NHYTE composite promises lighter and stronger aircraft

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is the first airliner made from primarily composite materials (Credit: redlegsfan21 via Flickr)

The snappily titled New Hybrid Thermoplastic Composite Aerostructures manufactured by Out of Autoclave Continuous Automated Technologies (NHYTE) project is being funded with €5.2m of Horizon 2020 money. Its aim is to produce a high-performance material based on a commercial PEEK (poly ether ether ketone)-Carbon Fibre Prepreg with the addition of amorphous polyetherimide (PEI) films.

So far, these types of materials have been limited to the laboratory. However, the NHYTE consortium – which includes several academic and industrial partners from across the EU - is aiming to identify and implement a suitable manufacturing process which can be up-scaled to an industrial level. Parts will be produced by a robotic machine using new processes such as Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) and continuous forming, and will be assembled by induction welding using similar methods as the automotive industry.