ÂÌñÏ×ÆÞ

Glass fiber reinforcement company AGY (Aiken, S.C., U.S.) has teamed up with  (Weselberg, Germany), a custom producer of unidirectional thermoplastic tapes, to commercially launch a new class of ultra-lightweight, high-performance thermoplastic tapes used for wrapped and layered composite applications.

The collaboration showcases AGY’s single-end S2 Glass roving, which is integrated into unidirectional (UD) tapes featuring LMPAEK and PEI resin systems. The resulting tapes feature high strength, stiffness and impact resistance — a tensile modulus up to 56 GPa and tensile strength exceeding 1,700 MPa (dependent on fiber/resin and process) — optimized for aerospace, defense and high-performance industrial applications where structural performance and weight savings are critical. They are formatted with thicknesses from 50 µm to 6 mm and 35-65% fiber volume fraction.

The UD thermoplastic composite tapes feature continuous fiber alignment for optimal load transfer in one direction. AGY’s S2 Glass provides a boost in strength, stiffness, impact resistance and fatigue life. Altogether, reinforcement and matrix offer a composite material with low thermal and electrical conductivity, while enabling high-temperature performance, radar transparency and electrical insulation. 

The thermoplastic resins, LM-PAEK and PEI, are reported to outperform thermosets in toughness and offer resistance to chemicals, fuels, oils and corrosion — all while minimizing moisture uptake. 

In addition, the tapes are ideal for sustainable manufacturing — they can be reheated and reshaped, have no volatile organic compounds and have reduced processing energy requirements. Their processing is also flexible. No curing is required — just heat, form and cool — supporting rapid cycle times and compatibility with automated out-of-autoclave processes such as ATL, AFP and stamp forming. Thermoformable into complex geometries, these tapes integrate easily into automated systems and hybrid laminates with other fiber types.