He said that while they have focused on thermoplastics,‘ Toray’ has concentrated on thermoset materials in aerospace. But now they are both in the thermoplastic space, like ATC Manufacturing, in the creation of small-and-large format components— for both the fuselage and wings.
“ The piece we bring, along with our competitors, is how to use our specific materials. It is a common goal to bring thermoplastic composites where they belong in an aircraft. As a whole, there will be synergies at the macro level of thermoplastic composites,” he said.
Regarding intellectual property( IP) developed at the Center, McCrea added,“ Yes, now we will have a common place to meet. If I want this material to be successful, we need to meet, and we can leverage the place and work together.” He envisions working spaces and the potential for IP development while sharing the same equipment.
26 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS