The aerospace industry requires constant innovation of materials in order for them to provide outstanding performance and reliability in extreme operating conditions.
Designing materials for aerospace applications has unique technical challenges, the initial idea should have potential, but also be cost-effective and meet regulations.
Coated fabrics and fabricated parts are materials that are widely used in the aerospace industry due to their high-performance capabilities and their ability to dramatically improve safety.
Application of Materials in the Aerospace Industry
Coated fabrics in the aerospace industry generally have two key applications; for safety or process purposes.
Safety is paramount in aircrafts, and coated fabrics are often used to increase safety in a variety of aerospace applications.
Smoke seals made from coated fabrics are used in aircrafts to ensure that smoke or any other hazardous gas does not penetrate into the cabin. Cable covers and sleeves are often fabricated from coated fabrics to provide properties such as fire resistance.
Coated fabrics used for process applications in aircrafts include sound insulation, back panels for luggage bins, aircraft loading walkways and insulation blankets.
Mid-Mountain’s Range of Coated Fabrics for the Aerospace Industry
Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. supplies a large range of coated fabrics that are suitable for use in the aerospace industry.
Depending on the required application, our base fabrics are coated with different types of coatings to produce textiles that are temperature, chemical, and abrasion resistant.
The following product ranges are just two examples of our coated fabrics used in the aerospace industry.
ARMATEX® Coated Fabrics
Our range of ARMATEX® Coated Fabrics provides outstanding heat protection and resistance to abrasion and chemicals.
The ARMATEX® range comes with a variety of fabric coatings including silicone, refractory compounds, vermiculite, and ceramic.
Typical aerospace applications of this range of coated fabrics include airbags for spacecraft, aircraft cargo covers, and insulation pads.
We have recently released a range of ARMATEX® Silverstar products that are currently under evaluation for various applications by an aircraft manufacturer.
In addition to the standard heat protection of this range, this fabric is also aesthetically pleasing.
THERMOPAK® Fabricated Parts
THERMOPAK® Fabricated Seals, Curtains and Blankets from Mid-Mountain are thermal insulation barriers used for applications that require reduced emissions, and high-temperature, chemical and abrasion resistance.
THERMOPAK® Die-Cut Gaskets are one product from this range that is often used in the aerospace sector as they provide an airtight barrier in sealing applications to prevent the loss of gasses and emissions.
Further Developments
Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. continue to provide innovative coating and fabric technology, and we have recently developed four aircraft parts that have been tested and qualified by the FAA for use.
One of these products is an engine seal, which is used to seal the engine to plenum connection and prevent fire from penetrating the plenum. A plenum seal has also been developed to prevent fire from penetrating the plenum by sealing the plenum housing.
We have also fabricated an inertial separator seal, which seals the connection of the inlet to the inertial separators and a firewall blanket used to protect the firewall structure and the passengers in the cabin from fire.
Mid-Mountain has a wealth of knowledge regarding fabric and textiles for aerospace-specific applications. Our company has been involved in various breakthroughs in coated fabrics and textiles, and many of these specialized products were a result of customer’s specific requirements.
The team at Mid-Mountain Materials, Inc. are happy to provide support on material section and we can also create customized products for specific requirements.
