#Composites

2023-04-27

DORNIER at JEC World 2023: Machines and lines for modern composites production designed to improve sustainability

Sustainability and the related demands placed on the fiber composites industry will play a major role at JEC World (April 25-27 in Paris), the leading international trade show for composites. With regard to lightweight construction and the reduction of emissions, fiber composite components are indispensable in future-relevant fields such as the aerospace, mobility, construction and energy sector. Lindauer DORNIER will be presenting new developments at the JEC to improve sustainability for the economical production of high-quality, customized composites.

What a modern and economical production from tape to organo sheet looks like is demonstrated by the machine and plant manufacturer DORNIER with its production line PROTOS® (Polymer and Roving To Sheet). PROTOS® plants produce thermoplastic fiber composites based on unidirectional continuous fiber reinforcements (UD tapes) and organo sheets with high drapability and quality. The Tape production plant and Tape weaving machine of the PROTOS® line permit to easily produce light-weight components specifically on demand – featuring any desired geometry, individual Tape width and thickness, the right blend of fibers and matrix as well as individual mechanical properties. „There is a big difference between ready-made sheets bought and transformed or sheets produced on PROTOS® in terms of flexibility and costs“, says Mr. Josef Klingele, head of DORNIER’s Composite Systems production line.

Benchmark for high performance fabrics: P2 Roving rapier weaving machine?Since the P2 roving rapier weaving machine has been introduced at the last JEC as the successor to the P1, it has enjoyed great popularity among manufacturers of high-quality reinforcement fabrics. The significantly improved P2 is viewed, like the P1 before it, as global benchmark for the production of high-performance fabrics made of carbon, glass and aramid fibers. Its higher structural rigidity, improved insertion rate, the patented, maintenance-free DORNIER SynchroDrive® and the optimized positive center transfer makes the P2 the most versatile rapier weaving machine in the world. Further strongpoints of the P2: its waste saving device is considerably reduces filling waste and its enhanced shed geometry ensures symmetrical warp end paths, both features taking production of carbon fabrics for high-end applications to an even higher level.

From heavy tow to special fabric: Rapier weaving machine P2 Mono?The new features of the one-arm rapier weaving machine P2 Mono from DORNIER will also be a topic in Paris. This highly flexible machinery platform is available in various versions. Manufacturers of fiber composite components process special fiber materials on the P2 Mono into high performance reinforcement structures. In combination with DORNIER’s Zero Twist Feeder the P2 Mono ZT is able to insert two filling colors twist-free at high speed and with an extended pattern variety.

Production technology for complex fiber structures: the TRITOS® line?The production system TRITOS® (Textile Roving into Three-dimensionally Oriented Structure) shows that high-quality 3D fabrics can be produced with very good damage tolerance and high dynamic load capacity in industrial manufacturing areas with high cost pressure. 3D fabrics can be realized with thicknesses of up to 100 mm for use in high-performance applications. „We are looking forward to meeting our customer personally at the JEC after the years of Corona related restrictions“, says Ms. Britta Sköck-Hartmann, product manager of DORNIER Composite Systems.

DORNIER celebrates its anniversary at ITMA Asia + CITME

To mark its 75th anniversary, machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER will be presenting the latest developments in its rapier and air-jet weaving machines at ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore (Hall 2, Stand B401) from 28 to 31 October 2025. The focus will be on energy-efficient weaving technologies, new IoT solutions for networked textile production and systems for the series production of modern fibre composite components.

From the Venus flytrap to foldable aircraft wings: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2025 honours bionic research on 3D weaving technology

Long wings with foldable tips have the potential to reduce aircraft fuel consumption and make aviation more sustainable. An interdisciplinary research team has now developed a new solution based on the Venus flytrap: Freely movable wingtips made of fibre composites which are produced using innovative 3D weaving technology. For this pioneering combination of textile technology, aviation and bionics, researchers Patrick Meyer (TU Braunschweig) and Michael Vorhof (TU Dresden) were awarded the Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2025 in mid-July.

Pattern-controlled “pic-a-pic” setting of rapier release timing on right-hand side

DORNIER PIRO enables the operator to set the timing of the rapier release on the right-hand side of the machine “pic-a-pic” and pattern-controlled. For applications with weft yarns of different fineness or elasticity, the optimum timing can be set for each weft channel. This offers great potential for reducing weft waste on the right-hand side.

Engineering depth and diversity for composites

Airbond is the latest member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to receive recognition for contributions to the composites industry. The engineering firm based in Pontypool, South Wales, has just received the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for its Lattice 3D Printing project.

Sustainable, lightweight, and sound absorbing: Polyester-based front trunk solution for BEVs

As car manufacturers look to further reduce their carbon footprint, Autoneum has developed an innovative front trunk solution for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), made entirely from polyester-based textile. The Ultra-Silent Frunk offers significant weight reduction, improved acoustic and thermal insulation, and uses up to 70 percent recycled material, supporting sustainable and efficient vehicle design. Autoneum, global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management for vehicles, has already received orders for the new frunk from three major OEMs in Asia and Europe to be built in three BEV models. Series production for two BEVs has been underway in China and Germany since last year.

Modern testing methods for raw cotton

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen will take place from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Bremen Parliament. This conference has traditionally stood for in-depth expertise and international exchange. The program will focus on technical innovations, market trends, and regulatory frameworks across the entire value chain – from agriculture to the circular economy. With high-profile speakers, the conference is regarded as the key meeting point for the global cotton industry. Today’s focus: Cotton quality and testing methods.

Rieter responds to higher raw material prices

Global political and economic developments have been leading to rising raw material and energy costs for some time. The textile machinery industry is also affected by this trend. Rieter machines and components consist to a large extent of steel, copper, aluminum and electronics. These materials in particular have seen higher demand and higher prices in recent months.