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Smart composites equipment advances aerocomposites innovation

CAMX 2025: From fiber to flight, Broetje-Automation innovates composites manufacturing with integrated AFP, drilling and sealing technologies.

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Power RACe mobile equipment (top left), Staxx Flex (bottom left) and robotic sealing (right). Source (All Images) | Broetje-Automation

Broetje-Automation Group (Rastede, Germany and Elk Grove Village, Ill., U.S.) offers solutions in automated drilling, fiber placement, sealing and factory integration, responding to aerospace’s increasing demands for efficient production of lightweight, multifunctional composite structures that are critical for next-generation aircraft.

As composite utilization grows, so does the need for precision drilling and sealing of complex structures. Broetje-Automation’s drilling systems like the Panel Assembly Cell and the Power Robot Assembly Cell ensure clean, delamination-free holes with integrated quality control, ideal for structural assembly. Complementing this, the company’s automated robotic sealing applications offer reliable, repeatable solutions for sealing operations — reducing manual effort while ensuring high accuracy, cleanliness and process traceability across a wide range of composite components.

For scalable, high-precision AFP, the Staxx Family offers technology for every production level:

  • Staxx Box: Compact system for prototyping and research
  • Staxx One: Lightweight robotic end effector for flexible layups
  • Staxx Compact: Plug-and-play solution for industrial AFP production
  • Staxx 3D: Multi-axis layup with swiveling table for 3D parts
  • Staxx Flex: High-performance, 16-tow system for large-scale, complex structures.

All systems are equipped with digital twin technology, Siemens NC Controls, multi-material capability and inline quality monitoring to ensure fast, adaptive and reliable manufacturing.

Following a standardized and modular system architecture with interchangeable features, Broetje-Automation says the Staxx product family makes upgrades and scaling of the production efficient and affordable while maintaining high quality standards.

The company also enables seamless factory integration through intelligent automation, digital connectivity and standardized interfaces. As a trusted partner for turnkey projects, the company delivers fully integrated production systems — from planning to commissioning. This holistic approach ensures optimized workflows, reduced downtime and scalable solutions tailored to customer needs, supporting efficient and future-ready manufacturing in aerospace and beyond.

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