Take-off as Surface Generation delivers largest ever PtFS system to America

Surface Generation, a provider of advanced carbon fibre processing technologies, has announced that it has completed delivery of its largest ever PtFS system to California-based company Quatro Composites.

PtFS is a patented production process that overmoulds long-fibre reinforced carbon composites with short-fibre thermoplastics.

The modular PtFS system can be reconfigured for use across multiple projects, and is being used to create thermoplastic structures as part of a high-volume North American aircraft programme.

It is the first system from Surface Generation that incorporates more than 200 individually heated and cooled areas within the tool faces, allowed thermal control to be applied even more precisely when forming highly complex components.

The PtFS process is used by global automotive, aerospace, energy, and consumer electronics manufacturing to improve component production quality and throughput.

Ben Halford, CEO at Surface Generation, said: “These monolithic composite components are subjected to high dynamic aerodynamic loads in a highly abrasive area of the aircraft. As such, this out-of-autoclave high volume production application needs to be incredibly precise to assure quality and maximise throughput. By using PtFS, Quatro Composites has achieved a step change in its manufacturing processes.”

Rob Westberg, Vice President for Research and Development at Quatro Composites, said: “We’ve been working with Surface Generation to refine our production processes and prove the PtFS can form these complex components consistently, economically, and to a greater quality than previously possible. PtFS is a cutting-edge process that enhances our ability to produce structural components for state-of-the-art commercial and military aircraft.”