Pilatus seeking to recycle prepreg waste from aircraft manufacturing

Pilatus is investigating whether prepreg waste from the production of carbon fiber composites can be recycled back into the aircraft manufacturing process together with researchers from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) and inspire AG, a strategic partner of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) with its headquarters at Technopark Zürich, as detailed in a statement issued by the aircraft manufacturer from Stans in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland. Currently, Pilatus generates more than 6 tons of waste from pre-impregnated carbon fiber web (prepreg) each year. The aim of this project is to significantly reduce waste from its own production processes and replace existing aluminum components with recycled carbon parts.

The sticky prepreg scraps are first heated in a controlled manner so that they lose their adhesive properties and allow for further processing by machine. The material is then shredded and transformed into new components using a special pressing process, after which it is hardened. “Firstly, recycling this material provides an opportunity to significantly reduce waste from our own production operations. Secondly, it may be possible to replace certain aluminum parts with carbon parts, generating savings of up to 36 tons of aluminum per year”, explains Urs Thomann, Director Technologies, Processes, Sustainability at Pilatus.

According to the statement, the collaboration with research partners reflects a general trend in the approach to dealing with production waste. Pilatus argues that this should come to be seen more as a valuable resource in order to generate both positive ecological and economic impacts.

The research project will run for a period of 32 months. The aim is to establish a scientific and practical basis for possible application in the future. The project is being supported by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency. ce/ja