VIDEO: Installing the world’s largest thermoplastic composites press at Airbus Bremen
At JEC World 2025, Pinette PEI detailed its latest turnkey system for future aircraft serial parts production.
Pinette PEI (Chalon-sur-Saône, France) has installed what is reported to be the “world’s largest thermoplastic composites press” at Airbus in Bremen, Germany. The press area can apply 30,000 kilonewtons (3,000 tons) of force across a 2 × 5-meter area for stamp forming and co-consolidation of parts such as aircraft wing ribs, door surrounds and fuselage parts.
It is part of a turnkey cell which includes blank holding, two infrared ovens and a shuttle system which transfers heated blanks into tools — from oven to full pressure in the tool — within 5 seconds or less. The cell also includes heating and transfer of tools in and out of the press, including an energy capture system where hot tools conduct heat into cold tools instead of the air around the cell.
Design, manufacturing and installation of such turnkey cells requires 2-3 years depending on the scale and customer requirements. Pinette PEI also offers a full range of turnkey cells and presses for thermoset prepreg stamping and resin transfer molding (RTM) of composite parts.
Read more “.”
Related Content
-
Hybrid process marries continuous, discontinuous composites design
9T Labs and Purdue applied Additive Fusion Technology to engineer a performance- and cost-competitive aircraft bin pin bracket made from compression-molded continuous and discontinuous CFRTP.
-
Plant tour: Aernnova Composites, Toledo and Illescas, Spain
RTM and ATL/AFP high-rate production sites feature this composites and engineering leader’s continued push for excellence and innovation for future airframes.
-
Infinite Composites: Type V tanks for space, hydrogen, automotive and more
After a decade of proving its linerless, weight-saving composite tanks with NASA and more than 30 aerospace companies, this CryoSphere pioneer is scaling for growth in commercial space and sustainable transportation on Earth.