Author: Manon

Based in Porrentruy, Switzerland, Composites Busch stands out for its expertise in high‑performance composites. Driven by co‑development and continuous innovation, the company designs tailor‑made solutions that meet the highest requirements. Among them, the Black‑Shark® technology represents a true technological breakthrough, destined to become a solution to key challenges faced by the aeronautics sector.

The Black‑Shark® technology pushes back the traditional limits of composite material applications by offering an efficient and relevant way to convert structural metal parts with complex geometries—previously inaccessible to industrial composite processes.

Innovation

Today, although more than 50% of an aircraft’s mass is made from composite materials, a significant portion is still composed of titanium. Certified EN9100, Black‑Shark® technology addresses this issue by enabling the production of small, lightweight, high‑performance parts with complex geometries, capable of replacing titanium components while delivering mass savings of up to 50% with equivalent performance.

Born from a combination of cross‑disciplinary expertise, Black‑Shark® technology relies on a compression‑molding process using qualified prepregs. Unlike processes that chop or mix fibers, this technology preserves fiber orientation and continuity, ensuring optimal mechanical properties. It also delivers high robustness and strength, improved fatigue resistance, and reduced porosity thanks to the homogeneous flow of resin under heat and pressure.

This innovation paves the way for replacing a significant number of small, high‑performance, complex‑geometry parts currently produced in metal or titanium, thus addressing the main challenges of the sector:

Weight reduction

Sustainability and carbon‑footprint reduction are essential challenges for the aeronautics industry. Reducing mass is therefore one of the key levers for OEMs, as it helps lower emissions and optimize aircraft performance. The weight savings enabled by Black‑Shark® technology allow manufacturers to achieve substantial efficiencies without compromising performance.

Sovereignty

Aerospace manufacturers face major industrial sovereignty challenges, particularly regarding critical parts. Dependency on suppliers outside Europe—such as the United States, Russia or Kazakhstan—exposes manufacturers to geopolitical risks that may cause supply chain disruptions. Developed in Switzerland and EN9100‑certified, Black‑Shark® technology provides a local solution for producing complex, lightweight and robust parts. It reduces reliance on imports, secures programs and strengthens supply chain resilience through full control of the process.

Recurring cost savings

Lowering recurring costs is essential for improving the competitiveness of aircraft manufacturers. Black‑Shark® technology contributes by optimizing material usage and reducing scrap thanks to preserved fiber orientation. The near‑net‑shape process reduces secondary operations, limiting machine time and labor. Its robustness and reliability extend part lifespan, reducing maintenance needs. Finally, the high production rate and process repeatability ensure stable output, translating these advantages into a sustainable Lower Total Cost of Ownership.

Supply chain capacity

Supply chain capacity is critical to meeting the high production rates required in aviation. Black‑Shark® technology supports this demand thanks to a fast, repeatable and scalable process combined with a high level of industrialization, ensuring reliable local production and consistent quality. It secures supplies and reduces the risk of shortages, offering a more resilient and agile supply chain in a market where punctuality is crucial.

Key performance pillars

In applications where weight reduction is critical, specific stiffness—defined as the tensile Young’s modulus divided by density—is a fundamental indicator. It measures material efficiency in terms of stiffness per unit mass, an essential criterion for aeronautics, mobility and advanced structures. Compared with titanium, Black‑Shark® technology achieves a specific modulus of 34.2 for a density of 1.58 g/cm³, versus 24 for a density of 4.4 g/cm³ for titanium. This 42.5% improvement results in significantly higher specific stiffness, enabling lighter designs while maintaining equivalent performance in demanding environments.

These performances are built on an integrated approach that forms the pillars of the Black‑Shark® technology. It combines mechanical performance, repeatability, cost optimization and digital simulation.

Full process control ensures consistent quality and a significant reduction in variation, while limiting intermediaries and lead times enhances competitiveness.

Digital simulation (Digital Twin) brings key value: it provides aircraft manufacturers’ engineering teams with the allowables required to calculate and design parts using the Black‑Shark® technology, ensuring full compliance with regulatory and structural requirements.

Expertise serving all industries

Composites Busch leverages the expertise developed across its other business sectors—such as medical devices, as well as the luxury and high‑end watchmaking industries—to deliver exceptional composite solutions. The aeronautics and medical sectors share a fundamental requirement: human safety. When applied to composites, this discipline ensures extreme reliability and tight tolerances, meeting the critical demands of these industries.

Commitments in the luxury and watchmaking sectors are rooted in a constant pursuit of innovation and precision. By collaborating with the most prestigious watch brands, Composites Busch continually pushes the limits of customization and complexity, elevating both aesthetics and performance. These partnerships fuel creativity and impose a rigorous level of excellence, which in turn benefits the development of all other business sectors.

Ultimately, this cross‑sector synergy gives Composites Busch a unique ability to design composite solutions tailored to diverse challenges, guided by a mindset of optimization and continuous improvement. It enables a transversal approach ranging from biocompatibility and sterilization for medical devices, to creativity and uniqueness in watchmaking, and all the way to the structural reliability required in aeronautics—while maintaining overall industrial and quality coherence. With the Black‑Shark® technology, the company pushes the boundaries of composite materials by combining high performance, reliability and industrialization, shaping the future of this industry.

Jérôme Aubry
Business Development Manager Aerospace & Mobility