High-performance plastics specialist Victrex (Thornton Cleveleys / UK; www.victrex.com) is launching a range of PAEK-based composites for the aerospace industry in the form of unidirectional (UD) tape and laminate panels. “Victrex AE250” composites enable the production of continuously-reinforced components that can perform under load.

Applications for the materials include brackets, clips, clamps and housings used throughout the aircraft in primary and secondary structures. The development and launch builds on the company’s hybrid moulding technology announced in 2014 – see Plasteurope.com of 27.10.2014.

The company said that an important advantage of implementing a PAEK-based composite solution is faster manufacturing as a result of smarter designs, contributing to cost savings and improved installation times. The composites have also shown weight savings of up to 60% under certain circumstances when compared to metals such as aluminium, stainless steel and titanium.

With AE250 composites being used as inserts in existing injection moulding equipment, the hybrid moulding process enables the overmoulding of a continuously-reinforced thermoplastic composite with the company’s PEEK injection moulding polymers.

Tim Herr, aerospace director at Victrex, said: “Victrex sees this as another excellent opportunity to support our customers by being a total solutions provider. Our innovative PAEK composites, paired with the revolutionary hybrid moulding technology, bridge the gap between composites and injection moulding. It enables the manufacture of complex composite parts which have not been possible until now.”