Albany Awarded $21.2 Million Carbon/Carbon Composite Manufacturing Contract

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Albany Engineered Composites' AEC Advanced Programs has been awarded a contract under the U.S. government's Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program, with a total contract value of $21.2 million and a 30-month period of performance. The project is being implemented by the U.S. Army Contracting Command-Rock Island through the Cornerstone Other Transaction Authority mechanism, with the scope of work focused on carbon/carbon composite thermal protection systems required for hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors.

The project focuses on establishing a vertically integrated production facility for carbon/carbon composites and building scalable manufacturing capability. Albany will integrate its existing 3D woven near-net-shape preform, resin transfer molding, and carbon/carbon densification processes into a single manufacturing system, covering the main stages from preform fabrication to subsequent densification and thermal protection component production.

The contract scope also includes engineering studies, plant planning, supplier selection, procurement and installation of key manufacturing equipment, and infrastructure construction needed to support carbon/carbon thermal protection system production. The project goal is to establish a stable domestic U.S. manufacturing capability for extreme-environment applications and to advance the relevant processes from the development stage to a mass-production-capable stage.

Carbon/carbon composites will be primarily used for thermal protection components subjected to high heat flux and extreme temperature environments. Hypersonic vehicles and solid rocket motors impose stringent requirements on materials' heat resistance, structural stability, and production consistency during operation, and the manufacturing system for this project will be configured around reducing per-unit manufacturing costs and improving production capacity and repeatable production capability.

Albany Engineered Composites currently produces composite structural components for commercial and military aircraft, missiles, unmanned systems, and aero engines. The company also secured a long-term contract this year for composite structural components for Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and is advancing industrialization cooperation with A&P Technology in woven composites and RTM processes; its existing manufacturing base will be used for the construction of this carbon/carbon material production line.