At Daher, composite innovation is not a promise – it is a solution.

Thermoplastics: a high‑maturity technological breakthrough

Awarded a JEC Innovation Award, the welded thermoplastic wing rib presented by Daher is one of the most structuring demonstrators on the stand. Manufactured at full scale, this component features a T‑shaped architecture assembled using infrared welding (learn more)

[1] Highly-loaded TP wing rib

This technological approach simultaneously addresses several major challenges:

• Weight reduction (–22% vs. aluminum)
• Mechanical performance, enabled by fiber and matrix continuity
• Compatibility with high production rates, thanks to fast assembly (–25% cycle time and –15% cost compared with bolted assembly)
• CO₂ emissions reduction (up to –12.5 tons of CO₂ per rib over the life of a single‑aisle aircraft)
• Recyclability, inherent to thermoplastic composites

The wing rib is supported by completed calculations and evaluations, demonstrating an advanced level of maturity. Upcoming tests will confirm failure behavior compared with numerical predictions — a key step in industrial validation. This technology follows a clear path toward industrialization and integration into future aircraft programs.

More broadly, it illustrates the ability of thermoplastic composites to combine structural weight savings, high production rates and end‑of‑life considerations within a single architecture — an approach that Daher implements concretely through its reuse and material recovery work showcased on the stand.

 

 Thermoset Fast Cure: industrial production rates validated

Daher also demonstrates its mastery of high‑rate thermoset composites through Fast Cure resins. Tested on a real production part, this technology significantly reduces cycle times while maintaining a quality level compliant with aerospace requirements. Learn more

 

Circularity and eco‑design: from waste to raw material

At Daher, the environmental approach applied to composites is based on integrating the material life cycle from the design phase onward.

“It is built on more than ten years of work carried out in Nantes on thermoplastic composites, with the objective of structuring an industrial material recovery approach. This work has enabled us to move from a research mindset to a concrete, industrialized and qualified solution,” explains Julie Vaudour, Deputy Director of R&D at Daher.

This approach is embodied in DAHRC, a range of recycled carbon granules produced from thermoplastic composite production scrap. Now fully characterized and qualified, this material is ready to be brought to market, opening the door to new industrial applications, both aerospace and non‑aerospace.

At JEC World 2026, Daher illustrates this approach through several demonstrators, including TBM rudder pedals manufactured using DAHRC material. Now certified and in service on aircraft, this component demonstrates that recycled composite materials can fully meet the most stringent aerospace requirements.

In addition, Daher presents an overmolded rib illustrating a zero‑waste approach, in which scrap generated during the manufacturing of the main part can be recovered and reinjected through overmolding into the same component. This closed‑loop approach, still under study, highlights the potential of thermoplastic composites for material reuse while maintaining mechanical performance compatible with aerospace applications.

The recyclability of thermoplastic composites is further highlighted by a second JEC Innovation Award, received in the Circularity & Recycling category in collaboration with Airbus, Toray Advanced Composites and Tarmac Aerosave. This project demonstrates that new parts can be manufactured from thermoplastic composite components recovered from dismantled aircraft, notably the A380. End‑of‑life composite processing and reuse solutions are therefore no longer just a possibility — they are a concrete industrial reality.

 

Comprehensive coverage of civil and military needs

At JEC World 2026, Daher also demonstrates its ability to address both civil aerospace and defense requirements, leveraging proven industrial capabilities and advanced composite technologies.

In this context, KVE, Daher’s Dutch subsidiary, co‑exhibiting on the stand, represents a strong technological competitive advantage, with deep expertise in composite materials for defense applications, particularly radomes and radar systems. This know‑how is fully integrated into Daher’s global offering, serving both civil and military programs.

KVE’s demonstrators include parts and mock‑ups for missiles, drones, fins and radomes, as well as daily demonstrations of induction welding on a mobile cell, illustrating processes tailored to the specific constraints of military applications

 

Innovation driven, measured and market‑oriented

Across all the parts and demonstrators presented, Daher delivers a clear message: innovation is not an end in itself. It is driven by industrial objectives, evaluated at every stage and oriented toward concrete solutions for tomorrow’s markets.

Thermoplastics, thermosets, recycling, high production rates, civil and defense aerospace: the technologies on display demonstrate real maturity and are already transitioning toward industrialization.

An invitation to meet the Daher teams at JEC World 2026, to discuss advanced composites that are responsible, high‑performance and fully aligned with the challenges of modern aerospace.

“At JEC World 2026, we are not presenting concepts, but composite solutions that have reached an advanced level of maturity. The award‑winning welded thermoplastic wing rib illustrates our ability to combine structural performance, industrial production rates, fastener‑free assembly and recyclability. This is exactly the approach — evaluated, industrializable and market‑driven innovation — that we deploy for both civil aerospace and defense applications.”

Dominique Bailly, R&D Director, Daher

• Meet us at JEC World 2026, February 10–12, 2026, Paris Nord Villepinte – Hall 6, Booth G26