Daher has marked two years of operation at Shap’in, its composite technology centre located in Saint-Aignan-de-Grandlieu near Nantes, France. The facility is focused on progressing composites from research to large-scale production, with the goal of supporting future aerospace programmes.

Shap’in was designed to centralise research and development around composite materials and is now entering a new phase of industrial integration. To this end, Daher is refining automation, connectivity and manufacturing flow processes while incorporating sustainability goals such as decarbonisation and recycling.

This development is supported by CORAC, the French government and regional funds. The centre partners with manufacturers, SMEs, academic institutions and the IRT Jules Verne to test and mature new processes, supported by shared expertise and local networks.

Technological progress includes induction thermoplastic welding, which reduces aerostructure weight by up to 15%. A demonstrator tailplane assembled without fasteners validated this method for industrial application last November. Daher had acquired the core welding technology through its 2019 acquisition of KVE.

“Shap’in is the culmination of our ambitions in composite innovation and industrialisation,” says Daher's R&D director and head of Shap’in Dominique Bailly. “The validation of thermoplastic welding is a real example of our ability to transform a technological breakthrough into an industrial solution.”

The centre has also implemented a structured recycling chain with its Saint-Aignan factory. The three-stage process—waste sorting, pellet conversion and reuse—is being applied to TBM rudder pedals, which shift from aluminium to recycled composite material in 2025.

Heavy-thickness machining capabilities were added with a French government-backed machine allowing the processing of composite parts over two centimetres thick. This has positioned Daher among a limited group of global firms with this level of capability.

Julie de Cevins, Daher's chief sustainability officer, adds: “The more eco-responsible aviation of tomorrow will rely on these innovative processes and materials and we have been preparing to meet this shift for more than 10 years.”