FORMIT · Project

Faster, Cheaper Thermoplastic Composite Wing Manufacturing Without Autoclaves

manufacturingTestedTRL 5

Imagine building airplane wings the way you'd snap together LEGO bricks — modular pieces that click into place — but made from super-strong, lightweight carbon fiber plastic. Right now, curing these parts requires giant pressure ovens called autoclaves, which are slow and expensive. FORMIT developed a continuous forming process and modular tooling that lets you shape and assemble wing skins and stiffeners without those ovens, cutting production cost and time. They actually built 20 real stringer parts and the tooling to integrate them into wing structures.

By the numbers

T-profile stringers manufactured across 6 geometries

Omega stringers manufactured by continuous forming

Modular tooling systems built for wing integration

Different stringer geometries demonstrated

TRL5

Target technology readiness level for industrial feasibility

100%

Industry partners in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturing aircraft wing structures from carbon fiber composites currently requires expensive, slow autoclave curing and dedicated single-geometry tooling. This drives up production costs, limits throughput, and makes it uneconomical to produce variant geometries at scale. Aerospace manufacturers need faster, cheaper ways to form and assemble composite wing structures without sacrificing structural performance.

The solution

What was built

The project built 20 thermoplastic carbon fiber/PEEK stringers (18 T-profiles in 6 geometries plus 2 omega stringers) using a patented continuous forming process. They also designed and manufactured 2 modular tooling systems — one for integrating T-stringers with wing upper skin, another for integrating omega stringers with a leading edge skin.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerostructure Tier 1 suppliers manufacturing composite wing componentsComposite part manufacturers looking to eliminate autoclave dependencyTooling companies serving the aerospace composites industryAutomotive OEMs exploring high-rate thermoplastic composite productionDefense aerospace manufacturers needing faster composite turnaround

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Aircraft structure manufacturers and Tier 1 aerostructure suppliers

If you are an aerostructure manufacturer dealing with slow autoclave cycles and high tooling costs for composite wing production — this project developed a continuous forming process and modular integration tooling for thermoplastic carbon fiber/PEEK stringers that enables out-of-autoclave production. They manufactured 18 T-profiles across 6 geometries and 2 omega stringers, proving industrial feasibility at TRL5.

Automotive composites

mid-size

Target: Lightweight vehicle structure producers using advanced composites

If you are a composites manufacturer looking to speed up production of structural carbon fiber parts — this project proved a patented continuous forming process for thermoplastic profiles that eliminates autoclave curing. The modular tooling concept means you can adapt the same system to different geometries without rebuilding from scratch, demonstrated across 6 different stringer geometries.

Tooling and industrial equipment

SME

Target: Composite tooling designers and manufacturing equipment providers

If you are a tooling company serving the composites industry and your customers complain about long lead times for geometry changes — this project built 2 modular tooling systems that integrate stringers with wing skins and leading edges. The modular design allows reconfiguration for different part geometries, reducing the need for dedicated single-use tooling.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt this technology?

The continuous forming process is patented by Applus (the coordinator). Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with LGAI Technological Center SA. Since this was a Clean Sky 2 project, IP arrangements follow the JTI framework — contact the coordinator for specifics.

Can this scale to full production rates?

The project targeted TRL5, which means industrial feasibility was demonstrated but not full-rate production. They manufactured 20 stringers (18 T-profiles and 2 omegas) using the continuous forming process. Scaling to series production would require further industrialization work.

Who owns the intellectual property?

The continuous forming process is patented by Applus (coordinator LGAI Technological Center SA). The project was funded under Clean Sky 2 (CS2-IA), so IP rules follow the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking agreements. Any licensing would go through Applus in Spain.

What materials does this work with?

The project specifically used carbon fiber embedded in PEEK thermoplastic matrix. PEEK is a high-performance engineering plastic with excellent heat and chemical resistance. The out-of-autoclave process was validated for this specific material combination.

How was the technology validated?

Testing followed a building block approach up to Level 2 (Element), including Level 1 coupon tests and physico-chemical analysis. They manufactured 18 T-profiles across 6 different geometries (3 units each) and 2 omega stringers using the continuous forming process.

Does this replace existing autoclave-based production?

The technology enables out-of-autoclave production for thermoplastic composite wing structures, which could replace traditional autoclave curing. Based on the project objective, this results in reduction of production costs and higher production rates compared to conventional methods.

What specific aircraft structures were targeted?

The project focused on outer wing upper skin and morphing leading edge structures. The modular tooling was designed to integrate T-shape and omega stringers with these wing skins using Automated Fiber Placement lamination.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, industry-only consortium of 2 partners based entirely in Spain, with 100% industry participation and 1 SME. The coordinator, LGAI Technological Center SA (part of the Applus group), is a private research center — not an SME — with established testing and certification capabilities. The all-industry, no-university makeup signals this was a practical engineering project focused on near-term manufacturing solutions rather than basic research. The single-country setup simplifies IP and commercialization but may limit initial market reach beyond Spain.

LGAI TECHNOLOGICAL CENTER SACoordinator · ES
SERVICIOS DE TECNOLOGIA INGENIERIAE INFORMATICA SLparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

LGAI Technological Center SA (Applus group), Spain — reach out to their innovation or composites division

Order a report on this consortium See LGAI TECHNOLOGICAL CENTER SA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the FORMIT team to discuss licensing the continuous forming technology or the modular tooling design? SciTransfer can arrange a direct connection.

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