Airbus and Boeing are investing in alternatives to autoclave curing as both manufacturers look to speed up composite airframe production for future single-aisle aircraft. The parallel work centres on out-of-autoclave methods intended to raise throughput, lower manufacturing bottlenecks and reduce reliance on the costly, slow process long used for major composite structures.
The effort reflects a shared production challenge: autoclaves are capital-intensive and can constrain output if large wings or fuselage sections need extended curing cycles. Both companies are examining several routes, including thermoplastic composites, resin transfer moulding and other dry-fibre approaches, rather than committing to one manufacturing path.
Industry assessments suggest high-rate production of major composite aerostructures without autoclaves remains some years away, with one estimate putting the horizon at roughly a decade or more. For Airbus and Boeing, the immediate priority is de-risking the technology mix early so future narrowbody programmes can scale more efficiently and avoid capacity limits in the supply chain.