PEI and PES Tapes with S2 Glass Fiber from AGY. (Photo: Business Wire)
AGY partnered with A+ Composites to launch the tapes, optimizing them for aerospace, defense, and industrial applications that require high structural performance and weight savings.
AIKEN, S.C. & WESELBERG, Germany—AGY, a U.S. manufacturer of high-performance glass fiber reinforcements, has teamed with A+ Composites, a custom producer of unidirectional thermoplastic tapes, to commercially launch a new class of ultra-lightweight, high-performance thermoplastic tapes used for both wrapped and layered composite applications, AGY said in a release.
The collaboration shines a light on AGY’s newly developed, lightweight single-end S2 Glass® roving, which is integrated into unidirectional tapes featuring LM PAEK and PEI resin systems. The resulting tapes are reported to deliver exceptional strength, stiffness, and impact resistance. In addition, they are optimized for aerospace, defense, and high-performance industrial applications where structural performance and weight savings are critical, the release stated.
“We are excited to partner with AGY on this new S2 glass fiber product format,” stated Markus Brzeski, founder and CEO of A+ Composites, in the release. “With this product innovation, A+ Composites strengthens its position as a leading solution provider for thermoplastic high-performance composite materials.”
The S2 Glass Fiber Unidirectional Thermoplastic Tape Line is reported to offer numerous benefits, including superior mechanical performance, thermal and electrical resistance, and fast and efficient processing.
According to the release, continuous fiber alignment ensures optimal load transfer in one direction. AGY’s S2 Glass provides a measurable boost in strength, stiffness, impact resistance, and fatigue life. In addition, the combination of LM PAEK or PEI with AGY’s S2 Glass offers low thermal and electrical conductivity while enabling high-temperature performance, radar transparency, and electrical insulation. There are also the advantages of thermoplastic resins: LM PAEK and PEI outperform thermosets in toughness and offer resistance to chemicals, fuels, oils, and corrosion, all while minimizing moisture uptake.
The tapes are recyclable and can be reprocessed. They can be reheated and reshaped, making them ideal for sustainable manufacturing and design of repairable parts. No curing is required—just heating, forming, and cooling. This supports rapid cycle times and compatibility with automated out-of-autoclave processes such as ATL, AFP, and stamp forming, the company said.
Thermoformable into complex geometries, the tapes are said to integrate easily into automated systems and hybrid laminates with other fiber types. With no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and lower processing energy requirements, the tapes improve workplace safety and enhance fire resistance due to their high thermal stability, the release stated.
AGY manufactures specialty glass fiber reinforcements that enable high-performance composite solutions for aviation, defense, electronics, architecture, and telecommunications applications. Many of these applications are integral to civilian life and critical to the national security supply chain, the company stated.
“Collaborating with A+ Composites to launch this new S2 Glass fiber format has been a phenomenal experience,” said AGY Executive Vice President, Commercial, Patrick Hunter, in the release. “Together, we’re enabling designers to access the world’s strongest glass fiber across a wider spectrum of high-performance applications for significant impact across industries.”