Archives des Article - Composites Busch

Black-Shark® Technology: The weight killer

Posted on 24 February 20269 March 2026 by 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

Watch-Web puts us in the spotlight!

Posted on 24 November 20256 March 2026 by Manon

Watch-Web puts us in the spotlight!

We are proud to have been featured in an article highlighting our commitment to sustainable and innovative watchmaking.

At Composites Busch, we give new life to carbon fibre to shape the exceptional materials of tomorrow.

Thanks to our exclusive partnership with Nova Carbon, we integrate a sustainable and traceable material into our creations, without compromising on aesthetics or the quality standards of Swiss fine watchmaking.

An alliance of innovation, sustainability, and artisanal excellence that is redefining the future of watchmaking.

👉 Read the full article here: Actualité | What’s new at Composites Busch?

Actualite | Quoi de neuf chez Composites Busch ?

A lasting partnership with Nova Carbon ®

Posted on 2 June 20252 March 2026 by Manon

In the world of fine watchmaking, where every detail counts, commitment to exceptional materials begins with their origin.

With this in mind, we have entered into an exclusive collaboration with Nova Carbon®, a French pioneer in high-performance carbon fiber recycling.

Where conventional processes fail, Nova Carbon®’s innovative technology makes it possible to produce new coils from end-of-life materials, while preserving fiber length. The result: up to 80% of the original mechanical properties are retained, providing a high-performance recycled material.

This responsible carbon, which requires 10x less energy to manufacture than virgin fiber, also enables a reduction in CO2 emissions of between 5x and 80x, depending on the type of carbon used.

In an industry that generates almost 40,000 tonnes of carbon waste per year, >90% of which is incinerated or landfilled, this partnership is a concrete response to our commitment to a forward-looking watchmaking industry.

More information on Nova Carbon :

Economic Promotion Office of the Canton of Jura – Interview with Ahmet Muderris, Managing Director of Composites Busch SA

Posted on 25 March 20252 March 2026 by Pablo Rodriguez

"Investment is part of our culture."

In 2023, Composites Busch celebrated its 35th anniversary, alongside the 60th anniversary of the Busch Group. What would you say are the keys to your success?

There is a fundamental principle that guides all our decisions: our commitment to creating meaningful value for our clients. This core value has allowed us to continuously adapt internally, innovate, and meet the exceptional quality standards our clients expect. We’ve successfully navigated market shifts and technological evolution thanks to our customer-centric mindset and our ability to listen. This has enabled us to become leaders in sectors as diverse as ice hockey equipment and then highly specialized fields like the medical industry.

Our strength lies in our broad presence: across all industrial sectors and in every region of the world. This strategic diversification makes us more resilient to cyclical risks.

Our success is also built on our people. We proactively invest in skills development to nurture their talents, both professionally and personally, which helps foster long-term motivation. Our very low turnover is a testament to their engagement and loyalty.

Investment—whether in people or in industrial capabilities—is part of our DNA. It’s always paired with a prudent risk management approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company, for the next 60 years and beyond.

At the beginning, you hired a “pioneer in composite materials,” and innovation remains at the heart of Composites Busch. How do you continue to cultivate this pioneering spirit?

This spirit of innovation is a multidisciplinary effort that involves the entire company—not just the R&D department. We encourage employees at every level to contribute ideas, and many decisions are inspired from the ground up.

This requires giving everyone not only time to operate, but also time to explore. That crucial difference keeps us aligned with market needs and allows us to spot emerging trends early.

To support this, we promote active participation in innovation networks and industry events. Staying open to the world and to what others are doing is key.

And finally, we make it a point to celebrate and reward innovation within the organization.

Human values seem to be at the core of your company culture. In 2019, you launched ROCH – Réussir notre Objectif Collectif et Humain. Can you tell us more about the origins of this initiative?

ROCH was developed by a cross-functional working group representing the entire company. It reflects our strong, lasting commitment to developing both soft and hard skills throughout our organization.

To succeed, all resources within the company must be aligned. Everyone should feel recognized, respected, valued—and know that their voice matters. Leadership behavior must set an example.

Just like in sports, winning teams are those that operate in sync. ROCH is the embodiment of our participatory and collaborative culture. Everyone’s energy is acknowledged and channeled toward a shared objective.

You’re deeply committed to environmental and community responsibility. What drives your decisions in this area?

Sustainability is no longer optional—it’s imperative. Each of us has an impact, and we must do everything we can to reduce our energy footprint.

We fully embrace our responsibility, which is why we’ve adopted environmentally conscious practices across the entire production chain. Since 2018, we’ve been on a path to reduce energy consumption. In just one year, we cut electricity use by 38% and water consumption by 50%.

Our efforts continue, both internally—in every part of the company, including our offices—and externally, in collaboration with suppliers to identify and eliminate sources of energy waste. By 2025/2026, we’ll be launching a major project to install solar panels. Our commitment aligns with the expectations of all stakeholders: employees, clients, and suppliers. It also strengthens team engagement—our employees are proud of it. In fact, a dedicated working group is focused on advancing sustainability in our day-to-day operations.

This proactive approach is also essential for meeting CSR standards and staying competitive. More and more, clients are choosing partners who take sustainability seriously.

Although it requires investment, our commitment to sustainability yields a triple return: we help protect the environment locally, we strengthen the long-term resilience of our company, and we achieve energy cost savings.

What do you see as the main challenges for companies in the Jura region over the coming years?

There are four key challenges ahead.

The first concerns digital transformation. Companies must adapt and invest in innovative solutions to improve efficiency and meet customer expectations. But making the right decisions isn’t easy, especially in a sector that evolves constantly.

The second challenge relates to energy transition and sustainability. It’s a dual issue: complying with the CSR standards that will soon be required, and meeting client expectations. Taking on this kind of approach demands strong, long-term commitment—which isn’t always easy. But if we, in the Jura, don’t take the lead, we will quickly fall behind.

The third challenge is internationalization. Many companies in the Jura are diversifying through industrial leverage, moving beyond the watchmaking sector. But diversification must also happen at an international level to build greater resilience to crises. We have excellent products here in the Jura. We must keep companies anchored in the region while building partnerships with other businesses and institutions to reach the next level—faster and stronger.

Finally, the fourth and perhaps most critical challenge is talent management. It is a key factor for the development of our businesses. Employee expectations are shifting, and we need to create an attractive working environment—not only to recruit, but also to retain talent. We must take into account their concerns, their aspirations, and provide meaningful responses.

You’re also involved in an innovative collective project with other Jura-based business leaders. Why is this important to you?

We live in a VUCA world—volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous—which demands agility to anticipate future challenges. This collaborative initiative is a way to meet those challenges together.

We each have so much to offer—and so much to learn from—one another. The challenges we face in the Jura are shared. Coming together to address them collectively is what gives this group its purpose.