Development and production of ultra-lightweight thermoplastic composite profiles for aerospace, medical and sports applications.
herone GmbH
DresdenNew on Amplifa
Who we are
herone GmbH, founded in 2018 as a spin-off of TU Dresden, develops and produces ultra-lightweight profiles made of thermoplastic composites (TPC). The team of aerospace and lightweight construction engineers combines automated textile preforming – the braiding of pre-consolidated composite tapes into multi-layer near-net-shape preforms – with efficient press moulding for one-shot consolidation including integrated functional elements. In addition, CF-PAEK profiles are processed with CF-PEEK using the injection forming/overmoulding process. Manufacturing takes place on the pultrusion line in Dresden; the components are used for load and force transmission as well as fluid transport. The company supports customers from concept through composite testing, prototyping and first article inspection to automated series production, among others for aerospace, medical technology, sports and mobility. An EN 9100-certified quality management system in accordance with AS9100D has been established since 2023.
- Site
- Dresden
- Processes
- Pultrusion of thermoplastic composite profiles, Automated textile preforming (braiding of pre-consolidated thermoplastic, Press moulding / one-shot consolidation of tape preforms with functional elements, Injection forming / overmoulding of CF-PAEK profiles with CF-PEEK, Production of composite components (manual and with production equipment), prototype manufacturing, Composite testing & validation, design & engineering, product development, Product development and engineering, Prototyping
- Materials
- CF-PAEK (carbon fiber polyaryletherketone), CF-PEEK (carbon fiber PEEK), Recycled carbon fibers (realigned recycled carbon fibers), Thermoplastic composites (TPC)
- Certificates
- EN 9100:2018 (AS9100D, based on ISO 9001:2015), EN 9100 / AS9100D
- Founded
- 2018
- Industries
- Aerospace, Medical, Sports, Mobility
- 01
Product and cost/life cycle analysis
- 02
Design & engineering
- 03
Prototyping
- 04
Composite testing & validation
- 05
First article inspection
- 06
Automated series production
Materials and processes
CF-PAEK (carbon fiber polyaryletherketone)
High-performance matrix for pultruded composite profiles that is overmoulded in injection forming.
CF-PEEK (carbon fiber PEEK)
Used as a compatible thermoplastic polymer for overmoulding and functional elements.
Thermoplastic composites (TPC)
Base material class for formable, weldable and 100 % recyclable lightweight construction profiles.
Recycled carbon fibers (realigned recycled carbon fibers)
Aligned recycled carbon fibers for high-quality composite products in line with the circular economy.
Sites
Dresden
DEDevelopment and production
- Lot size
- Prototypes to series production
- Materials
- CF-PAEK, CF-PEEK, thermoplastic composites
- Pultrusion line
- Press moulding system
- Automated textile preforming/braiding system
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pultrusion of thermoplastic composite profilesPlastics | – | – | – | – | CF-PAEK, CF-PEEK |
| Automated textile preforming (braiding of pre-consolidated thermoplasticPlastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastic composite tapes |
| Press moulding / one-shot consolidation of tape preforms with functional elementsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastic composites, compatible thermoplastic polymers |
| Injection forming / overmoulding of CF-PAEK profiles with CF-PEEKPlastics | – | – | – | – | CF-PAEK, CF-PEEK |
| Production of composite components (manual and with production equipment), prototype manufacturingPlastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| Composite testing & validation, design & engineering, product developmentEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pultrusion line | – | – | – | – | Dresden |
| Press moulding system | – | – | – | – | Dresden |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
herone maintains a quality management system certified to EN 9100:2018 (AS9100D) for the development and production of functionalized fiber-reinforced profiles. Quality assurance includes composite testing, validation and first article inspection.
| Evidence | Dresden |
|---|---|
| EN 9100 / AS9100D |
History
- 2018
Founded as a TU Dresden spin-off by aerospace and lightweight construction engineers
- 2021
Readers' choice as 'Pioneer of the Leichtbauwelt 2021'
- 2023
Initial certification to EN 9100 (since 01.03.2023); Challenge Winner of the Mitsubishi Chemical Group Composite Engineering Challenge
- 2025
Re-certification EN 9100 (issue 3, 24.03.2025, valid until 24.04.2028); JEC World Aerospace Application Award for injection forming of CF-PAEK profiles with CF-PEEK