AZL Aachen GmbH has launched a new Joint Partner Project (JPP) titled Thermoplastic Pressure Vessel Production Benchmarking of Design-for-Manufacturing Strategies to Optimize Material Efficiency and Cost . This collaborative engineering initiative aims to bring together companies across the pressure vessel and composites value chains to explore next-generation solutions for sustainable high-pressure storage.

Thermoplastic composites have long been lauded for their short processing times, recyclability, and design flexibility. However, directly adapting thermoset-based pressure vessel designs for thermoplastic production often results in cost and efficiency setbacks. To address this, AZL s project will adopt a holistic design-for-manufacturing approach, optimizing vessel designs around thermoplastic material characteristics to unlock their full technological and economic potential.

Structured as a Joint Partner Project, the initiative invites companies to co-finance and co-develop the project scope. AZL s engineering team will evaluate existing manufacturing strategies, propose new design concepts for hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) vessels, and benchmark the solutions on key metrics including weight, production cost, recyclability, and process efficiency.

Participating partners will receive access to detailed simulation data, concept designs, and standardized evaluation results. The project also serves as a strategic networking platform where members can exchange insights, shape project priorities, and gain early access to innovations.

The project kicks off on July 16, 2025, with an interactive session where participating companies will define shared goals and align internal perspectives.

Backed by over a decade of experience in coordinating collaborative industrial R&D programs, AZL ensures the initiative will be both technically robust and business-relevant, offering the composite industry a path forward toward scalable, sustainable pressure vessel solutions.

Source: azl-aachen-gmbh.de