Greene Tweed, a global leader in advanced materials and high-performance solutions, has developed a rapid prototyping process for its Xycomp DLF material that helps aerospace customers accelerate metal replacement development projects through faster testing and validation. The process significantly reduces lead times and costs, expanding access to high-performance composites in new markets, including Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Defence.

Xycomp DLF components are high-performance thermoplastic composites engineered to replace metals whilst delivering weight savings, stiffness, and strength. The new process cuts prototype lead times by nearly 50% compared to traditional production methods through a proprietary approach that optimises the tool design and balance between machine and net-moulded features, whilst maintaining production-representative material and part properties. The result is quicker access to functional parts, with lower upfront tooling costs and greater design flexibility before production.

"Greene Tweed recognised the need for a faster, more cost-effective way to support the development of lightweight, high-performance components for customers," said George Rawa, General Manager, Structural & Engineered Components at Greene Tweed. "This process expedites the timeline to evaluate Xycomp composites in real-world applications by putting production-quality parts in engineers' hands in a fraction of the time."

Key innovations behind Greene Tweed's rapid prototyping breakthrough include:

– Optimised Mold Design: A balance of machined and net-moulded features reduces tooling complexity and speeds up production.

– Streamlined Parallel Processes: Completing part, tool, and fixture designs concurrently significantly compresses timelines.

– In-House Expertise: A hands-on approach ensures precision and quality, with mould fit-ups completed in one to two days.

– Rapid, Low-Cost Iteration: Customers can test, refine, and optimise components through phased evaluations with lower cost, readily modifiable tools.

Rapid prototyping is helping expand composite adoption across aerospace, AAM, defence, mobile robotics, and energy as demand grows for lightweight, durable components. In AAM, customers are using Xycomp DLF components for lightweight, custom-engineered electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) applications, with rapid design iteration and close technical collaboration between customers and Greene Tweed engineers fast-tracking the path from concept to reality.

Greene Tweed representatives will be available at the Farnborough Air Show 2026 to discuss Xycomp DLF and metal replacement opportunities; attendees can register here to schedule a meeting. Greene Tweed will also host the webinar, "Solving Aerospace Weight and Prototype Bottlenecks with Xycomp Thermoplastic Composite Components," on 30 September 2026.