Stronger and lighter bracket with PAEK and PEEK

22 October 2014

The cooperation between Victrex and the moulder Tri-Mack Plastics Manufacturing has led to the production of a bracket intended for aerospace applications by means of a hybrid moulding process using PAEK and PEEK. More precisely, in order to manufacture this component, a PAEK-based composite is overmoulded with PEEK reinforced with glass fibres. This particular application required the development of a new PAEK-based polymer grade and a specific overmoulding technology. The new bracket has been introduced by the two companies at Fakuma (Friedrichshafen, 14-18 October) and, simultaneously, at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (Seattle, 14-16 October).

The new materials and process can lead to the production of stronger and cheaper parts, up to 60% lighter than their traditional counterparts in metal or thermoset resins. The aerospace industry is making significant progress in terms of materials and processing techniques. Nowadays, designers are increasingly asking for complex and at the same time lighter and cheaper materials. At present, commercial aircrafts use hundreds of brackets between the cockpit and the tail of the plane which can account for a significant amount of their total weight, especially if they are made of metal.