Solutions built for the highest aerospace requirements
High-performance engineered materials are used across many areas of the aerospace industry, supporting efficiency and economy in a wide range of applications. At Façade Creations, we draw on years of combined technical and commercial experience, allowing us to meet the exceptionally high demands placed on materials and solutions developed specifically for the aerospace sector.
The properties of our high-performance and engineering-grade materials are matched to the technical requirements of many systems and subsystems used in today’s most advanced aircraft structures. The benefits of lightweight aerospace materials – improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions – are well established, and these same properties can also extend component life. Our aerospace materials are also resistant to corrosion in service. The defining characteristics of high-performance materials used in this sector are low weight, high strength and excellent chemical resistance. Because many of our high-performance materials have a density of around 1.3 g/cm³ – compared with around 2.7 g/cm³ for aluminium – replacing metal components can deliver a significant reduction in overall weight, in some cases up to 60% lighter than the equivalent aluminium part.
Working closely with aerospace companies and system manufacturers across the industry, the Façade Creations team has built a strong track record as a trusted supplier to the aerospace sector over many years, developing optimum solutions for high-performance aerospace materials. We are a long-standing, recognised partner to leading aircraft manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers, and we also have extensive experience working with major Tier 1 suppliers across the supply chain. As a reliable, competent supplier, Façade Creations offers industry-specific know-how and deep experience in aerospace materials and their processing into sophisticated, innovative aircraft components.
You can reach our aerospace team through our contact form for a quick and easy enquiry. We will get back to you promptly.
(However, if you prefer to speak to someone directly? Call our aerospace team or email us and we’ll respond promptly.)
Aerospace Team Form
Aerospace Material Solutions
Façade Creations supplies a wide range of components used across aircraft. Manufacturers increasingly choose advanced materials in place of traditional metal alloys, and we offer a broad range of materials that are tested and approved against our aerospace customers’ specifications. Our aerospace materials can be tested, certified and approved to meet specific project requirements – from testing of the raw material through to final inspection of the machined or semi-finished aerospace component.
Our materials portfolio for structural, functional and interior applications spans high-performance thermoplastics known for their strength, chemical resistance and thermal stability. This includes materials from families such as PEEK, PEI, PPS, PA, POM, PC and PPSU, supplied as compounds, composites, filaments, rods, tubes and plates, as well as finished parts.
Requirements applying to new aerospace components are more demanding than ever, and the materials used play a central role in innovation and product optimisation. Our engineered materials offer a number of advantages over traditional metal alternatives, including:
- Weight savings of up to 60% compared with aluminium, significantly reducing energy consumption
- Better, easier processing during component manufacture
- Greater freedom in component design, reducing manufacturing and assembly costs
- Excellent sliding properties, with dry-running characteristics and low maintenance in service
- Low outgassing in vacuum conditions and good resistance to radiation
- The ability to be modified with fillers and additives – for example, fibre-reinforced grades can replace metal in applications requiring greater stiffness than unreinforced material allows
Because of the strict requirements set by the aerospace industry, Façade Creations takes responsibility not only for incoming raw material inspection and specification, but also for recipe specification of individual articles, final inspection, and the issuing of acceptance test certificates. We provide complete documentation and traceability across every material and manufacturing process we use – compounding, semi-finished product extrusion, and finished part production by injection moulding or machining alike
Different specifications apply depending on the intended application and manufacturer, with individual material specifications governing density, mechanical and thermal properties, and flammability performance. Façade Creations works closely with aircraft manufacturers and system suppliers to qualify our materials for use in aerospace applications, including materials tested to internationally recognised aircraft interior fire-safety requirements. Where flammability, smoke emission and thermal stress testing has been carried out, this is recorded on our material data sheets, and certificates of flammability testing are available on request at the time of order.
Solutions for the Space Industry
As a supplier to the space sector, Façade Creations offers materials that have been approved for a wide range of applications. In satellites, for example, our materials are used in components for solar array deployment systems, cable insulating blocks and platform systems. Our aerospace materials undergo the specific testing required by the end user to meet the stringent demands of space-sector supply.
Typical requirements our aerospace materials are engineered to meet include:
- High strength under severe vibration
- Low and ultra-low outgassing in vacuum conditions
- Resistance to high levels of radiation
Façade Creations has built experience working with organisations across the space sector, including major space and defence manufacturers as well as research institutes and universities. We are also supporting the growing demand for small satellites – including satellites under 500kg driven by 5G and connectivity applications – using advanced high-performance materials and 3D-printing techniques to produce lightweight, reliable components capable of performing complex missions.
