DORNIER flies higher in weaving with carbon fibres

Lindauer DORNIER GmbH presented for the first time at this years JEC Europe in Paris. Under the new logo "DORNIER Composite Systems" the Bavarian-Swabian mechanical engineering company combines the core competences from both business branches, weaving machines and systems construction, established world-wide.

The company invests about 8 per cent of its turnover every year in research and development. Abut 40 years ago, DORNIER was already decisively involved in the market launch of two major aviation and aerospace projects, the Dornier/Dassault "Alpha Jet" and the Dornier "AEROS" satellite programme. The first weaving machines were then delivered at that time to the emerging carbon fibre composite material industry. Since then, and especially in the last 5 years, a steadily increasing number of companies have entered this expanding market. Today, the main driving force is new applications for carbon fibres (CF) in the areas of aviation and aerospace, automobile industry and wind energy. Innovations in the textile sector as well as in plastic process engineering form the foundation for both areas and are combined in the DORNIER Composite Systems. It wants to utilise the evolving strengths and synergies to shape this innovative market together with its partners. Integrating this technology in a wide variety of applications has opened up new options in surface structures combining improved functionality at the same time, eg, for lightweight construction, in the transport and construction industries or in general protection functions.

Closed or straight fabric structures are now being supplemented more and more by new, grid-type multiaxial woven structures and 3D Jacquard fabrics that can be manufactured using DORNIER technology. The weaving process itself as the first industrialised way of "digital" manufacturing enables interesting perspectives in terms of reproducibility and process stability for large scale series production.