South Central Kansas hosts a rapidly developing industrial cluster of firms in the field of advanced or “engineered” materials (composites) and polymers (advanced plastics and elastomers.) The region is a center of excellence in the field of advanced materials research, development and production. Wichita is already home to the world’s leading aviation manufacturing cluster. Wichita’s involvement with composite aircraft component design and fabrication goes back over 25 years to development of the all-composite Beechcraft Starship and Raytheon Premier business jets, Boeing-Wichita’s development of composite nacelles and struts, and Cessna’s development of proprietary composite technology. Wichita’s expertise in advanced materials also has wide application outside of the aerospace industry. Advanced materials are being used in medical devices, automotive components, wind turbines, marine applications, construction materials, machinery, scientific instrumentation and consumer products.
National Institute for Aviation Research
NIAR at Wichita State University was founded in 1985, and is the largest aerospace research and development academic institution in the nation. NIAR accounts for over 70% of Federal Aviation Administration composite research spending. According to the most recent National Science Foundation data (FY 2006), WSU ranks third among all U.S. universities in aerospace engineering research and development funding. WSU-NIAR spent $19 million on such activity during FY 2006. NIAR’s 120,000 square foot facility houses 15 advanced research and testing laboratories – including a composites and advanced materials lab. NIAR also has labs concentrating on rapid 3-D prototyping and composites aging. NIAR has full-time staff of over 200 researchers, including 60 at the PhD level. It has been appointed by the FAA as lead institution of the Center of Excellence in Composites & Advanced Materials (CECAM), which has been designated by NASA and FAA to develop national standards for aircraft composites. NIAR’s National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) is developing economical methods of certifying composite materials by sharing central material qualification databases. NCAMP will provide the nation with centralized composite and advanced material validation and quality assurance. This system will make composites as attractive to industry as current metallic materials. NCAMP has expanded its private supporter base to include 38 domestic and international companies. NIAR composite expertise puts Wichita at the forefront of developing practical advanced materials for not only aviation – but also automotive, medical, industrial and consumer products. NIAR has provided cost-effective proprietary research and development collaboration for over 180 private industry clients. In addition to NIAR's industry research, WSU School of Engineering offers specialized practical composites training.
National Center for Aviation Training
In order to assure a steady pipeline of qualified workers for the regional aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries, Sedgwick County Technical Education and Training Authority (SCTETA) is developing the $54 million (222,000 square foot) National Center for Aviation Training at Jabara. NCAT will be a world-class aviation and advanced general manufacturing training center on the grounds of Jabara Airport in northeast Wichita. NCAT will have capacity to provide technical training for at least 1,300 students. Wichita Area Technical College serves as managing partner and coordinates program offerings such as Composites Fabrication Technician. NCAT training will be employer-driven to flexibly adapt to industry needs. Its facilities will allow realistic hands-on training on the latest equipment in aviation and advanced manufacturing, including a composites materials lab and an autoclave for heat-curing composites. NCAT will also incorporate new facilities for Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research. NIAR will have NCAT facilities dedicated to composites research, CATIA training, non-destructive inspection and advanced joining technologies such as friction-stir welding. NIAR has been named a FAA Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials and a NASA National Center for Advanced Materials Performance. NCAT-NIAR partnership will allow NIAR to develop and certify new advanced materials and techniques in the lab, and then rapidly train production workers to utilize the new technology. This combination of NIAR research expertise and high-tech training facilities will expedite bringing new advanced materials technologies to the factory production floor. NCAT has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval. Groundbreaking occurred in March 2008, and classes at the site are slated to begin in the spring of 2010. SCTETA projects at least 1,200 aviation and 1,800 advanced general manufacturing graduates per year.
WIRED Grant – In June 2007 it was announced that the Wichita region has been awarded a highly-competitive $5 million U.S. Department of Labor WIRED Grant (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development.) This grant is specifically targeted at accelerating development of our region’s already-prominent workforce expertise in composites and advanced materials. These revolutionary materials are critical in aerospace manufacturing, medical devices, etc. GWEDC coordinates the Composites Advisory Board, a group of local business and technical leaders in the advanced materials field. This board provides expert guidance in the further development of this vital regional cluster.
Regional Composites Cluster
The Wichita region has an expanding group of companies utilizing advanced materials. In addition to aerospace applications – products include military and consumer items, such as infantry armor and bicycle frames. Following are some Wichita area companies involved in design and fabrication of composites and other advanced materials:
Cessna Aircraft Company (11,300 employees) - Citation business jets and single engine airplanes
Developed proprietary composite technology at Wichita Pawnee Plant.
Spirit AeroSystems (10,900 employees) Produces some of the world’s most complex composite components – such as the forward fuselage section of the B787, which necessitated investment in one of the world’s largest autoclaves. Spirit’s composite workload is expected to increase dramatically as Boeing develops and produces a replacement for the 737. Spirit is rapidly diversifying its customer base.
Hawker Beechcraft (6,800 employees) Pioneered composite aircraft in the 1980s with the Beechcraft Starship. Currently produces two composite aircraft – Premier 1 and Hawker 4000 Horizon business jets both have their entire fuselage made of composites.
Bombardier Learjet (2,250 employees) Business jet manufacturer.
Accesses composite technology via Short Brothers in northern Ireland.
Airbus North America Engineering (200 employees) Airbus has an engineering design center in Wichita. Airbus is rapidly increasing utilization of composites in their new aircraft models.
Precision Pattern (480 employees) Composite aircraft interior components.
Senior Aerospace Composites (270 employees) Aerospace composite parts and assemblies for air handling, structural and interior applications.
PlasticFab (215 employees) Composite and metal bonded structures and assemblies for commercial and military aerospace applications.
Global Engineering & Technology (205 employees) Composite aircraft interior components.
Nordam Group – Wichita Division (170 employees) Composite aircraft interior components.
Triumph Aerospace Systems (170 employees) Aerospace composite components.
PCI Newco (165 employees) Composite aircraft structural components.
Diversified Services (115 employees) Composite part processing and non-destructive testing.
Park Aerospace Materials (60 employees) – Develops and manufactures advanced composite materials (prepreg, etc) for aerospace applications.
Fiber Dynamics (50 employees) Composite structures for commercial and military applications.
Builds components for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), business jets, motorcycles and automobiles.
Leading Edge Aerospace (50 employees) Composite military body/vehicle armor; aerospace parts.
North American Aviation (35 employees) Composite aerospace and marine parts.
Burnham Composites (30 employees) Commercial and military aerospace composite parts.
