WAG Wernli to produce composite brackets for Dufour Aero2 drone

Dufour Aerospace (Zurich, Switzerland) has announced the selection of WAG Wernli AG (Gränichen, Switzerland), a designer and manufacturer of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) molded parts, to produce the composite brackets for Dufour’s Aero2 tilt-wing aircraft. 

WAG Wernli designs include sheet molding compound (SMC) material through high-pressure and temperature curing processes. It will replace the original aluminum brackets used on the Aero2, enhancing cost and weight savings.

“They [WAG Wernli] have a proven track record in hot pressing finished parts directly from molds using SMC materials,” Simon Bendrey, head of design at Dufour Aerospace, says. “WAG Wernli will provide lightweight, stiff carbon [fiber] brackets with exceptional fatigue performance, supporting the main fittings on the aircraft. They offer high value when compared to traditional-milled aluminum or hand laminated components.”

The combination of different materials, such as aluminum and FRPs, poses various challenges in terms of assembling quality in aviation. The technology used by WAG Wernli and its SMC pressing process is said to overcome this, producing an economical and reproducible carbon fiber (C-SMC) molded part. In addition, the C-SMC products are up to 45% lighter than aluminum components, are corrosion resistant and have good adhesive properties. Inserts such as bearings can be integrated positively into the molded part without the need for subsequent bonding.

Swiss-based 9T Labs will be providing the Aero2’s thermoplastic composite connectors, and an all-composite airframe and composites-intensive nacelle and tail are being achieved through partners Connova and Aerolite.