Aerospace
industry is the most advanced industry and possesses reliable materials that
are necessary to ensure optimal safety, longevity, and strength in any
aerospace applications. Almost all the aerospace materials should be
lightweight to allow for optimal aerodynamics, should possess great strength to
ensure the safety of pilots and passengers, to withstand the physical forces of
flying, and heat resistant to ensure structural changes which are kept to a
minimum during the sudden and extreme temperature fluctuations that occur at
high-speed and high-altitude flight. Honeycomb is the most reliable material
used in aerospace applications, particularly, aluminium honeycomb, which meets
the desired aircraft requirements.
Honeycomb
materials resemble the structure of beehives which are an excellent solution
for various aerospace applications. Production of honeycomb requires multiple
steps such as expansion, corrugation, and moulding. Very less metal is needed
to produce honeycomb and is an expensive process. Honeycomb is sandwiched
between two thin panels of material and effectively combines the light-weight
and high-strength qualities which are essential for an aerospace industry. The
sandwiched structure is a smooth and flat surface of the panels that allows for
easy installation. With the proper honeycomb design, the structures are
designed and manufactured with any number of cell shapes, sizes, and
configurations for added flexibility and high strength. Aluminium honeycomb has
great stiffness which is among the highest of any composite core material
available. Its resistance to compression is high, resistance to heat, flexible
to temperature fluctuation, recyclable, non-moisture absorbent, resistant to
mould or fungal growth and shear, which are key qualities needed in aerospace
applications. More than 90% of all aluminium material processed annually is
obtained from recycled products, making it a very environmentally friendly
option.
According
to the study “North
America Commercial Aircraft Honeycomb Core Industry Situation and Prospects
Research Report”, aluminum honeycomb core is used in various commercial
aerospace applications such as critical substructures in rockets, aircraft, jet
engines, and propellers. It is used in non-aerospace structures, such as wind
turbine blades. Also, aluminium honeycomb is used in sensitive applications
such as aircraft heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The
honeycomb core structure is very and does not buckle easily when bent due to it
is lightweight property. Airplanes such as Boeing 787 Dreamliner use honeycomb
core structure in its wings, tail fins, and parts of the fuselage. There is an
increasing demand for lighter aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350
which drive the growth in commercial aircraft honeycomb core market. There are
multiple numbers of vendors in aircraft honeycomb core materials and are highly
competitive. The leading vendors in commercial aircraft honeycomb core industry
are DuPont, EURO-COMPOSITES, Hexcel, Plascore, Rockwell Collins, Argosy
International, Indy Honeycomb, TRB Lightweight Structures and Tubus Bauer.
It
was observed that there is an increasing demand to replace older and
fuel-inefficient aircraft with more economical single-aisle models in North
America. Advanced technology coupled with honeycomb core materials has enhanced
and retrofitted aircrafts with improved comfort and safety for the passengers.
These new trends have enabled airline operators to improve their revenues.
Modern commercial aircraft manufacturers demand for aluminium honeycomb core
because it is lightweight and also improves fuel economy. This encouraged the
aerospace structure and component manufacturers to focus on using materials
that will reduce overall weight of the aircraft and improve fuel efficiency,
thus demanding for honeycomb core materials.
North
American commercial aircraft honeycomb core market majorly consists of two
materials such as Nomex and aluminium. Nomex honeycomb core materials account
for a major share in the North American market. It is made with aramid fiber
paper and are sometimes fused together with Kevlar which improves its weight,
strength, fatigue, and stiffness. Nomex honeycomb core materials are used for
aircraft interiors and provide high-performance in aerospace interior
components category due to low density, high mechanical properties, and
long-term stability. Nomex is expected to witness a larger consumption due to
its lightweight and very good mechanical properties needed in various aerospace
applications.
Aerospace
is the largest consumer in North American commercial aircraft honeycomb core
industry. Emerging trends that are impact the dynamics of the honeycomb core
material industry are addition of lightweight rubber membranes in honeycomb
cores to reduce noise in aircraft and cost-efficient production of honeycomb
core with homogenous skin bonding. The future of North American commercial
aircraft honeycomb core market is attractive with opportunities in the
aerospace, defense, and marine, and other industrial applications. The
honeycomb core composites provide excellent mechanical performance with robust
growth in the end use industries. The rising need for fuel-efficiency and the
need to reduce overall weight of an aircraft will drive the growth in honeycomb
core industry in North America over the next few years.
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