Custom fibre-composite and lightweight construction components in CFRP, GFRP and aramid – from engineering to series production
Connova AG
Villmergen (CH) · Großröhrsdorf (DE)New on Amplifa
About Connova
The Connova Group, based in Villmergen (Switzerland) and Großröhrsdorf (Germany), is a supplier of custom composite components and tailored services with a focus on lightweight construction solutions. The company manufactures structural and cabin components from GFRP, CFRP and aramid fibre-reinforced plastics (AFRP) as well as hybrid structures made of CFRP/titanium and CFRP sandwich components with rigid foam core. The manufacturing processes include prepreg/autoclave, hot pressing processes, RTM, VARI (vacuum infusion) and filament winding technology; these are complemented by CNC machining (model and mould making, finishing), CNC laser processing, cylindrical grinding, bonding processes, painting including high-temperature coating, and assembly. Upstream services include consulting, product development, design, calculation and product optimisation as well as CAD/CAM tool making. The Connova Group supplies industries such as aviation, aerospace, UAV/drones, motorsport and automotive, industrial and automation, the packaging industry as well as medical and rescue services. Customers include Pilatus, ESA, Porsche, Formula 1 teams, ABB, REGA and Bosch Packaging Systems AG. Around 65 employees work at the Swiss site in Villmergen and around 25 at the German site in Großröhrsdorf.
- Site
- Villmergen
- Processes
- Manufacture of fibre-composite components / composites (prepreg/autoclave), RTM process (Resin Transfer Molding), VARI (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion), Hot pressing processes, Winding technology (filament winding), CNC machining / CNC milling (model and mould making, finishing of composites), CNC laser processing, Cylindrical grinding
- Materials
- GFRP (glass fibre-reinforced plastic), CFRP (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic / carbon), Aramid fibre-reinforced plastic (AFRP), CFRP/AFRP prepreg, CFRP/titanium (hybrid structure), Carbon fibres with rigid foam core (sandwich), Titanium, Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (carbon)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, EN 9100:2018 (incl. ISO 9001), DNV approval for composite manufacturing, ISO 9001:2015 (SQS, Reg. 43194), EN 9100:2018 (TÜV SÜD, 12 210 67287 TMS)
- Employees
- 90 (65 CH + 25 DE)
- Industries
- Aviation, Aerospace, UAV/drones, Motorsport & automotive, Industrial & automation, Packaging industry
- 01
Consulting & product development
- 02
Design & calculation
- 03
Tooling / mould making (CAD/CAM)
- 04
Fibre-composite manufacturing (prepreg/autoclave, RTM, VARI, winding technology)
- 05
CNC machining / post-processing
- 06
Bonding / assembly
- 07
Painting & surface finishing
- 08
Process and quality control
Materials & Processes
Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (carbon)
Light and ultra-stiff structures for aviation, aerospace, motorsport and automation.
Glass fibre-reinforced plastic
Structural and cabin components, among others manufactured in autoclave and hot pressing processes.
Aramid fibre-reinforced plastic
High-precision series components for the high-voltage sector (e.g. ABB).
CFRP/titanium hybrid structure
Satellite primary structures with a specially qualified bonding process and bonding jigs.
CFRP/AFRP prepreg
Shell components with high stiffness and strength, e.g. litters/baskets for rescue helicopters.
Carbon fibres with rigid foam core (sandwich)
Light, stiff components such as pick-and-place booms, manufactured using the RTM process.
Titanium
Hybrid construction with CFRP for aerospace applications.
Prepreg/autoclave process
High-performance manufacturing of GFRP and CFRP structural components.
Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
Netshape manufacturing of carbon components with rigid foam core.
Vacuum infusion (VARI)
Resin infusion of GFRP and CFRP components.
Filament winding technology
CFRP tube and rotationally symmetric components at the German site.
High-temperature coating
Special coating for composite heat protection systems up to 350 °C.
Sites
Villmergen
CHSales & marketing, engineering, prototyping, series production (prepreg/autoclave, CNC, VARI, RTM), assembly & painting
- Materials
- GFRP, CFRP, AFRP, CFRP/titanium, prepreg
- Autoclave
- Hot press
- CNC milling machines
- RTM system
Großröhrsdorf
DESales & marketing, R&D/prototyping, winding technology, RTM, prepreg autoclave, large-scale series production
- Lot size
- Large series
- Materials
- CFRP, GFRP, fibre-reinforced plastics
- CNC laser processing machine
- Cylindrical grinding machine
- Filament winding machine
- RTM system
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacture of fibre-composite components / composites (prepreg/autoclave)Plastics | – | – | – | – | GFRP, CFRP, Aramid (AFRP), CFRP/titanium, CFRP/AFRP prepreg, Carbon fibres with rigid foam core |
| RTM process (Resin Transfer Molding)Plastics | – | – | – | – | CFRP (carbon fibres + rigid foam core) |
| VARI (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion)Plastics | – | – | – | – | GFRP, CFRP |
| Hot pressing processesPlastics | – | – | – | – | GFRP, CFRP |
| Winding technology (filament winding)Plastics | – | – | – | – | CFRP |
| CNC machining / CNC milling (model and mould making, finishing of composites)Machining | tightest tolerance and surface requirements | – | – | – | GFRP, CFRP, model/mould materials |
| CNC laser processingMachining | – | – | – | – | fibre-reinforced plastics |
| Cylindrical grindingMachining | – | – | – | – | CFRP |
| Bonding process (specially qualified, with bonding jigs)Joining | – | – | – | – | CFRP, titanium |
| Surface finishing / painting (including high-temperature coating)Surface | – | – | – | – | composites |
| Assembly (ready-to-install components)Assembly | – | – | – | – | GFRP, CFRP |
| Engineering & development (consulting, product development, design, calculation,Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacture of laminating tools and forming tools (tooling, CAD/CAM)Engineering | – | – | – | – | temperature-resistant tool materials |
| Design and manufacture of fully automatable vacuum clamping fixturesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Process and quality controlTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autoclave | – | – | – | – | Swiss site (Villmergen) |
| Hot press | – | – | – | – | Swiss site (Villmergen) |
| CNC milling machines | – | – | – | – | Swiss site (Villmergen) |
| CNC laser processing machine | – | – | – | – | German site (Großröhrsdorf/Klipphausen) |
| Cylindrical grinding machine | – | – | – | – | German site (Großröhrsdorf/Klipphausen) |
| Filament winding machine | – | – | – | – | German site (Großröhrsdorf/Klipphausen) |
| RTM system | – | – | – | – | Sites in Switzerland and Germany |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
The Connova Group operates according to certified quality management systems (ISO 9001:2015, EN 9100:2018) and, with DNV approval, meets the requirements for the manufacture of components made of fibre-reinforced plastics. Highest process and quality control, the tightest tolerance and surface requirements as well as a specially qualified bonding process with bonding jigs are part of the scope of services.
| Evidence | Villmergen | Großröhrsdorf |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 (SQS, Reg. 43194) | ||
| EN 9100:2018 (TÜV SÜD, 12 210 67287 TMS) | ||
| DNV approval for composite manufacturing |
History
Over 35 years of expertise in lightweight construction/composite projects
- 2024
DNV approval of Connova Deutschland GmbH as a manufacturer of components made of fibre-reinforced plastics (Klipphausen)
- 2026
Wet Dress Rehearsal of the Themis demonstrator T1H with Connova landing legs passed (Esrange, Sweden)