This year, the Concorde Hall of Le Bourget and the exquisite ESA pavilion were the presentation spaces for the world’s first aircraft windows funnel manufactured with Fibre Patch Placement technology. As a partner of the Starburst Accelerator and the ESA Business Incubation Program, the Munich start-up Cevotec was invited to present the prototype.

“The direct 3D preforming of this specific geometry is a real challenge to automated production processes," said Felix Michl, Cevotec's CTO. The biaxially curved and annularly closed funnel preform requires a constant radial and circumferentially oriented fibre architecture. Thus, it is perfect for demonstrating the unique possibilities that Fibre Patch Placement offers for the production of complex 3D preforms, the company explains.

Read the full article on our Inside Composites website