Breakthrough in Aerospace Manufacturing: Thermoplastic Composite Component

Thermoplastics Helues project demonstrates high-speed injection moulding for aerospace

2025-06-23 Source: Arkema 1 min Reading Time

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At the Paris Air Show, Hexcel and Arkema unveiled a breakthrough in aerospace manufacturing: a thermoplastic composite component produced via high-speed injection overmoulding. Developed within the Helues project, the innovation promises faster, lighter, and more sustainable aircraft production.

As part of the Helues project, Arkema and Hexcel showcased a breakthrough injection moulding process at the Paris Air Show.(Source: Arkema) — As part of the Helues project, Arkema and Hexcel showcased a breakthrough injection moulding process at the Paris Air Show.
(Source: Arkema)

In 2018, Hexcel and Arkema have signed a strategic alliance to develop thermoplastic composite solutions for the aerospace sector combining the expertise of Hexcel in carbon fiber and that of Arkema in PEKK. At Paris Air Show, Hexcel has spotlighted its latest advancements in thermoplastic composite technology by showcasing a highly innovative PEKK/carbon thermoplastics component developed as part of the Helues project.

As global demand surges for more efficient and scalable aircraft manufacturing, particularly for single-aisle jets, Hexcel and its Helues partners are helping OEMs address critical production challenges through new material and process innovations.

At the core of the Helues technology is a one-step forming and injection overmoulding technology that utilizes Hexply unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced Kepstan PEKK tapes in conjunction with Kepstan PEKK injection moulding compounds. This integrated approach enables the rapid creation of a fully formed, structurally complex component, including reinforcing ribs and functional elements, in less than two minutes.

The Helues demonstrator directly replaces a traditionally assembled door structure with a single, integrated part, reducing component count and assembly steps by up to 90 percent. Early-stage testing confirmed excellent material bonding between molded ribs and thermoformed laminates, further supporting the part’s viability in demanding aerospace environments.

With the commercial aviation sector preparing for a future defined by high-rate production and more automated, sustainable assembly lines, thermoplastics are gaining momentum as a material of choice. By reducing reliance on energy-intensive autoclaves and enabling robotic manufacturing processes, solutions like the Helues component demonstrate how composite innovation can unlock both performance and production scalability for the next generation of aircraft.

The Helues project, funded by the German Aerospace Centre and supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, brought together Airbus Helicopters Deutschland, Neue Materialien Bayreuth, Christian Karl Siebenwurst, Incoe corporation.

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