Albany Engineered Composites and A&P Technology Partner to Accelerate Next-Generation Braided Composite Solutions

Strategic collaboration combines world-class braiding and advanced resin transfer molding to industrialize large composite structures for aerospace and defense.

ROCHESTER, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN), and A&P Technology, a global leader in precision braided composite reinforcement technologies, announced today that they are partnering to explore and develop advanced braided composite manufacturing solutions for both current and next-generation aerospace and defense applications.

The collaboration brings together two highly complementary manufacturing technologies, A&P Technology's industry-leading braided composite architectures and Albany Engineered Composites' advanced Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) manufacturing expertise, to accelerate the industrialization of lightweight, highly integrated composite structures capable of supporting future commercial and defense aircraft production requirements.

"Future aerospace platforms demand manufacturing technologies capable of simultaneously improving performance, reducing recurring cost and scaling to production rates the industry has not previously achieved," said Chris Stone, president of Albany Engineered Composites. "By combining A&P Technology's deep expertise in advanced braiding with Albany's industry-leading RTM capabilities, we are creating a force multiplier for our customers, accelerating the transition from innovative textile architectures to repeatable, production-ready composite solutions."

The companies intend to collaborate on research, technology development, manufacturing process maturation and commercialization opportunities focused on purpose-designed braided composite structures for current and next generation aeroengine platforms, commercial aircraft, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) blades and structures, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), and solid rocket motor nozzles.

“It’s a privilege to collaborate with Albany given their broad and deep design and manufacturing skill and know how built on decades of success making parts for the most demanding applications,” says Andy Head, president of A&P Technology. “Together, we can offer composite solutions not only at enabling rate but also with enabling cost and performance benefits. We look forward to meeting customer challenges together.”

As aerospace manufacturers increasingly seek larger integrated composite structures, reducing assembly complexity while enabling higher production rates, braided composite preforms combined with automated RTM processing provide an attractive pathway toward scalable manufacturing.

"Our customers are looking beyond individual manufacturing processes, they're looking for integrated solutions," said Brent Stevenson, vice president of emerging markets and technology at Albany Engineered Composites. "Braiding and RTM are naturally complementary technologies. Together, they enable highly engineered composite architectures supporting complex geometries, efficient manufacturing and production scalability for both current and next-generation aerospace and defense platforms."

For more information, visit Albany Engineered Composites, on Facebook or on LinkedIn.

About A&P Technology

A&P Technology is a global leader in precision braided reinforcement technologies, providing innovative composite solutions for aerospace, defense, industrial and advanced mobility applications. The company develops purpose-designed braided composite architectures that enable lightweight, high-performance structures for demanding environments.

About Albany Engineered Composites

Albany Engineered Composites, a segment of Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN), designs and manufactures advanced engineered composite components for engine and airframe applications in commercial and military aircraft, missiles and unmanned vehicles. Albany’s specialty composite solutions enable current and next-generation aircraft to perform better while being more fuel efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.

About Albany International Corp.

Albany is a leading materials science developer and manufacturer of engineered components, using advanced materials processing and automation capabilities, with two core businesses:

• Machine Clothing is the world’s leading producer of custom-designed consumable belts, essential for the manufacture of paper, paperboard, tissue, and towel, as well as pulp, non-wovens and a variety of other industrial applications.
• Albany Engineered Composites is a growing designer and manufacturer of advanced materials-based engineered components for demanding aerospace applications, supporting both commercial and military platforms.

Albany International is headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, operates 25 facilities in 12 countries, employs approximately 5,700 people worldwide and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol AIN). Additional information about the Company and its products and services can be found at www.albint.com.