Automation leads advances in aerospace composites usage

Increased productivity is the focus of today's automation for composites made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics.

As use of composites grows in the aerospace industry, so will automation used to create composite parts and structures.

“There is a tremendous opportunity over the next decade for vastly increasing the amount of aerostructures produced with automated processing,” said Chris Red, an industry analyst with Composite Market Reports. He backs this statement with the company's recent study of the market for automated machinery. Addressed are technologies such as automated fiber placement (AFP) and automated tape layers (ATL).