PROBLEM Develop and fabricate a rate compatible manufacturing solution for Zone 5 Technologies, LLC to build the complex geometry, carbon fiber composite fuselage for its CLEAVER (Cargo Launch Expendable Air Vehicle with Extended Range) platform. OPPORTUNITY Create a solution to manufacture this complex geometry, composite fuselage, focusing on dry carbon fiber and epoxy resin infusion with novel manufacturing methods, to …

Spintech Holdings has now been in our new headquarters for nearly three years and we have added significantly to our talent, capabilities and overall efficiency. Please take a look at our updated facility tour showing off some our newest additions that enhance our ability to deliver high-value, complex geometry composite parts through our Hawthorn Composites division.   Automated Fabric Cutting …

RE-ENGINEERING THE COMPOSITE PARTS Through collaboration with ORPC and our partner, A&P Technology (A&P), we re-engineered the ORPC foil and strut to achieve the same structural results of the composite parts made by hand lay-up of pre-preg according to a detailed ply schedule with an autoclave cure to a custom braided, dry fiber ply schedule, combined with resin transfer molding …

11/1/2020 – Updated 7/21/2023 (Dayton – OH) Hawthorn Composites, the Dayton-based manufacturer of high-performance structural composites, was awarded a structural inlet duct manufacturing contract from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. to provide twelve inlet ducts for the XQ-58A Valkyrie platform. The twelve structural inlet ducts will be made using Smart Tooling’s shape memory polymer (SMP) tooling, combined with overbraiding …

PROBLEM How to fabricate a composite fiber shaft in the US eliminating supply chain logistic and lead time issues while meeting targeted cost range. OPPORTUNITY Deliver a solution using a combination of high levels of automation with lower cost materials and manufacturing methods. SOLUTION Used automated fiber preforms, lower cost epoxy resins, and resin transfer molding (RTM) to make high …

SWITCHING FROM METAL The previous enclosure door was fabricated using metal, resulting in an overweight door that caused a tipping issue when the machine was being restocked and required additional counterbalance for safe operation. This made moving the machine difficult so an lighter weight alternative was sought. CONVERTED COMPOSITE ENCLOSURE The customer required a composite solution that was a direct …

Watch a demonstration of how Hawthorn Composites can create a co-cured wing structure using a combination of dry carbon fiber, braided sleevings, liquid infusion, and Smart Tools. Hawthorn Composites delivers high value complex composites by deploying low cost materials with liquid infusion and novel manufacturing methods. This combination significantly lowers labor and material costs while maintaining structural integrity and weight …

02/01/2021 (Dayton – OH) Hawthorn Composites, the Dayton-based manufacturer of high performance, complex geometry, structural composites was awarded a structural inlet duct manufacturing contract from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. to provide twelve inlet ducts for the XQ-58A Valkyrie platform. The twelve structural inlet ducts will be made using Smart Tooling’s shape memory polymer (SMP) tooling, combined with overbraiding …

PROBLEM –Fabricate a 52” long by 12” diameter inlet duct for a tactical UAV at a lower cost than hand applied carbon pre-preg and an autoclave cure while maintaining equal performance and quality. OPPORTUNITY – Drive down overall cost without impacting performance by delivering a composite inlet duct using dry carbon fiber and epoxy resin infusion with an oven cure. SOLUTION – The tactical …

01/19/2021 (Dayton – OH) Dayton-based Spintech Holdings, Inc. announces the opening of a new composites manufacturing business division named Hawthorn Composites. This new division extends Spintech Holdings’ composite capabilities beyond the existing Smart Tooling division that provides formable & reusable composite tooling solutions for complex geometry composites. Hawthorn Composites specializes in manufacturing complex geometry composite parts using novel dry fiber …