Development and series production of CFRP and GFRP composite components for aerospace and defense
Wethje Carbon Composites GmbH
Vilshofen-Pleinting (HQ/plant) · HengersbergNew on Amplifa
About Wethje Carbon Composites
Wethje Carbon Composites GmbH is a manufacturer of fiber composite components in Vilshofen-Pleinting (Lower Bavaria), specialized in demanding applications in aerospace and defense. The company develops and manufactures lightweight construction solutions made of carbon and glass fiber composite materials, also in combination with metals, with high requirements for weight, stiffness and load capacity. The entire process chain is located at one site: design and engineering, feasibility studies, crash simulation, toolmaking, prototyping, production using autoclave and press processes (PCM/SMC/RTM/HP), CNC machining, painting, 3D metrology and assembly. More than 45 years of experience in fiber processing form the foundation; since 2018 the company has been wholly owned by the Mitsubishi Chemical Group, which covers the value chain for carbon fiber reinforced plastics from fiber to component. A second site is located in Hengersberg.
- Site
- Vilshofen-Pleinting
- Processes
- Autoclave technology (production of composite components), Press processes (PCM / SMC / RTM and HP technology), CNC machining (trimming, drilling, cut-outs, final contour machining of composite components), Painting and surface finishing (in the company's own paint booths), 3D metrology / metrological component inspection and quality assurance, Design and engineering (concept development, feasibility study, detailed design), Crash simulation with fiber-reinforced plastics, Toolmaking (prototype tools, series tools, master models, fixtures)
- Materials
- Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), SMC (Sheet Molding Compound), Combination of composite material with metals, Sheet Molding Compound (SMC), Composite material in combination with metals
- Certificates
- EN 9100:2018 (incl. ISO 9001:2015, technically equivalent to AS 9100D / JISQ, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, EN 9100:2018, ISO 14001
- Industries
- Aerospace (aviation and space), Defense
- 01
Design and engineering
- 02
Toolmaking
- 03
Prototyping and component testing
- 04
Production (autoclave or press processes PCM/SMC/RTM/HP)
- 05
CNC machining / mechanical post-processing
- 06
Painting
- 07
3D metrology / quality assurance
- 08
Assembly
Materials and Processes
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)
Used for highly stressed lightweight construction components in aviation and defense, manufactured using autoclave and press technology.
Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP)
Fiber composite material for components with requirements for load capacity and weather resistance.
Sheet Molding Compound (SMC)
Press material for the series production of composite components in larger volumes.
Composite material in combination with metals
Lightweight construction solutions that combine fiber composites with metallic components.
Sites
Vilshofen-Pleinting
DEHQ and plant: entire process chain from design to quality assurance
- Lot size
- Prototypes to series; small volumes (autoclave) to larger series
- Materials
- CFRP, GFRP, SMC, composite/metal combinations
- Autoclave
- Presses (PCM/SMC/RTM/HP technology)
- CNC machining centers
- Paint booths
- 3D measuring systems
Hengersberg
DESite / plant, included in ISO 9001 and ISO 50001 certification
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autoclave technology (production of composite components)Plastics | – | – | – | small volumes with high | Carbon fiber composite (CFRP), Glass fiber composite (GFRP) |
| Press processes (PCM / SMC / RTM and HP technology)Plastics | – | – | – | larger series | Carbon fiber composite (CFRP), Glass fiber composite (GFRP), SMC |
| CNC machining (trimming, drilling, cut-outs, final contour machining of composite components)Machining | – | – | – | – | Carbon fiber composite (CFRP), Glass fiber composite (GFRP) |
| Painting and surface finishing (in the company's own paint booths)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3D metrology / metrological component inspection and quality assuranceTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Design and engineering (concept development, feasibility study, detailed design)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Crash simulation with fiber-reinforced plasticsEngineering | – | – | – | – | fiber-reinforced plastics |
| Toolmaking (prototype tools, series tools, master models, fixtures)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Prototyping and component testing (test fixtures, testing according to the requirement profile)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Assembly of components and assembliesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Carbon fiber composite (CFRP), Glass fiber composite (GFRP) |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autoclave | – | – | – | – | Vilshofen-Pleinting |
| Press (PCM/SMC/RTM/HP technology) | – | – | – | – | Vilshofen-Pleinting |
| CNC machining center | – | – | – | – | Vilshofen-Pleinting |
| Paint booth | – | – | – | – | Vilshofen-Pleinting |
| 3D measuring system | – | – | – | – | Vilshofen-Pleinting |
Additional services
Quality and Certification
The Pleinting site is certified to EN 9100:2018 (excluding product development, technically equivalent to AS 9100D and JISQ 9100:2016), complemented by ISO 9001:2015 for both sites. Every component is traceable down to the material batch used and the process parameters; quality assurance is carried out, among other things, by means of high-precision 3D metrology and digital component inspection.
| Evidence | Vilshofen-Pleinting | Hengersberg |
|---|---|---|
| EN 9100:2018 | ||
| ISO 9001:2015 | ||
| ISO 50001:2018 | ||
| ISO 14001 |
History
- 2015
First issuance of the ISO 9001:2015 certification on 17 December 2015
- 2018
Full acquisition by the Mitsubishi Chemical Group
- 2024
Issuance of the EN 9100:2018 certificate (valid until 06.12.2027) by Quality Austria
- 2026
Issuance of the ISO 50001:2018 certificate by DEKRA (valid until 08.05.2029)