Greene Tweed (Kulpsville, Pa., U.S.) has developed a rapid prototyping process for its Xycomp DLF discontinuous long fiber thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials. This new process helps aerospace customers accelerate metal replacement development projects through faster testing and validation, significantly reducing lead times and costs while expanding access to high-performance composites in new markets including advanced air mobility (AAM) and defense.
Xycomp DLF components are engineered for high performance to replace metals, delivering tailored stiffness, strength and weight savings. Greene Tweed reports that its new process cuts DLF prototype lead times by ≈50% compared to traditional production methods through a proprietary approach that optimizes the tool design and balance between machined and net-molded features, while maintaining production-representative material and part properties. The result is quicker access to functional parts, with lower upfront tooling costs and greater design flexibility before production.
“Greene Tweed recognized the need for a faster, more cost-effective way to support the development of lightweight, high-performance components for customers,” says George Rawa, general manager, structural and engineered components at Greene Tweed. “This process expedites the timeline to evaluate Xycomp composites in real-world applications by putting production-quality parts in engineers’ hands in a fraction of the time.”
Rapid prototyping is helping to expand TPC adoption across aerospace, AAM, defense, mobile robotics and energy. In AAM, customers are using Xycomp DLF components for lightweight, custom-engineered applications for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) platforms, with rapid design iteration and close technical collaboration between customers and Greene Tweed engineers, fast-tracking the path from concept to reality.
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