Benefits for the Aerospace Industry
Cabin interior qualifications
Many of our materials are tested and approved to recognised international fire-safety standards for aircraft interiors, in line with the requirements of the relevant international aviation authorities. These standards are commonly referenced under designations such as large-aircraft fire-safety section “25.853” and its regional equivalents. These standards are also readily cross-referenced against the internal requirements documents used by major aircraft manufacturers, thanks to their comparable content.
OEM qualification
Façade Creations is one of a select number of materials suppliers listed on the qualified parts lists of major aircraft manufacturers and other well-known original equipment manufacturers. This means we are authorised to supply components for demanding applications, including structural parts for the aerospace industry.
Expertise in AS/EN 9100
Façade Creations operates multiple machining facilities certified to AS/EN 9100 across our international locations. These facilities have been approved for a range of machining processes by leading companies across the aerospace industry, and we can also provide inspection and material certificates in line with recognised international quality standards.
Qualification support
Façade Creations supports major aerospace manufacturers in the preparation of technical specifications. As a result, a large number of our materials and semi-finished products are certified to meet the demanding specifications set by original equipment manufacturers.
One-Stop Shop Solution Provider – Everything From a Single Source
As a full-service solution provider for the aerospace industry, Façade Creations operates a fully integrated value chain with a cross-divisional approach: we manufacture individual material compounds and composites tailored to each aerospace application, produce semi-finished products such as sheets, tubes and rods to the specifications of well-known manufacturers, and produce injection-moulded or sintered components. Beyond standard stock shapes, we can also produce material-saving injection-moulded blanks for further machining, or individually manufactured profile blanks – our team is on hand to help find the right combination for your application. Where a suitable material is not already part of our own portfolio, we are also able to process external high-performance materials on request.
We also offer in-house processing capability, including CNC machining to the tightest tolerances, alongside services such as surface treatment, cleaning processes, assembly, packaging and labelling – all backed by industry-specific expert advice. Our extensive value chain enables full traceability of every machined aerospace component we supply.
We accompany our clients from concept development through to final release and approval of the end product. With this comprehensive, cross-divisional range of services, Façade Creations operates as a genuine one-stop shop, built on core competence in high-performance materials and composites for aerospace technology.
Finished Aerospace Parts from Façade Creations
- Customised tubes
- Injection-moulded parts
- Machined parts
- Profiles
Aerospace Products from Façade Creations
- Filaments
- Shapes
- Composites
- Sintered materials
Solutions for Aerospace – Aircraft Materials
Strong materials
When selecting aerospace materials, specific strength is a key indicator of high mechanical performance. This determines the tensile strength of a material relative to its density, and therefore its strength-to-weight ratio. Fibre-reinforced grades within our portfolio offer greater stiffness than unreinforced materials, making them a genuine alternative to metal in structural and semi-structural applications, while still delivering a significant weight saving.
Radiation-resistant materials
Materials can be exposed to different types of radiation depending on the application. Applications such as outer panel covers or satellite parts are good examples of where radiation resistance is critical. Our high-performance materials are engineered to maintain their mechanical and physical properties after prolonged radiation exposure, supporting reliable long-term performance in both aircraft and space applications.
Electrically insulating materials
Materials used in aerospace for propulsion components, control units or landing gear parts require strong electrical insulation properties. Our engineering-grade materials offer high dielectric strength and stable insulating performance across a wide temperature range, helping to protect sensitive electronic and electrical systems.
Non-flammable materials
Our aerospace materials portfolio includes options that meet recognised flammability standards for aircraft interiors, continuously tested for flammability, smoke and toxicity. Many are suitable for cabin interior applications. Established high-performance material families used across the industry, such as PEEK, PEI and PPS, generally meet flammability requirements without modification, while standard materials such as PA typically require flame-retardant additives to achieve the same level of performance.
Conductive materials
Dissipating electrostatic charge is essential in aerospace applications where highly sensitive electronic components are present. Our conductive and electrically active material grades are designed to safely direct static charge away from critical components, reducing the risk of damage or interference.
Heat-resistant materials
Many aerospace applications call for heat-resistant materials that also offer strong resistance to ageing. Our high-performance materials retain their mechanical properties at elevated operating temperatures over extended service life, supporting components that must perform reliably in demanding thermal environments.
Low-outgassing materials
Outgassing properties are an important consideration when selecting materials for aerospace applications exposed to vacuum conditions. Façade Creations offers materials with low and ultra-low outgassing performance, suitable for satellite and other space-sector components where vacuum stability is critical.
