Aerospace: The economic value of achieving more with less.

Unique processing technology enables part consolidation and efficient manufacturing: The combination of Egmond Plastic’s Fusible-Core Technology and a VICTREX® PEEK polymer solution results in cost reductions of more than 30% and weight reductions of up to 50%.

Thornton Cleveleys (UK), March XX, 2015 – In the manufacture of complex fuel housings for the global aircraft industry, cost savings of more than 30% and weight savings of up to 50% can be achieved compared to existing metal designs. This efficient production process, which includes part consolidation, is the result of Egmond Plastic BV—a leading injection molding specialist—combining its proprietary Fusible-Core Technology with a high-performance polymer solution provided by Victrex. Carbon-fiber grades of VICTREX® PEEK polymer eliminate the need for a separate bearing, for example, since it is now integrated into the overall design of the housing.

Fuel housings for aerospace applications have very complex internal geometries that cannot be molded using conventional injection molding technology. Egmond Plastic’s Fusible-Core Technology enables the molding of complex hollow housings, manifolds, and pipes. Richard Brandwijk, Managing Director at Egmond Plastic BV, explains: “Our Fusible-Core Technology, combined with carbon-fiber-reinforced VICTREX PEEK polymer, delivers numerous benefits. These include cost reduction, increased manufacturing speed, and, in addition, weight reduction, leading to improved fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions. Along with part consolidation, this exceptional combination of technology and materials enables the design of highly complex parts that exceed the capabilities of standard injection molding and metal fabrication processes.”

Using a near-net-shape manufacturing process for the fusible core results in an 80% time savings compared to machined parts. Secondary treatments for corrosion protection, such as anodizing, can be eliminated. Lead times can be reduced by 50%. These factors collectively result in part cost savings of more than 30% compared to metal equivalents.

“The global aerospace industry stands to gain enormously by persistently replacing metals in key applications, an area in which Egmond has demonstrated tremendous leadership,” said Uwe Marburger, Aerospace Business Development Manager at Victrex. “Clearly, our PEEK expertise and material solutions help enable the use of a technology that addresses some of the toughest challenges in the design and production of complex aerospace parts.”

Previously, the end user had generally specified aluminum for the production of fuel-containing parts, but a carbon-fiber-reinforced PEEK polymer demonstrates superior fatigue performance compared to aluminum. It achieves this while meeting all the engineering requirements for this application, including stiffness, effective flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) performance, and resistance to aggressive chemicals—notably, for this aerospace application, resistance to jet fuel and Skydrol hydraulic fluid. Parts can range in size up to 30 cm x 30 cm x 40 cm, and the process is typically used for production runs of up to 2,000 parts.

Egmond’s unique Fusible-Core Technology has already established a proven track record using VICTREX PEEK. The key example is a fuel pump for the Eurofighter Typhoon, a jet fighter in service in several European countries. This pump has been in successful operational use for more than 20 years.

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