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Plastic components for the aerospace and defence industry

The use of plastics in the aviation industry is state of the art. In a modern commercial aircraft, you are surrounded by plastics everywhere. Not least for reasons of weight, the interior trim, equipment and lighting or air-conditioning consoles are at least partly made of plastic. Even structural parts made of composite plastics (GFRP, CFRP) have been known to a broad public at least since the latest models of Airbus and Boeing.

Engineering plastics also perform mechanical functions in aircraft. Mechanical components made of plastics are being used more and more frequently, particularly in the area of wing control and landing gear technology. Components made of plastic are about 50% lighter than comparable parts made of aluminium, but have a similarly high specific strength depending on the type. In addition, plastic components have a significantly higher corrosion resistance than metallic ones and show extremely favourable wear properties in dynamic applications.

The generally good resistance of high-performance plastics to all possible environmental influences speaks in favour of their use in space technology. The excellent dry running properties are another reason for using high-performance plastics in satellites or other space applications.

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