Applications in Interiors
Fire-tested, flame-resistant aircraft materials
Whether for lighting, seating, galleys or cockpit equipment, Façade Creations offers a broad portfolio of performance materials to meet the demands of aircraft interior applications. Our materials are ready for use, supporting new designs and design improvements across all aircraft types.
Materials destined for aircraft interiors must meet defined flammability requirements, and it is the component’s actual position within the aircraft that determines whether flammability testing alone is sufficient, or whether the full Fire, Smoke and Toxicity (FST) test regime applies:
- Flammability testing – a 60-second and/or 12-second vertical fire test, or a 15-second horizontal fire test, depending on application
- Full FST testing – required for components such as ceiling and wall panels, partitions, galley fixtures, large cabinets and baggage compartments, which must additionally pass smoke emission, toxicity and heat release testing
Our flammability testing identifies the verified minimum wall thickness permitted on a finished part for a given material, recorded on our material data sheets, with certificates of flammability testing available on request at the time of order. Individual aircraft manufacturers maintain their own internal fire-safety documentation, which is generally comparable in content to the recognised international standards our materials are tested against – helping to streamline qualification across different aircraft programmes.
Our aircraft interior material portfolio includes a glass-fibre reinforced, high-performance PEI-based composite widely used across interior structural elements, along with dedicated flame-retardant interior compounds and composite plates developed specifically to meet cabin interior fire, smoke and toxicity requirements.
Applications in the Aerostructure
Lightweight, low-carbon material solutions for the aerospace industry
Our engineered materials offer lightweight solutions wherever strong mechanical properties need to be combined with resistance to stress, chemicals, oils and greases. Façade Creations offers these materials as compounds, composites, filaments, rods, tubes and plates, as well as finished parts.
The use of engineered materials in aerospace structural applications has grown rapidly in recent years, as high-performance materials have become indispensable to reducing overall emissions. While early adoption was concentrated in aircraft interiors, our materials are increasingly specified for structural components too – applications where requirements are considerably more demanding than in the cabin. Structural materials must withstand low outside temperatures, high speeds and a wide range of environmental influences. Compared with metals, our high-performance materials offer corrosion resistance and favourable wear properties, alongside good radiation resistance, high mechanical stability and resistance to other environmental factors – combining with lower weight to make plastic structural components a reliable, efficient choice for aerospace applications.
Electrical bracket – used in the structural area of aircraft
- Very stiff
- Good heat deflection temperature
- Resistant to many oils, greases and fuels
- Good wear properties
- Very good strength
- High dimensional stability
Manufactured using an extruded and machined glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide compound.
Lube spool
- Lightweight
- Good chemical resistance to aviation oils, greases and fuels
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Good strength
- Good machinability
- Long service life
Manufactured using an extruded and machined high-performance acetal (POM) material.
Steering cylinder – used in an aircraft landing gear system
- Lightweight
- Inherently flame retardant
- Good heat deflection temperature
- Very good chemical resistance
- Good slide and wear properties
- High creep resistance
Manufactured using an extruded and machined high-performance PEEK-based compound.
Damping piston – used in landing gear applications A precision-machined acetal (POM) component offering excellent sliding and wear performance, used to control and cushion movement within the landing gear assembly.
Aerospace Composites
Thermoplastic fibre composites are ideal for a wide range of aerospace applications. Their low weight, combined with the high strength and stiffness of the finished component, makes them an optimal alternative to metal, delivering a significant reduction in overall aircraft weight and supporting the industry’s wider sustainability and zero-emission goals. Thermoplastic materials are also inherently recyclable. From passenger aircraft to drones, air taxis and space applications, our thermoplastic composites are used across structural, semi-structural and interior applications.
Our aerospace composites are available with thermoplastic matrix materials including PEEK, PPS, PEI and flame-retardant PC:
PEEK-matrix fibre composites offer high stiffness and strength alongside excellent chemical and environmental resistance, and are particularly well suited to innovative applications such as air taxis and drones.
PPS-matrix fibre composites offer similarly strong mechanical properties and chemical/weathering resistance to PEEK, at a more economical price point for many applications.
PEI and flame-retardant PC composites are ideal for aircraft interior applications, combining strong mechanical performance with compliance to recognised fire-protection and FST specifications. Our flame-retardant PC composite has been developed specifically for interior use, while PEI remains a well-established, proven choice.
