japan) featured TPC drone propeller blades and a body structure made using its TAFNEX carbon fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) materials. Two blades feature foam core and were thermoformed, while another blade was made using unidirectional tape and injection overmolding, developed by a consortium in the Austrian government-funded NeoBlade research project including the company Engel (Schwertburg, Austria). In parallel, a thermoplastic body structure was presented together with a whitepaper explaining the development approach to transfer a design from thermoset to thermoplastic. This white paper, “How digital engineering and thermoplastic composites enable mass production” was created together with partner Simutence (Karlsruhe, Germany).

The company also displayed a drill bit made using tape winding, functionalized via injection molding by Anybrid (Dresden, Germany). This demonstrator was part of the German government funded Wi-In research project, which investigated the integration of two production processes within a single production cell. The project also validated that such structures can be mechanically recycled and reused without requiring fiber-resin separation.

Composite liquid hydrogen tanks

NLR, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre, exhibited a small-scale 1.4- meter × 390-millimeter composite liquid hydrogen (LH₂) tank developed with Toray Advanced Composites (Nijverdal, Netherlands) and 12 other partners in the Netherlands LH₂ composite tank consortium (see my 2025 blog update on this project). This tank includes a TPC inner tank and thermoset composite outer tank separated by vacuum and multilayer insulation (MLI).

The inner cylinder was made using 145 gsm Toray Cetex TC1225 UD prepreg tape comprising Torayca T700G carbon fiber and LMPAEK polymer from Victrex (Clevelys, U.K.), while the outer cylinder used Toray TC346 toughened epoxy UD prepreg made with Torayca T700S carbon fiber. For the exhibit, the tank was also partially covered with Blueshift’s (Spencer, Mass., U.S.) AZ-FTB 300 peel-and-stick tape. In service, the full tank would be covered for flame protection that preserves structural integrity and functional performance under sustained temperatures exceeding 1,000°C (read “Structured air” TPS safeguards composite structures).

The 91% composite assembly also features integrated fiber optic sensors, a 3D-printed stainless steel adapter and holds a net 5 kilograms of LH₂. It will be tested in Q2 2026 at NLR.

Cetim (Nantes, France) also exhibited technology for LH₂ composite tanks, specifically a 1-meter TPC dome demonstrator developed for a linerless Type 5 composite tank as part of the STOHYC project coordinated by Airbus. Other partners in the French program include Hexcel, Loiretech, Onera and MF Tech.

Made using Cetim’s Spide TP laser-assisted tape placement (LATP) system, the dome features an innovative “cut and stepped” layup approach for highly curved surfaces using carbon fiber/PEKK tape. This solution helps minimize defects that are often encountered with traditional tape winding or AFP processes including voids and excessive overlaps, which can induce matrix cracking due to cryogenic thermal stresses. “Classic filament winding creates excessive thickness in the domes,” explains Clément Callens, manager for advanced materials & components at Cetim. “Instead, we use our LATP process and in situ consolidation to produce the necessary angle of placement on the dome to avoid any porosity. The tools we have developed for simulation were also key to optimize the fiber path.”

Cetim asserts that by precisely tailoring fiber paths, this approach improves material quality, dome tightness and structural integrity to enable lighter, fully composite cryotanks while the thermoplastic polymer aids with recyclability and industrial scalability. Cetim has also developed a bonding process adapted to cryogenic conditions and has validated this under extreme conditions.