Composites Make eVTOL Flight Possible
Advanced Air Mobility has arrived. With test flights and commercial use predicted to begin in a few short years – designs for affordable commuter-style air travel in urban and rural areas are well underway. Composites technology is critical to the development and growth of this market—fiber reinforced composite materials create very strong lightweight structures, allowing eVTOL aircraft to fly maximum distances with minimal electric power. Experience and innovations with thermosets and thermoplastics can now deliver cost-effective prototype-to-production scale designs while supporting rapid, high-volume manufacturing.
Toray Advanced Composites is your eVTOL design partner. Our extensive aerospace and high-performance automotive experience, broad portfolio of lightweight fiber reinforced composites, and comprehensive databases help you create your eVTOL application. From primary structures and propulsion components to seat structures, interior cabin components, access doors and battery covers, your designs have the advantage with Toray materials inside.
The Masters of Vertical and Transitional Flight
Dragonflies are one of the original masters of vertical and transitional flight.
We chose the dragonfly as our UAM/AAM symbol due to its eVTOL-like exceptional maneuverability and its deep heritage as a symbol of transformation, adaptability, and harmony.
The unique flying characteristics of the dragonfly parallel those of the eVTOL aircraft. By the fast and graceful motion created with their wings, they can lift and land vertically, hover, and fly at varying speeds in all directions.
With more than 5,000 dragonfly species in existence, each varying by their unique wing structures, they illustrate how a variety of designs can achieve success. Their power, adaptability, and harmony also embody the wholistic approach a Toray partnership offers designers to help create their innovative eVTOL designs.
Composite Materials for UAM
Below we cherry pick our star products for UAM from our broad portfolio of advanced composite materials.
Our complete product offering can be viewed in our UAM Product Selector Guide
View full UAM Product Selector Guide
| Format | Product | Resin | Tm | Processing Temp | Out life (days) | Database / Qualifications | Description | |
| Thermoplastic | Prepreg | Cetex® TC1225 | LM PAEK |
305°C (581°F) |
340–385°C (644–725°F) | Indefinite | +++ |
Outstanding structural performance Compatible with PEEK for overmolding and welding |
| BMC | Cetex® MC1100 | PPS |
280°C (536°F) |
330°C (626°F) | Indefinite |
PPS based BMC with HS & IM fibers, fire retardant |
||
| Dry Tg (onset) | Cure Temp(s) | |||||||
| Thermoset | Prepreg | Epoxy |
131°C (268°F) |
121–127 °C |
30 | +++ | High-modulus system for rotor blades |
|
| Prepreg | Epoxy |
168°C (334°F) |
135–177°C |
28 | ++ | Ideal system for large structures with low moisture uptake |
||
| Prepreg | Epoxy |
201°C (394°F) |
135–180 °C |
28 | ++ |
Excellent CAI and open-hole compressive strength Excellent hot/wet strength retention |
||
| BMC | Epoxy |
191°C (375°F) |
138–154°C |
14 | Chopped fiber epoxy BMC with high strength (standard-modulus) fiber | |||
|
Tooling |
AmberTool® HX42 |
Epoxy |
200°C (392°F) with post cure |
50°C–75°C |
5 | ++ |
Low temperature initial cure and high temperature post cure epoxy prepreg |
|
| Ancillaries | Film Adhesive | MicroPly™ TC310 | Epoxy | 157°C (315°F) |
177°C (350°F) |
21 | Ideal composite bonding film adhesive | |
| Surfacing Film | MicroPly™ TC235SF-1 | Epoxy | 119°C (246°F) |
121°C–177°C (250°F–350°F) |
30 | Protective surface finish with optional embedded lightning strike foils |
Resources
White Paper - Composites Technology for Urban Air Mobility
Urban Air Mobility Selector Guide
Toray Guide to Composites—Volume One
Why Toray Materials?
Impact Resistance
Toray Cetex® thermoplastics are inherently tough and impact resistant. Toray thermosets are secondarily toughened to provide the impact resistance needed to enhance the damage tolerence needed for eVTOL aircraft, airplanes, helicopters, and launch vehicles.
Database Availability
Material databases are critical for creating effective eVTOL aircraft, airplane, and helicopter designs. Toray maintains several extensive material databases to help you design your ideal aerospace applications.
Sound Dampening
Toray’s advanced composite materials absorb soundwaves, helping reduce noise created from eVTOL and traditional vertical lift propulsion systems and reducing sound inside the fuselage to improve passenger experience. Additionally, composites minimize vibrations that add to environmental noise.
Lightweight
Toray’s advanced carbon fiber composites are 40% lighter than aluminum, providing the lightest weight, highest strength material solution for eVTOL aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, launch structure, and commercial/general aviation aircraft.
ATL/AFP
Automated tape laying (ATL) and automated or advanced fiber placement (AFP) processes use robotics to lay-up a dedicated and optimized 2D blank or 3D product design in a mold using Cetex® UD tapes. This process allows for higher repeatability of quality final products in addition to a more seamless transition from design to manufacture.
Scalable Manufacturing
Automating material lay-up and eliminating lengthy processing steps from part production can be achieved with OOA and ATL capable thermosets and thermoplastics.