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Herone GmbH (Sachsen, Germany) was awarded the JEC Innovation Award 2019 in the category of “Aerospace-Application” for automated and efficient production of customized thermoplastic hollow profiles for series application.

The company develops and manufactures fiber-reinforced thermoplastic profiles, focusing on the integration of additional component functions, e.g. load introduction elements by injection molding. This added value for products is enabled by Herone’s Technology, which combines the high productivity of textile preforming processes with the short cycle times of thermoplastic processing abilities. 

In cooperation with the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology of TU Dresden (Dresden, Germany) and Victrex Europa GmbH (Hofheim Am Taunus, Germany), the new process and design approach was exemplified by a shaft drive with molded gears for aerospace applications such as door lock mechanisms. The process approach is also suitable for the production of further hollow profile primary structures such as tension-compression struts or pressure tubes.