Steve Cease, Global CTO / US Managing Director,‘ Toray’ Advanced Composites, said,“ There are unique advantages to thermoplastic composites. There is no reaction chemistry; you don’ t need freezers, there is no cure cycle,( it) can offer more rapid fabrication methods, and assembly methods are lower cost.”
He noted that while thermoplastics are not as“ mature or broadly adopted as thermosets,” there is an opportunity to develop their use at the Center. He considers how to replace metallic aircraft— made mostly from aluminum— to rapidly increase production volume using thermoplastics on more parts than commonplace latches and bins.
At this time, he said they make 10 to 15 twin-aisle 787, 777 and A350 aircraft monthly, but to rapidly increase to 80 aircraft a month for Airbus and Boeing, they need to retool the method and manufacturing which thermoplastic offers.
The Center will be a key location for developing new technologies on large-scale equipment that will allow for fabrication and product certification. It is both a testbed and a training center to be leveraged by industry and educational facilities, allowing for new product development and a ramp-up of trained personnel. Cease said the personnel will include everyone from technicians to engineers to scientists. He added,“ Building this will create entrepreneurship. Pulling everyone together is a collective education and industry awareness. Bringing this large-scale equipment will foil the naysayers.” He added that this work would bring in Boeing, NASA, and the big players, like‘ Toray,’ which has 50,000 employees worldwide. He thinks it will portend further aerospace-related industries, such as urban air mobility, as“ an eco-system as opposed to a competitive base.”
“ I am so pleased that the efforts of the AAMMC leadership have yielded this fantastic funding result,” says Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh.
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APRIL | MAY 2025 ISSUE NO. 44 27