Toray Launches Fast-Cure Composite Material for High-Rate Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing
BY Composights
Published: 02 Jul 2026
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Toray Composite Materials America has expanded its aerospace composites portfolio with the launch of 3960-FC, a fast-cure version of its highly toughened 3960 prepreg system, developed to support higher-rate manufacturing across aerospace and defense programs.
The new prepreg has been engineered to shorten composite processing cycles by as much as 45% compared with the standard 3960 system, while delivering equivalent structural and mechanical performance. The material is intended to help manufacturers increase production throughput without sacrificing the performance characteristics required for aerospace-grade composite structures.
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Increased pressure is being placed on material suppliers to provide a structural material solution with production rates now higher than what manufacturers have historically supported, said Jeff Cross, Principal Director of Defense Programs. 3960-FC accelerates manufacturing cycles while maintaining the mechanical and structural performance customers expect from our premier product, the 3960 prepreg system, by demonstrating equivalence with the material data in the 3960 NCAMP database.
Toray designed the new material to integrate seamlessly into both automated and conventional composite manufacturing environments. The prepreg is compatible with advanced production technologies such as Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and Automated Tape Laying (ATL), while also supporting traditional composite fabrication processes, providing manufacturers with greater production flexibility.
The company expects the material to be used across a broad range of aerospace and defense applications, including primary aircraft structures, medium- and large-size unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), launch vehicles, rockets, and rotorcraft components, where lightweight construction, structural integrity, and manufacturing efficiency are critical.
By reducing cure times while maintaining the established performance of the 3960 material platform, the new system is intended to help aerospace manufacturers increase production capacity, improve equipment utilization, and support the industry's transition toward higher-rate composite manufacturing.
The launch reflects the growing demand for advanced composite materials capable of supporting automated production and faster manufacturing cycles as commercial aerospace, defense, and space programs continue to scale.
Source : Toray | News
