At Avantus, our significant manufacturing capability means that we can produce laminated products in large, bulk orders or we are able to work collaboratively to produce smaller, bespoke orders for individual projects or prototypes.

The lamination process

One of the basic units of construction using composite materials, laminates consist of a number of plies, called lamina.  Laminates are most usually constructed from polyimides, fibreglass, or other similar materials.  In order to improve the uniformity of strength in all directions across the laminate material (known as isotropic properties), individual lamina are layered so that the fibres run in different directions on each layer. A surrounding adhesive material, such as epoxy resin, is used to bond the lamina, which are then subjected to intense pressure to support rigidity.

These production processes mean that laminates are more costly than sheet metal.  However, as laminates are more lightweight than metal, they are widely used in the aerospace industry.  Additionally, laminates have enhanced resistance to corrosion and fatigue when compared to sheet metal, resulting in reduced maintenance costs for airplane manufacturers and airlines. Finally, peelable laminates are more flexible than their solid counterparts and can enable tighter, more precise fits on the production line.

We manufacture soft and hard laminated materials with a typical sheet size of 48” x 24” (120cm x 60cm).  Throughout your production process, our experienced engineers are available to support and advise on the optimal combination of substrate material and adhesive to meet your precise requirements.

Avantus’ lean manufacturing approach

At Avantus, we have decades of working in the aerospace industry and we understand the need materials that are premium quality, high safety, low weight and cost-effective.  We use lean manufacturing principles and methods to ensure that we maximise efficiency in what we do, so that we can deliver the most cost-effective components to our customers whilst maintaining consistently high standards.