Advanced Composites

Driving innovation with advanced composites

Vaupell has over 70 years of experience in composites manufacturing offering a broad range of capabilities and credentials to support its customers in our primary markets including: military and commercial aircraft, electronics, and communications. Major customers include: Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, L3 Harris, GKN Aerospace.

Composites provide light weight, superior strength products that provide corrosion resistance and low thermal expansion. We specialize in everything from simple laminates to highly contoured products using various molding techniques including autoclave, vacuum, and compression molding, as well as adhesive bonding. We also offer extensive value-added processes that enable us to manufacture and deliver high level complete assemblies ready for installation/use.

Our capabilities include:

  • Autoclave molding
  • Compression molding
  • Vacuum molding
  • Wet Lay-up molding
  • Adhesive bonding (metal-to-metal, composite-to-composite, hybrid in honeycomb sandwich)
  • Tool design and fabrication
  • Value added operations:
    • Routing/Drilling
    • CNC machining
    • General machining
    • Sheet metal fabrication
    • Mechanical and electrical assembly
    • Adhesive Bonding
    • Dry/Wet Blasting
    • Specialized Coatings
    • Marking/Decals
    • Special Kitting & Packaging
    Vaupell

    Our quality and capabilities

    • Complete Lab supporting composite material testing (Sikorsky Lab 9 certified)
    • Metrology/Inspection including laser scanning
    • BAE Gold Supplier Award
    • Registrations and Credentials:

      • AS9100
      • ISO 9001
      • ITAR
      • NADCAP Certifications for Composites
      • Multiple Boeing, Northrop-Grumman and Sikorsky certifications*

      *Boeing: BAC 5317, BAC 5317-1, BAC 5317-2, BAC 5317-3, D6-53993, D210-12062-1, D210-12062-2, D210-12062-3, D210-12062-4, Code 802. 
      Northrop- Grumman: GSS-7022 (Method VI), GSS-11100, GSS-11102, GSS-22650. 
      Sikorsky Aircraft: SS8423, SS8442, SS8669, SS8888, SS9220, SS9231, SS9225, Lab 9

    Autoclave Molding

    Combining technologically advanced fibers and polymers. Autoclave molding offers several advantages, including: high performance, quality control, and consolidation. Overall, autoclave molding is a critical process for producing advanced composite components used in aerospace, defense, and other industries that require high-performance materials for finished products.

    Compression Molding

    Producing a wide variety of thermoset compression molded parts. Compression molding offers several advantages, such as the ability to create complex shapes, high strength-to-weight ratios, and good surface finishes. Specific parameters of temperature, pressure, and time are carefully controlled to achieve the desired material properties and product quality.

    Adhesive Bonding

    Providing structural & non-structural adhesive bonding. Adhesive bonding provides opportunities for lightweight design, improved structural integrity, and enhanced design flexibility in various applications. The choice of adhesive depends on several factors such as environmental conditions, load-bearing requirements, and desired aesthetics.

    Assembly and Finishing

    Capabilities to convert components into finished parts and higher level assemblies. Assembly and finishing are crucial stages in the our manufacturing process, contributing to the overall quality, functionality, and aesthetics of the final products. Assembly techniques and extreme careful attention to finishing details greatly impact the manufactured product that we deliver to customers.

    Materials Testing

    Vaupell has a full service composite testing laboratory utilizing principles from material science, engineering, chemistry, and physics that provide valuable information in selecting appropriate materials for very specific applications. This provides guidance in the product design process, and ensures that manufactured products meet safety and performance standards.

    Material Science & Engineering

    Vaupell has a working knowledge with a broad range of materials, such as: resins – wet & pre-impreganted, cores, fiber reinforcements, expandable tooling materials, and molding compounds. Our extensive material background makes us the perfect manufacturing partner for highly complex components or finished assemblies that utilize several materials.

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