Albany International has become part of Airbus’ Wing of Tomorrow programme. For this, Albany International’s subsidiary, Albany Engineered Composites (AEC), has signed a two-year Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) with Airbus under which Albany’s 3D reinforced composites technology will be applied to next generation wing substructure applications.

Albany’s 3D composite technology, used extensively in the CFM Leap Engine, will be adapted to the unique requirements of Airbus’s next generation airframe and production system. Albany believes its innovative resin-infused dry 3D fibre preform technology will deliver a cost-effective, out-of-autoclave wing substructure solution to Airbus that achieves superior damage tolerance and resistance to out-of-plane loads, and is more scalable to their desired production rates for next generation single aisle aircraft.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Airbus to apply our 3D design and manufacturing know-how to their next generation aircraft,” said Olivier Jarrault, Albany International president and CEO. “We believe Albany provides unique design and production capabilities to Airbus, and this agreement marks an exciting and important next step in our relationship.”

Albany International is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company.