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In June 2025 at the Paris Air Show, KVE Composites Group (The Hague, Netherlands) and Pinette Emidecau Industries (Chalon Sur Saone, France) signed an agreement to work together in supplying induction welding equipment for the assembly of thermoplastic composites (TPCs). Through this nonexclusive partnership, welding technology will be added to Pinette PEI’s thermoplastics manufacturing equipment portfolio.

The collaboration emerges from a shared vision to advance high-rate, sustainable manufacturing of structural TPC aerospace components. Through the partnership, KVE and Pinette PEI will offer an integrated solution for TPC stamp forming and part assembly via induction welding, opening new opportunities to increase part sizes, reduce weight, improve cycle times, optimize recyclability and cut productions costs.

Pinette PEI provides TPC production equipment, such as the one it installed at Airbus Bremen. “Joining forces with KVE is an obvious move that brings numerous opportunities to our customers,” says Erick Rousseau, Pinette PEI CEO. “Thanks to this partnership, our customers will have a complete integrated solution for material preparation, stamping, welding and NDT [nondestructive testing] control, with a high degree of integration, automation and supervision.”

Pinette PEI will be responsible for system-level design and manufacturing of the cell. KVE continues to provide the welding-specific hardware, software and parts. Furthermore, KVEs expertise is offered to support customers in welding process development.

In order to promote the technology, a welding setup will be installed at Pinette’s TIFAANI production line to perform R&D programs and test the capability of different TPC processing technologies.