#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.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

From carbon to canvas: DORNIER presents flexible and reliable weaving technologies for 3D weaving and dynamic markets at Techtextil

At Techtextil from 21 to 24 April 2026 in Frankfurt am Main (Hall 12.0, Stand D95), Lindauer DORNIER will be showcasing reliable and flexible weaving technologies for ever-changing market requirements. The machine and plant manufacturer will present retrofits for existing machines, the new TRITOS® FLEX 3D weaving technology, intuitive automation concepts and software solutions for data-sovereign networking of the weaving machine fleet.

40 years of the Peter Dornier Foundation: Four decades of non-profit commitment to people, culture and the environment in Lindau, Germany and worldwide

The “Haus Brög zum Engel” hospice, the historic farm “Haug am Brückele” and numerous other projects: for over 40 years, the Peter Dornier Foundation has been supporting social and cultural life in Lindau and beyond. The company-related foundation can look back on more than 500 projects it has supported in Germany and worldwide. It was founded in 1985 by Peter Dornier, founder and long-time Managing Director of the international machine and plant manufacturer Lindauer DORNIER, whose profits go into the foundation at a rate of ten percent annually via a holding company. In the future, the foundation intends to expand its commitment in an even more targeted way.

JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 highlights Taiwan as a strategic hub for the global composites industry

The third edition of JEC Forum organized in Southeast Asia brought together 350+ participants from 22 countries for three active days of high-level Business Meetings, conferences, and networking, emphasizing Southeast Asia’s growing role in the global composites market. Held for the first time in Taipei from 23 to 24 June 2026, following the successful first editions in Bangkok, JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 confirmed its position as the region’s leading business platform dedicated to the composites industry.

MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

MEL Composites is supplying advanced composite materials and process consumables to ELA Aviation for the production of its next-generation gyroplanes. The collaboration underlines MEL Composites’ growing role in advanced aerospace mobility, providing lightweight materials designed to improve aircraft performance, manufacturing efficiency and structural reliability.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

EU ban on destroying unsold clothing and footwear now in force

The European Union's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, clothing accessories and footwear has entered into force. Since July 19, 2026, large companies across the EU have been prohibited from destroying unsold textile products, while medium-sized companies will be required to comply with the same rules from 2030.

Eastman Naia™ brings its inside-out denim vision to Kingpins New York

Following its debut at Kingpins Amsterdam, Eastman Naia™ brings the next chapter of its denim story to Kingpins New York, taking place July 22–23. At Booth Green 7, Naia™ presents its denim proposition built around three complementary design directions: Performance Denim, Fashion Denim and Authentic Denim.