Benefits of our aerospace composites include:
- Up to 50% weight saving compared with equivalent metal applications, supporting sustainability and zero-emission goals
- High resistance to chemicals, environmental exposure and temperature extremes
- High flexibility in shape, structure and application design
- Customised technical support throughout material selection and component development
- Capability to manufacture complex components at high volume, including in combination with processes such as injection over-moulding
Aerospace Case Studies
Thermal spacer for a deep-space mission
Materials from Façade Creations have supported a major European deep-space mission, forming part of the spacecraft’s thermal control system, which keeps every onboard component system within an acceptable temperature range throughout the mission. One element of this system is a thermal spacer – a ring-shaped plate that acts as a barrier against extreme temperatures and radiation, manufactured from one of our high-performance, radiation-resistant material grades.
Structural component for an airplane seat (“J-Hook”)
Manufactured from a glass-fibre-reinforced high-performance composite plate, this component meets the aircraft industry’s most demanding requirements: low weight, high mechanical performance, fatigue resistance and stringent fire-safety, smoke and toxicity requirements. Aircraft interior applications frequently call for glass-fibre-reinforced, high-performance thermoplastic materials of this kind, most commonly based on PEI.
Electrical connector mounting
A pre-preg material approved for aviation use, combining glass fibre reinforcement with a PEI matrix, was selected as a metal substitute for mountings supporting electrical plug-in connections – delivering the low weight and mechanical reliability the application demanded.
Lightweight satellite components
Driven by growing demand for 5G and connectivity infrastructure, there is increasing need for satellites weighing under 500kg. Using advanced PEEK-based materials and 3D-printing techniques, Façade Creations is helping to produce lightweight, reliable components capable of performing even complex space missions.
Thermally conductive LED heat sinks
Where LED chips are traditionally mounted on aluminium heat sinks, replacing the metal with thermally conductive engineered material profiles reduces both weight and lifecycle cost. Unlike metal, these profiles require no corrosion protection and no separate grounding.
Composite inspection flaps
Façade Creations offers a comprehensive approach to thermoplastic lightweight composite components such as inspection flaps. A double-belt press is used to produce organosheets from semi-pregs; these organosheets are then reheated and transferred into an injection-moulding tool, where they are reshaped, reconsolidated and made fully functional – allowing materials from the same polymer family to be combined in a single component.
Winglet structures
Structural aircraft parts must always perform without fault, and because every gram matters in aerospace, excessive weight reduces payload and increases fuel consumption. Winglet structures – used at the wingtips of light aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles – are one example of the lightweight, high-strength structural components Façade Creations has supported.
More aerospace projects
The examples above are a small selection of the aerospace and space-sector projects Façade Creations has supported. From cabin interiors to structural components, satellite parts and specialist composite applications, our team has hands-on experience across almost every area of modern aircraft and spacecraft design.
If you’d like to discuss a similar application, or find out whether one of our existing material solutions could work for your project, get in touch with our aerospace team using the contact form above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Façade Creations provide materials with specific fire behaviour?
Our product portfolio includes materials with specific fire behaviour, verified by relevant testing. See our fire-tested materials section for more detail.
What is the meaning of risk classification into Class I, II and III, and what impact does it have?
This classification relates to how a material’s location within the aircraft cabin determines the level of fire, smoke and toxicity testing required – components in higher-risk locations, such as large panels or storage compartments, are subject to more stringent testing than smaller, lower-risk items. Relevant international aviation safety organisations and professional aerospace engineering bodies publish further guidance on classification on their respective websites.
Do regulations exist for semi-finished part and component suppliers?
Statutory regulations apply directly only to aviation-approved corporations, such as certified aircraft manufacturers. Requirements placed on subcontractors and material suppliers like Façade Creations are generally set out through contractual agreement rather than direct statutory obligation.
How do international aviation regulatory frameworks differ from one another?
As a result of bilateral agreements between regions, most major frameworks – including large-aircraft interior fire-safety requirements – are closely aligned in practice, even where they are referenced under different regional designations. Further information is available from the relevant regional aviation regulator’s website.
Which statutory regulations are we equipped to adhere to?
For aviation-specific applications, only the contractual terms agreed between the manufacturer and supplier need to be adhered to, since direct statutory regulation applies to certified aviation corporations rather than to component and material suppliers.
Does a duty to notify exist on the part of the customer in the event of statutory changes?
Statutory regulations apply only to aviation-approved corporations; all other matters are governed by supply agreements. Where requirements change, the customer is responsible for updating its specifications and supply agreements with the supplier accordingly. There is no separate, standalone notification obligation beyond this.
Where can I find further relevant information?
Relevant international aviation safety organisations and professional aerospace engineering bodies publish further guidance on their respective websites.
