Qualified PEKK Material Achieves Aerospace-Grade Certification
HexPEKK, a carbon fiber-reinforced PEKK material for additive manufacturing, has achieved independent NCAMP qualification with published B-basis design allowables, paving the way for its use in demanding aerospace applications.
For years, additive manufacturing has offered engineers increased design freedom, but the challenge has shifted from simply printing a part to proving its suitability for critical applications, particularly in aerospace. While designing lightweight components or consolidating complex assemblies has been achievable, demonstrating that additively manufactured polymers can consistently meet the performance requirements for production aircraft has remained a significant hurdle.
The recent publication of independently developed NCAMP qualification data and B-basis design allowables for HexPEKK marks a pivotal advancement. HexPEKK, exclusively produced by ADDMAN, is a material that combines PEKK with carbon fiber, processed using selective laser sintering (SLS) technology. This formulation is engineered for applications where strength, thermal stability, and chemical resistance are paramount, even when weight reduction is a key objective.
While many additive materials boast impressive datasheets detailing properties like tensile strength and heat deflection temperature, these figures alone are insufficient for aerospace certification. Engineers require independently generated data that substantiates repeatable performance across various build orientations, environmental conditions, and manufacturing batches. This validated data is crucial for confidently integrating new materials into aerospace programs.
HexPEKK is the first carbon fiber-reinforced PEKK additive manufacturing material to undergo and successfully complete independent NCAMP qualification through the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). This qualification includes statistically validated B-basis design allowables, providing aerospace engineers with the necessary data to support certification efforts. The material is already in use on multiple aerospace production programs for components such as structural brackets, environmental ducting, connector housings, and thermal management systems.
The independent NCAMP qualification of HexPEKK with B-basis design allowables is significant because it addresses the critical need for reliable, certifiable material data in structural additive manufacturing for aerospace. This moves beyond manufacturer claims, providing engineers with statistically validated properties essential for flight hardware, accelerating adoption and enabling more complex, weight-saving designs.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.