Daher accelerates the industrialization of thermoplastic composite upcycling

For more than 10 years, Daher has been investing in mastering thermoplastic composites to meet the requirements of aeronautical programs, including structural weight reduction, lower carbon footprint and high-rate production. The 2026 JEC Award won in the Aeronautics (Parts) category for its highly loaded thermoplastic wing rib, illustrates this expertise.


Today, the #DaherGroup is taking a new step forward by structuring a complete upcycling value chain, from scrap collection to reintegration of the material into production. The objective is to reintroduce these materials into new manufacturing cycles, delivering both environmental benefits and enhanced industrial sovereignty.


Upcycling thermoplastic scrap: An industrialized technical material

The first pillar of this strategy focuses on #upcycling scrap that is generated during the production of thermoplastic composite parts. Working closely with its Saint-Aignan-de-Grandlieu plant (in France’s Loire-Atlantique region) and its Shap’in technology center, Daher has implemented a structured process: production scrap is collected on site, ground up at Shap’in, and then transformed into a semi-finished product.


Today, 100% of pure carbon #polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) scrap is upcycled through this process. The resulting semi-finished product is a pellet containing 56% carbon fiber. Derived from fibers that originally were continuous and reprocessed into short fibers, it offers high mechanical performance – including excellent temperature resistance and strong resistance to moisture and chemical exposure. Particularly well suited to injection molding processes, this material enables the manufacture of complex technical parts for demanding environments.


The scale-up of this process results in an estimated production capacity of four to eight metric tons per year of carbon PPS pellets. Daher currently has 1.5 metric tons available for sale and is actively working on customer applications, including those beyond the aeronautics sector. Recently, using the same scrap material, the Daher Group developed a filament for additive manufacturing, opening new opportunities for 3D printing of technical parts. A part produced using this filament is displayed at the Daher booth at JEC World 2026.


Upcycling end-of-life aeronautical parts

In addition to production scrap upcycling, Daher also is applying its expertise to end-of-life #aeronauticalparts made from #thermoplasticcomposites.

This approach was recognized at the 2026JEC Innovation Awards, with a second award-winning project carried out in partnership with Airbus, Toray Advanced Composites and Tarmac Aerosave. The project involved recycling thermoplastic composite panels from an A380, cutting them and reintegrating them into the production of new parts for the A320neo. The resulting part is displayed at the Daher booth at JEC World 2026.


source : Daher

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