Aeronautic: The Carbon Fiber Revolution
Thanks to its mechanical performance and its lightness, carbon fiber has revolutionised all aircraft structures. As a result, an aircraft’s energy consumption and carbon footprint have dropped. These are now vital issues for aeronautical manufacturers and air transport operators.
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe obtained its first aeronautical certifications for its Torayca® Carbon Fibers in 1987, two years after the plant began production. Building on this expertise, we have expanded the range of Torayca® carbon fibers produced in our plant in France to offer today the world’s widest choice of high-strength, intermediate and high-modulus fibers.
Customers benefit from our fully-integrated value chain approach ensuring consistent and timely supply. Toray Carbon Fibers Europe can also rely on other Toray Industries production sites worldwide, guaranteeing a multi-sourced supply to prevent the risk of disruption.
The Benefits of Torayca® Carbon Fibers in the Aeronautic Sector
- Lightweight: Mass reduction and energy efficiency;
- Very high stiffness;
- Excellent tensile and flexural performances;
- High-impact resistance;
- Thermal resistance;
- Good impact absorption;
- Electrical conductivity;
- Low thermal expansion coefficient.
Civil Aviation: Travelling Light with Torayca® Carbon Fibers
At first, the use of Torayca® Carbon Fibers was limited to secondary aircraft structural components (such as seats, hatches, specific partitions, etc.). The advantages of using carbon fiber were such that the use of this material was later extended to primary structural parts: wings, fuselages, rudders and motors.
Today, modern airliners, such as the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350, are composed of more than 50% composite materials by mass. Manufacturers select Torayca® carbon fibers to lighten their aircrafts and choose Toray Carbon Fibers Europe for our technical know-how, commitment to quality and traceability. Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is EN9100 and Nadcap certified.
Torayca® Carbon Fibers are an indispensable material for designing cutting-edge aircraft that:
- Consume less;
- Are greener;
- Carry more passengers;
- Connect further distances;
- Have a longer lifespan;
- Benefit from lower maintenance costs; and
- Are safer.
Major players in the Aeronautic sector, rely on our Torayca® carbon fibers. Dassault, Safran, Airbus, Boeing, Ratier Figeac are among our long-standing customers.
Civil Helicopters: Taking Off with Torayca® Carbon Fibers
With their proven track record of achievements in military operations, Torayca® Carbon Fibers are increasingly being used in the next-generation civilian helicopters:
- Blades & propellers;
- Fuselage;
- Rotor hubs;
- Tail rotor; and
- Engines.
Safety, reliability, performance and lower operating costs are the priorities of helicopter manufacturers. This makes Torayca® Carbon Fibers the ideal reinforcement for your composite and preimpregnated materials. Our carbon fibers shape the present and future of Airbus, Leonardo, AgustaWestland and HAL helicopter programmes.
Aeronautic: Toray's Expertise at your Service
Toray Carbon Fibers Europe is a recognised expert in the Aeronautic sector. At the heart of our Torayca® carbon fiber range, the following products have been specifically developed for this sector:
T700G
is an Aerospace fiber offering a higher tensile modulus and better fiber-matrix adhesion. It is particularly recommended for composite structures under transverse mechanical stresses.
T800S
a second-generation fiber, combining intermediate modulus fiber characteristics with industrial-scale usage. The T800S is the fiber of primary Aeronautical structures ‘par excellence’.
Toray's Solutions for your Aeronautical Applications
Toray’s strength lies in its ability to offer customers complete solutions from carbon fiber to prepregs and other composite materials.
Toray’s subsidiaries in Europe (Toray Advanced Composites) and the United States (Toray Composite Materials America) offer a wide range of thermoset prepregs suitable for Aerospace applications.
Concerning thermoplastic prepregs, Toray Advanced Composites is a reference on the market with a wide choice of thermoplastic-based advanced composite products (UD tapes, laminates, etc.) specifically developed for these applications.
WARNING
Our carbon fibers and composite materials are controlled products. Exporting these products outside the European Union requires an export license issued by your country’s relevant authorities. Your products manufactured using our carbon fibers and composites may also be subject to export control regulations.
For more information, consult the European regulations in force.