Today Collins Aerospace produces more than 2,000 different thermoplastic composite parts with hundreds of parts currently in qualification.
Thermoplastic composite parts produced at Collins Aerospace are supplied to 20 different types of aircraft ranging from wide bodies, single aisle to business jets and helicopter platforms.
Parts can be found on the fuselage, wing, tailplane, nacelles, flight control surfaces and doors.
The further expansion of thermoplastic composites on larger and more complex aerostructures is driven through our continuous innovation on materials, tooling concepts, process capabilities and automation.
Fly lighter, with less fuel
Aircraft structures made with thermoplastic composites can reduce operating costs and make flight more sustainable.
We’re advancing innovative materials and breakthrough technologies to create lighter weight, more sustainable components – from the smallest brackets to even larger, complex fan cowls – to reduce the overall weight of an aircraft. And lighter means more fuel-efficient. With automated manufacturing and integrated thermoplastic composite structures, we can help you fly lighter – and shape a more sustainable future along the way.
Ribs
- Application area: wing, tailplane and flight control surfaces (aileron, rudder, elevator)
- Features include: beads, lightning holes, copper mesh and thickness variations through ply drops
Picture frame rib
- Application area: pylon
- Features include: near net shape preforming through ATL
Longerons
- Application area: nacelles
- Features include: thickness variation through ply drops
Stiffeners
- Application area: fuselage, doors and door surround, flight control surfaces, tailplane and nacelles
- Curved and straight L-, C- and Z- shaped stiffeners
- Features include: joggles, hybrid solutions combining fabric and UD tape and thickness variation through ply drops
Stringer
- Application area: fuselage
- Features include: curvature and joggles
Latch housing stiffener
- Application area: nacelles
- Features include: curvature, cross-sectional variations and thickness variations through ply drops
Seal retainers
- Application area: access panels, inspection covers in nacelles, fuselage and tailplane
Struts
- Application area: floors, nacelles
- Features include: joggle and thickness variations through ply drops
System brackets
- Small assemblies for secondary structures
- Features include: assembly of titanium and injection molded parts
Clips, cleats and brackets
- Application area: fuselage
- Standardized and customer specific brackets
- Features include: curvature, joggle, edge seal as well as fabric and UD tape