VS
Defect-free Fibre Steering
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Our innovative Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS), the world’s first automated composites manufacturing process that can place carbon fibre tapes along curved paths without generating defects.
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Our patented fibre steering technology realises ultra-lightweight composite structures beyond the limit of the conventional straight fibre designs and complex geometry, which is not manufacturable using current state-of-the-art technologies.
RTS process for UD NCF tapes
ADVANCED
STRUCTURAL
EFFICIENCY
HIGH
GEOMETRICAL COMPLEXITY
REDUCED
MATERIAL
WASTE
Fibres can follow directly the primary load paths
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Reduction of stress concentration (holes, joints, etc)
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Drastically improved buckling performance (insensitivity to geometric imperfections)
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Drastic weight savings
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Expanded design space improves all aspects of structural performance (vibration response, aeroelastic tailoring, etc)
Realising complex composite structures non-manufacturable
in the past
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Steering can lead to near net-shape preforms, reducing the material waste (e.g. curved wing stiffeners)
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Steering of tapes is necessary to fully cover doubly-curved components
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Potential benefits in forming performance
More effective use of expensive materials
RTS can also drastically reduce
labour costs and manufacture
times owing to minimised material
use and wastage.
Without RTS
RTS
