Thermoplastic Composites: Potential and Pitfalls

The thermoplastic composites market is expected to reach 5.17 million tons in 2026 and achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.14% between 2026 and 2031, according to a market analysis from Mordor Intelligence. The report attributes the growth to three primary factors:

• Sustained demand for automotive lightweighting mandates
• An increase in aerospace production
• Energy and infrastructure upgrades that increasingly favor robust, recyclable materials

Despite an optimistic market outlook, some companies are hesitant to make the leap into different material systems.

“Thermoplastic composites are another qualified material that can displace other materials when performance and economics make sense,” says Robert Bryant, a consultant with Technoir LLC. “It’s up to manufacturers to make the decision for either current product lines or new product lines they want to get into. Are thermoplastics something they can use?”

Bryant will lead a Campfire Session on myths and misconceptions that may be hindering adoption of thermoplastic composites at ACMA’s Thermoplastic Composites Conference in San Diego, May 19 – 21. He will join more than two dozen other expert presenters at the event, which will focus on high-performance thermoplastic composite innovations, applications and technology.

Benefits and Barriers

David Leach, principal with Composite Material Solutions LLC, notes that high-performance, long fiber reinforced thermoplastics have been around for more than 30 years.

“While they haven’t taken off to the extent that people thought they would, companies still look at thermoplastic composites as a big opportunity for the future,” says Leach, who will co-lead the Campfire Session with Bryant. Manufacturers are attracted to the materials for several reasons, including:

• High manufacturing rate – Manufacturers can form parts quickly using semi-automated processes with reduced labor.
• Ease of assembly – Thermoplastics can be joined using heat welding, which creates strong, homogenous bonds. The ability to weld or consolidate fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites eliminates the cost and weight of mechanical fasteners.
• High toughness – The materials can absorb energy and withstand intense loads without cracking or failing.
• Sustainability – Thermoplastics can be recycled without separating the fiber and polymer, and companies can reuse excess raw materials, such as prepreg and laminate trim.
•  Indefinite shelf life – Since thermoplastic polymers are fully reacted, they can be stored indefinitely and are less affected by environmental conditions before being processed into composite parts.

But barriers to adoption persist, including the large number of high-performance polymers, product forms and process methods, all of which can be confusing. There are dozens of polymers, many with similar sounding acronyms, such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone), PEKK (polyether ketone ketone) and PAEK (poly aryl ether ketone). Product forms range from unidirectional tapes through fabric materials and long, discontinuous random mats. Processing methods include stamp forming, extrusion, compression molding, automated fiber placement and other techniques.

“There’s still quite a bit of confusion over the best combination of polymers, fibers, material form and process method to make a part,” says Leach. “One often dictates the other.”

Wade Bowles, who is presenting a conference session on selecting thermoplastic composite material forms and manufacturing processes, encourages people to start with the work statement.

“If you have a work statement, consider what impacts the product costs and the total cost of ownership,” says Bowles, partner with Thermoplastic Composites Solutions LLC. “Is the project build to print, design build, build to specifications?”

Design for Manufacturing

During his TCC presentation, Bowles will discuss design for manufacturing (DFM), a proactive approach to optimizing the design of a part by integrating manufacturing considerations from the start. The methodology identifies potential production issues in advance and helps reduce costs and ensure high quality.

Bowles recommends that companies consider four main areas when employing DFM for stamp forming and compression molding:

• Part geometry – Intricate designs require precise control to avoid defects and extended production time. Considerations include the part’s radius, depth, bend complexity and embedded features, such as embossments or ribs, says Bowles.
• Unique part count – “I’ve worked on applications where you have one press and 300 dies. You’re spending more on the dies than you are on the capital equipment,” says Bowles. “The key is how do you minimize the die count without sacrificing material?”
• Material losses – “It’s easier to get simple parts close together and nest them tightly. If it’s a complex part and form, there is potential for a lot more loss in raw material,” says Bowles. “So, how do you optimize ‘buy-to-fly’ – the material you purchase to ship a part in aerospace applications?”
• Downstream processes – “Part design, material choices and even ply configuration can have an impact on downstream processes like assembly, welding and finish application,” he says.

Manufacturing quality issues can cause further losses, especially when making complex parts, forming two parts together or using deep drawing, says Bowles.

“The goal is to design not only the part and the geometry of the part to accommodate function, but to minimize all those losses as you go into the manufacturing process,” he says.

Advice for Advancing the Market

Bryant acknowledges that many thermoset composites manufacturers are hesitant to adopt thermoplastic materials despite their advantages. He and his colleagues offer several tips for combatting misconceptions about thermoplastic composites and helping grow the market:

• Show parts made with thermoplastics. “Your customers are never going to ask for something they don’t know exists,” says Bryant. “The analogy is if your customer doesn’t know what an apple is they will never ask for apple pie.”
• Identify manufacturing bottlenecks, and show how thermoplastics can decrease production time. “You have to look at a component as a collection of parts,” says Bryant. “How long does it take to make the parts, then to put all those parts together to make a component? The more integrated parts you can create, the faster you can make the component.”
• Refer to and help populate databases. The National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) at Wichita State University collaborates with the Federal Aviation Administration and industry partners to qualify material systems and populate a public materials database. “When you’re talking about demanding applications, people have to be very confident in the use of the material,” says Leach. “Databases help with material qualification.”
• Make a solid business case. “If you can show both engineers and MBAs a business case study where a thermoplastic can buy its way into a part versus other materials, then it will be readily accepted because everybody understands money,” says Bryant.

For in-depth insight on fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, register for the Thermoplastic Composites Conference.

Opening image: Collins Aerospace Welding A KUKA robot welds two thermoplastic parts together.

Photo Credit: Collins Aerospace, an RTX business

Susan Keen Flynn is managing editor of Composites Manufacturing magazine. Email comments to sflynn@keenconcepts.net.