Aerospace
Aerospace Plastics Materials for Lightweight, High-Performance Aircraft
Certified plastic materials and engineered solutions for commercial, business, military, and space applications.
Laird Plastics supplies a broad range of aerospace plastics materials engineered to reduce weight, improve durability, and meet stringent flammability and FST requirements. From interior panels and transparencies to structural components and ground support equipment, our team helps OEMs, Tier suppliers, and MRO facilities specify the right materials for every part of the aircraft.
Plastics for Aircraft Interiors, Structures & Ground Support
Laird Plastics supports aerospace programs from concept through production with material options tailored to interior, structural, and support applications across commercial, business, military, and space platforms.
Cabin & Interior Plastics
FST | FAR 25.853Thermoplastics and composites for sidewalls, bins, monuments, seat components, shrouds, and interior trims, engineered to meet cabin safety and aesthetic requirements.
Structural & Systems Components
Lightweight StrengthHigh-strength engineering plastics and composite panels for fairings, enclosures, brackets, housings, and secondary structures exposed to demanding loads and environments.
Windows & Transparencies
Optical ClarityAcrylic and polycarbonate sheet for cockpit windows, cabin windows, lenses, and shields requiring high clarity, impact resistance, and UV stability.
Ground Support & MRO Plastics
Operational ReadinessDurable plastics for ground support equipment, tooling, fixtures, and MRO components designed to improve safety, uptime, and maintenance efficiency.
Quick Facts: Selecting Plastics for Aerospace Applications
Use these parameters as a starting point when comparing aerospace plastics. Final material selection should be aligned with OEM specs, program requirements, and certification needs.
| Parameter | Typical Considerations | Design Guidance | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flammability & FST Cabin Safety | Compliance with FAR 25.853, ABD0031, and other OEM standards for flame, smoke, and toxicity. | Verify test data and certification packages for each material and thickness. Match material to zone (cabin, cockpit, cargo, etc.). | Interior panels, bins, monuments, shrouds, seat shells, ducting. |
| Weight & strength | Balance density, stiffness, and impact resistance versus metal or composite alternatives. | Use high-performance polymers where weight savings drive fuel, range, or payload improvements while maintaining required margins. | Brackets, housings, fairings, covers, secondary structures. |
| Temperature & environment Operating Envelope | Exposure to cabin temperature cycles, bleed air, fluids, UV, and external conditions. | Select materials with appropriate heat deflection temperature, chemical resistance, and long-term stability for the environment. | Environmental control systems, ducting, systems enclosures. |
| Forming & fabrication | Machinability, thermoformability, bonding, and finishing compatibility. | Align material choice with available shop processes and target geometries. Consider tool costs and rate requirements. | Thermoformed panels, machined blocks, assembled structures. |
| Certification & traceability Quality | Documentation, lot traceability, and quality systems that meet aerospace expectations. | Work with suppliers who can provide test reports, C of C, and program-specific documentation as needed. | OEM programs, Tier supplier contracts, repair station approvals. |
| Supply chain & logistics | Global availability, stocking programs, and cut-to-size or kit services. | Use regional stocking and kitting services to support rate increases, spares demand, and MRO turnaround times. | Production programs, spares support, MRO and retrofit campaigns. |
How to Choose the Right Plastic for Your Aerospace Part
Matching performance, certification, and manufacturability is critical in aerospace. Use these steps to narrow material options before final engineering review.
Define the application & environment
Start with where the part will live on the aircraft, how it will be used, and what it will see over its service life.
- â—Ź Cabin, cockpit, cargo, exterior, or ground support environment.
- â—Ź Temperature, fluids, UV, vibration, and impact exposure.
- â—Ź Required lifetime, inspection intervals, and maintenance strategy.
Align with regulatory & OEM requirements
Aerospace plastics must meet more than just mechanical properties. Regulatory and OEM specifications often drive the final choice.
- â—Ź Confirm applicable flammability and FST standards (e.g., FAR 25.853).
- â—Ź Identify OEM or airline material specs that must be met or matched.
- â—Ź Determine documentation and traceability required for your program.
Select materials that fit your manufacturing process
Choose plastics that work with the forming, machining, and finishing processes your team uses today—or that you plan to add for new programs.
- â—Ź Thermoforming vs. machining vs. composite panel fabrication.
- â—Ź Bonding, fastening, and paint/finish compatibility.
- â—Ź Kitting, pre-cut, or pre-machined options to reduce takt time.
Aerospace Plastics Materials FAQs
Straightforward answers to common questions from aerospace engineers, buyers, and MRO teams about plastics in aircraft applications.
What types of plastics are most commonly used in aerospace interiors?
Common interior plastics include polycarbonate (PC), PC/ABS blends, PEI, PPSU, and other FST-rated materials that meet FAR 25.853 and related standards. These materials offer a balance of impact resistance, aesthetics, and processability for sidewalls, bins, monuments, seat shells, and trim components.
How do plastics help reduce aircraft weight compared to metal?
Plastics typically have lower density than aluminum or steel while still providing sufficient strength and stiffness for many interior and secondary structural parts. They also enable consolidation of multiple metal parts into a single molded or formed component, further reducing hardware, complexity, and assembly weight.
Can aerospace plastics be machined like metal?
Yes. Many high-performance plastics such as PEEK, PPS, UHMW, and nylon can be CNC machined using similar equipment to metals, with adjustments for feeds, speeds, and fixturing. Proper tooling and chip management help maintain tolerances and surface finish for aerospace hardware and brackets.
Do aerospace plastics come with traceability and certification documents?
Aerospace programs typically require material traceability, test reports, and certificates of conformance. Laird Plastics works with manufacturers that support aerospace documentation needs and can provide material certifications and lot traceability as required by your quality system.
How can Laird Plastics support new aerospace designs or retrofit programs?
Our team can help review material options, suggest alternates to legacy specs, coordinate samples and prototypes, and set up stocking or kitting programs for production and MRO. Sharing drawings, performance requirements, and program timelines allows us to recommend the best combination of materials and services.
