In the continuing effort to open new horizons for lightweight structural components, Cytec Engineered Materials has developed APC — a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite in a dry prepreg form. APC offers an outstanding low-cost manufacturing solution while providing high performance. Cytec Engineered Materials has also developed TIF materials to offer superior performance for in-situ tape and tow placement techniques.

APC and TIF products work well with low-cost manufacturing techniques, such as stamping, to manufacture brackets and other parts. From a blank consisting of a multi-ply laminate made from APC-2 carbon-based prepreg, ribs and brackets can be stamped in minutes, instead of the hours it would normally take to lay-up, bag and autoclave-cure the same part from a thermoset. Tape placement and filament winding also offers an opportunity for automated in-situ part manufacture with significant reduction in fabrication costs. Components can be assembled by welding and in-situ techniques, eliminating the need for expensive secondary operations such as mechanical fastening. In all these processes, the labor required for fabrication and assembly is significantly reduced.

Features and Benefits

• Exceptional toughness over typical thermoset composite systems
• Excellent environmental resistance
• Low flammability
• Indefinite shelf life
• High wear resistance
• High toughness
• PEEK, PEKK, PEI and PPS matrix available
• High service temperatures
• Extensively tested (large database available)
• Qualified on F-22, E3 Sabot, EH-101 helicopter, Airbus A320