Toray CMA Expands 3960 Prepreg Portfolio with ±45° Braided Fabric for Aerospace Production
BY Composights
Published: 07 Aug 2026
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Toray Composite Materials America (Toray CMA) has expanded its 3960 prepreg system with a new 45 braided fabric format, providing aerospace and defense manufacturers with a composite material designed to improve production efficiency, reduce material waste, and support higher manufacturing rates.
Developed in collaboration with A&P Technology, the new prepreg format incorporates TORAYCA T1100 carbon fiber in a continuous 45 bias braided architecture. The material offers an alternative to conventional 0 /90 woven prepregs, particularly for composite structures that require significant off-axis reinforcement.
The braided configuration is well suited for primary and secondary aerospace structures, including wings, spars, and stringers, where continuous 45 fiber orientation is critical for structural performance. Unlike traditional woven prepregs that often require cutting and splicing to create off-axis plies, the new format is supplied in continuous rolls, helping manufacturers simplify layup operations.
According to Toray CMA, combining the new 45 prepreg with conventional 0 /90 woven prepreg allows manufacturers to optimize material nesting, reduce scrap generated during ply cutting, and improve production throughput without compromising structural integrity.
The +/- 45 braided format gives our customers a real alternative to traditional woven prepreg, cutting scrap, speeding up layup, and helping programs hit higher production rates without sacrificing structural performance, said Jeff Cross, Principal Director for Defense Programs at Toray CMA. It s exactly the kind of manufacturing efficiency the aerospace and defense market has been asking for.
The braided fabric, marketed by A&P Technology as TX-45 , is manufactured in wide, continuous rolls that eliminate the need for ply splicing. In a trade study conducted by the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), the material demonstrated a 30% reduction in material waste and a 40% reduction in layup time compared with conventional 0 /90 prepreg during spar manufacturing.
The new 45 braided fabric is now available for aerospace and defense programs, further expanding Toray CMA's 3960 product portfolio. By enabling more efficient composite layup while maintaining the proven mechanical performance of the 3960 prepreg system, the material is expected to help manufacturers increase production capacity for next-generation aircraft structures.
