From left to right: Nolan Strall, business development director Fill USA and CSO Fiber Dynamics Inc.; Brennen Shelton, general Manager fiber Dynamics; Dr. Waruna Seneviratne, director of NIAR-ATLAS; Andreas Fill, CEO Fill GmbH; Darrin Teeter, founder and CEO/CTO, Fiber Dynamics; Mayor Lily Wu, city of Wichita, Kansas; Jerry Moran, U.S. senator, state of Kansas; Dr. John Tomblin, executive VP industry and defense, WSU-NIAR; Lukas Sumereder, global aerospace manufacturing systems director, Fill GmbH; and Pete Meitzner, Sedgwick County commissioner. Source | Fiber Dynamics Inc.
Fiber Dynamics (Wichita, Kan., U.S.), an aerospace composites company, and Austrian engineering company Fill (Gurten) have announced a strategic partnership to expand advanced composites manufacturing capabilities in the U.S.
The collaboration, supported by Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), represents a step in reshoring manufacturing and strengthening the U.S. aerospace supply chain. It will enable automated manufacturing of composite parts, from fiber to fully inspected finished parts, for both commercial aerospace and defense applications, as well as other high-performance industries.
“With Fill’s automation technology and NIAR’s research depth, we’re scaling our processes and tooling capabilities to meet rising demand across aerospace and defense,” says Darrin Teeter, founder and CEO/CTO of Fiber Dynamics.
Founded in Wichita more than 34 years ago, Fiber Dynamics is recognized for its lost core tooling methodologies, which enable customers to manufacture integrated composite structures for flight control surfaces, propeller blades and other complex aerospace components in a single molding operation.
In 2024, Fiber Dynamics partnered with Fill USA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Fill GmbH, to help scale the company’s novel manufacturing and tooling processes and deepen its investment in the U.S. market. Through work with NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS), Fill has already developed capabilities for the ultra high-rate manufacturing of thermoplastic composite structures. As the U.S. subsidiary continues to install systems in the U.S. market, it plans to expand its current brick-and-mortar presence and establish a U.S.-based Technology and Applications Center.
“The collaboration between NIAR, Fiber Dynamics and Fill is a prime example of how local businesses can use the expertise and technology available at NIAR to broaden their scope and capabilities and compete in the global market,” adds Dr. John Tomblin, WSU senior vice president for industry and defense programs, and executive director of NIAR.
On June 12, a Kansas delegation visited Fill’s Austrian headquarters ahead of the Paris Air Show, touring Fill’s facility, learning about its workforce development model and demonstrating Wichita’s commitment to global partnerships and economic growth.