Welding
KAI demonstrates thermoplastic and infused structures for future airframes
Korea Aerospace Industries advances its expertise through a welded TPC fuselage section and resin-infused wing skin module and torsion box demonstrators.
Ginger Gardiner
Executive Editor, CompositesWorld
SAMPE China Highlights 2026 Advanced Composites Product Innovation Award Winners
Thirteen winners and seven finalists across four award categories underpin key focuses in China’s commercial sector, including TPC, hydrogen storage, and aerospace and space applications.
Read MoreTPRC T-DOG extrusion welding setup expands TPC insights
Developed under the T-CAT project, T-DOG offers a wider processing window and broader material compatibility for thermoplastic composites, enabling deeper study of interface bonding in hybrid structures.
Read MoreDaher CFRTP wing rib survives ultimate load without failure in structural bench test
SNAPSHOT: The infrared-welded, 64-ply thermoplastic rib withstood combined 25-tonne compression and 25-tonne shear loads at Cetim's test facility, validating a critical loading case representative of a single-aisle wing.
Read MoreHESTIA project advances thermoplastic composite fuselage tech for zero-emission aircraft
Fraunhofer IWS highlights work with CONTIjoin, vitrimers, drapeability and LSP while IVW demonstrates rCF-reinforced thermoplastic window frame using aligned discontinuous fibers.
Read MoreShenyang Institute of Automation proposes carbon fiber/PEEK 3D printing and welding for on-orbit structures
Verified through a scaled-down prototype, the technology represents a growing body of work seeking to overcome logistical and cost barriers of in-space manufacturing.
Read MoreCrashworthy fuselage, tail designs for H2 aircraft using thermoplastic composites
SNAPSHOT: NLR works in Airbus-led Clean Aviation project to demonstrate hydrogen tank integration, double-hinged rudder designs, induction welding and faster NDI.
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Plant tour: Collins Aerospace, Riverside, Calif., U.S. and Almere, Netherlands
Composite Tier 1’s long history, acquisition of stamped parts pioneer Dutch Thermoplastic Components, advances roadmap for growth in thermoplastic composite parts.
Ginger Gardiner
Executive Editor, CompositesWorld
JEC 2026 highlights: AFP-RTM integration, new vitrimer prepreg, mapping AFP data, metal coated fiber in battery cases and more
CW executive editor Ginger Gardiner discusses some of this year’s notable exhibits and new developments in composites.
Read MoreTheSaKo project considers SME-volume thermoplastic sandwich structure joining, repair methods
Fraunhofer IMWS, SKZ Plastics Center and other cross-functional partners target thermoformable edge shaping, load path-optimized joining zones, weld- and adhesive-optimized joints and repair-friendly concepts.
Read MoreDirect stamping, infrared welding enables 64-ply thermoplastic composite rib
SNAPSHOT: New processes cut weight 25%, cost 15% and cycle time by 25% versus aluminum and bolted assembly in Daher’s Highly Loaded Thermoplastic Wing Rib demonstrator.
Read MoreE-Learning Composites Academy launches second training season on TPC welding
JEC World 2026: In its ongoing efforts to advance composites learning, the flagship “Composite Inside” series tackles welding continuous fiber thermoplastic materials in a short, effective format.
Read MoreToray reveals CFRP part welding capabilities three times faster than conventional bonding
Successful testing show that the company’s thermal welding process can weld thermoset and thermoplastic CFRP aerostructures at speed and with very high bonding strength.
Read MoreAFP with very-thin plies of carbon fiber/LMPAEK prepreg for sustainable helicopter structures
DLR, Airbus Helicopters, Fraunhofer and TU Dresden work in the NATURE project for environmentally friendly aviation
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Assembling the Multifunctional Fuselage Demonstrator: The final welds
Building the all-thermoplastic composite fuselage demonstrator comes to an end with continuous ultrasonic welding of the RH longitudinal fuselage joint and resistance welding for coupling of the fuselage frames across the upper and lower halves.
Ginger Gardiner
Executive Editor, CompositesWorld
IRT Jules Verne, partners launch SCRATCH TPC assembly project
A continuation of SPECTRA, this project’s technological building blocks will contribute to the deployment of a matured conduction welding solution to improve aerospace-grade TPC assembly.
Read MoreUltrasonic welding for in-space manufacturing of CFRTP
Agile Ultrasonics and NASA trial robotic-compatible carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic ultrasonic welding technology for space structures.
Read MoreKVE, Pinette PEI to supply TPC induction welding equipment
Integrated solution for TPC stamp forming and part assembly via induction welding opens capabilities for increased part sizes, reduced weight and production cost, optimized cycle times.
Read MoreAgile Ultrasonics breaks new ground for ultrasonic composites welding in space manufacturing
Continuous ultrasonic welding (CUW) innovation presents the flexibility crucial for future lunar and deep-space missions, but also for composites joining in defense and commercial aerospace.
Read MoreTAVieDA project team cuts aircraft door production time using thermoplastic composites, welding
Fraunhofer groups, Trelleborg and Airbus develop modular, fully automated assembly system concept to replace metals and time-consuming assembly that shows potential for scalability.
Read MoreDaher celebrates Shap’in anniversary, highlights R&D developments
Two years after its launch, Daher’s technology center has been actively pursuing its ambitions to mature aerocomposites, from thermoplastics welding to rethinking their entire life cycle.
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Novel insert technology enables arc stud welding with composites
FAUSST technology enables fast, reliably welded connection of metal components in composite structures.
Inside the MFFD — CW's coverage of the Clean Aviation multifunctional fuselage demonstrator
CompositesWorld rounds up coverage of the MFFD project over the past decade. Now complete, the MFFD illustrates numerous processes and technologies for manufacturing primary aerospace structures using thermoplastic composites.
Read MoreCW finalizes Tech Days: Bonding and Welding agenda
A total of six presentations — four welding and two bonding — presented by industry experts will explore the drawbacks, potential and evolving technologies available to bonding and welding methods.
Read MoreUnderstanding the difference between bonding and welding
Composites bonding and welding are two similar but distinct processes that overcome challenges related to fasteners or drilling. Here are some resources to get you started.
Read MorePLEIADES project targets automated induction welding, vitrimeric formulations and digital supply chain
EU-founded project is supporting composite technology advancement for aerospace via automated manufacturing, integrated sensing, novel composite materials development and digital transformation.
Read MorePost Cure: Metal-composite connector supports direct joining to steel pipes
FAUSST weldable hybrid fabric by Hyconnect GmbH makes it possible to join metal-composite joints with reduced risk and labor.
Read MoreAnalySwift receives NASA STTR contract to enable second-use spacecraft infrastructure
Together with Purdue, AnalySwift aims to develop a composite heater layer and a novel software tool or module to achieve assembly, disassembly of thermoplastic composite joints in space during long-duration missions.
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