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Thermoplastic Tapes Could Rise to Prominence Again in the Aerospace Industry

Thermoplastic unidirectional tapes are composite materials that have been used by the aerospace industry starting in the late 1960’s when it began to be used to build composite parts and structures in military aircraft. Though this material was abandoned by many suppliers and manufacturers as military spending fell in the 1990’s, thermoplastic tapes are poised to be a major factor once more, this time in the civilian sector of the aerospace industry. 

Why Are Thermoplastic Tapes Use-Rates Projected to Increase?

The use of thermoplastic unidirectional tapes for composite material manufacturing are very likely to increase substantially in the very near future. In fact, one report calculates that this market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of approximately 8.9% from 2018 to 2023. 

This growth is mainly due to aerospace companies like Boeing and Airbus needing to manufacture 737 and A320 replacements in large numbers in the near future, and this feat cannot be undertaken with thermoset composite processes due to time limitations. However, thermoplastic unidirectional tape manufactured composites may be able to help aircraft companies to produce the projected airframe target of 60 planes per month necessary to replace 737s and A320s in a timely manner. 

In fact, these composites are already used in the aerospace industry to create high strength, lightweight corrosion resistant structures and components for a variety of airliners and business jet models. The structures and components made with thermoplastic unidirectional tapes include:

  • Clips
  • Brackets
  • Tailplanes
  • Wings

Since this composite construction material is already used in these and other currently manufactured components and structures, thermoplastic unidirectional tapes are a great candidate for future aerospace industry applications. 

Composites One is the Largest Distributor of Composite Materials in North America

If your company is responsible for manufacturing structure or components for the aerospace industry, then making sure that you have the supplies that you need exactly when you require them is vital to your business. At Composites One, our dedicated team is committed to assisting our customers with all of their composite materials, personal protective equipment and composite manufacturing process training needs. We can help you choose from more than 2,000 materials from more than 600 suppliers from our 41 convenient locations in the United States and Canada. For additional information about how we can assist your business with composite supplies, contact the Composites One team now.