FOR AUTO RTM

APPLICATIONS
COMPOSITE
BRACKETS FOR
LIFE-OF-AIRCRAFT
SERVICE
Reinforced PEEK molding
formulated for jet fuel/
hydraulic fluid immersion
Source | Victrex
› Aircraft design and assembly is all about
the sometimes competing goals of reducing
weight and ensuring flight safety. Northern
Ireland-based injection molding specialist
Denroy Plastics Ltd. (Bangor, County Down,
UK) is meeting both directives with a polyetheretherketone
(PEEK)-based composite.
Airframer Bombardier (Montreal, QC,
Canada) asked Denroy to replace smallto
medium-sized machined aluminum
and titanium brackets for wings, center
wingbox and fuel-tank applications,
intended to last the life of the aircraft
despite constant immersion in fuel.
Denroy, in close collaboration with its
client and Victrex (W. Conshohocken, PA,
US), selected the latter’s electrostatically
dissipative polymer, trademarked
VICTREX PEEK-ESD, which complies
with lightning strike requirements,
and is resistant to wear and aggressive
aerospace fluids. Victrex also formulated
the polymer for Denroy using proprietary
fillers, which do not break down under
shear when passing through the injection
gate during the molding process. Thus,
parts could be produced under optimum
molding conditions without affecting
the polymer’s electrostatic discharge
properties.
The molded brackets, now specified in
Bombardier’s C-Series, Global and Learjet
aircraft, weigh 40% less than the metal
versions, says Denroy sales/marketing
manager Jim Knowles. In addition, manufacturing
cost savings were achieved
via part consolidation, integration of
complex shapes, elimination of secondary
machining/painting, and a reduction in
scrap rate and cycle time.
Tim Herr, Victrex aerospace strategic
business unit director, says Denroy has
a new polyaryletherketone (PAEK)/
PEEK hybrid molding process for loaded
brackets. Read CW’s coverage of that
hybrid process online in “Overmolding
expands PEEK’s range in composites” |
short.compositesworld.com/PEEKover
70 SEPTEMBER 2015
CompositesWorld