Advanced Air Mobility Takes Flight with Recycled Carbon Innovations

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is reshaping the future of passenger and cargo transport, prioritising sustainable and high-performance materials to drive electric flight and advancements in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology. James Cropper Advanced Materials is enabling this transformation with its range of lightweight aerospace solutions, including innovative recycled carbon fibre technologies, helping manufacturers achieve both performance and sustainability targets for next generation flight.  

The Challenge: Pushing the Limits of Lightweight Design 

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) approached James Cropper to develop lightweight, reinforced wing skins for a UAV demonstrator, using advanced manufacturing techniques like Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP). Key objectives of the project included: 

Reinforcing high stress areas while maintaining a thin structure.

Using a single fibre type for easier recycling.

Testing the feasibility of our recycled carbon fibre veil as a sustainable alternative to virgin fibre.

Assessing whether our recycled carbon fibre nonwovens could withstand the stitching demands of TFP without tearing, particularly at lower areal weights.

The Solution: Expertise Meets Innovation 

James Cropper’s OPTIVEIL® range has a proven track record as a carrier or support in aerospace and automotive applications. In this project, the process of Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) is used to enable precise reinforcement of critical areas in the UAV wing skin without adding unnecessary weight.  James Cropper nonwovens enable this by providing a lightweight substrate for continuous fibres to be stitched to, improving handling during production.

To meet the project’s requirements, James Cropper supplied AMRC with recycled carbon veils in 20 and 60 g/m² areal weights. While the 60 g/m² was recommended for its robustness, the lighter variant was tested to optimise weight reduction, a key factor in AAM.  

The Results: Lightweight, Strong and Sustainable 

Both the 20 g/m² and 60 g/m² veils performed well during the TFP process, reinforcing critical wing skin areas with continuous carbon fibre tows along load paths for optimal structural integrity.  

A resin infusion trial on the preform further confirmed successful infusion. The materials maintained lightweight properties needed for AAM applications, while supporting the project’s sustainable design.  

Dr. Tim Swait

Technical Fellow at the University of Sheffield AMRC

“ This TFP process and material combination offers the potential to create efficiently optimised structures by directing the fibres to precisely follow the load paths, unlocking a wealth of design possibilities.

I’m very pleased with the project’s outcome, as we demonstrated the feasibility of processing very lightweight, efficient structures with this method. I look forward to doing more work in this area to further develop the process and use the design opportunities it presents. ”

Dr. Tim Swait

Technical Fellow at the University of Sheffield AMRC

Conclusion: Taking Flight Towards a Greener Future 

The collaboration between AMRC and James Cropper Advanced Materials resulted in a pioneering achievement: reinforced wing skins that deliver strength, lightweighting and recyclability in equal measure. This successful integration of recycled carbon veils into the UAV concept not only solved a complex engineering challenge but also demonstrated the potential of sustainable materials in the rapidly evolving AAM sector, reinforcing James Cropper’s position as a leader in recycled carbon fibre solutions for aerospace applications. 

WEBINAR

Using Recycled Carbon Fibre Nonwovens to Accelerate AAM Development

Dr. Mandy Clement and Dr. Tim Swait will present a recent collaboration between the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and James Cropper in an upcoming webinar hosted by CompositesWorld. This pioneering project focused on developing reinforced UAV wing skins that offer strength, lightweight properties and recyclability in equal measure. In the project, the emphasis was on the use of advanced manufacturing techniques, such as tailored fibre placement (TFP), to precisely reinforce critical areas of the UAV wing skin without adding unnecessary weight.

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