Supernal LLC (the Company) and Qarbon Aerospace, Inc. announced today a partnership to mature component welding techniques for future scaled production of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. This marks the first of two agreements Supernal will announce with established aerospace manufacturers at the Paris Air Show, as the Company works to develop a novel manufacturing process that will enable the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry to meet expected demand in the coming decades.
As a leading manufacturer of composite components and assemblies for commercial and military aircraft and spacecraft, Qarbon Aerospace will work with Supernal to apply its induction welding technology to the assembly of the Company's thermoplastic carbon composite vehicle components. The companies will work to scale Qarbon Aerospace's established welding process, developing a manufacturing roadmap to meet future eVTOL vehicle order demands.
"Supernal is thrilled to partner with Qarbon Aerospace to advance rate-enabling manufacturing processes for the Advanced Air Mobility industry," said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. "By incorporating advanced materials and processes in our manufacturing strategy from the start, Supernal will be prepared to expand eVTOL vehicle production capacity to meet demand surges when the industry takes off."
With its "right product and right market at the right time" approach, Supernal is investing significant time and resources into creating a new form of aviation manufacturing that marries aerospace's high certification standards and automotive's high-rate production technologies. In the current phase, the Company is partnering with major aerospace suppliers, such as Qarbon Aerospace, to improve processes and costs associated with the joining of lighter-weight components for its eVTOL vehicles. In parallel, Supernal is working with Hyundai Motor Group to create a roadmap for integrating the automotive giant's automated manufacturing technologies into a scalable digital factory model, which will further reduce the cost and time of aircraft production.
"We are extremely excited that Supernal has selected Qarbon Aerospace's unique thermoplastic welding technology to enable the high-rate manufacturing of their eVTOL vehicle structure," said Pete Wick, CEO, Qarbon Aerospace. "Supernal's deliberate approach of carefully selecting and integrating rate-enabling technology from the start differentiates their eVTOL vehicle in the AAM field, and we are proud that our technology is going to support Supernal's inevitable success in the AAM industry."
Supernal's partnership with Qarbon Aerospace is part of the Company's "open ecosystem" approach to address the niche technology needs of AAM. The Company plans to grow its portfolio of manufacturing partners across other vehicle components, in addition to airframe.
Supernal and Qarbon Aerospace will hold a signing ceremony for the partnership at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday, June 20, at Qarbon's booth.
About Qarbon Aerospace
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Qarbon Aerospace, headquartered in Red Oak, Texas, is a premier manufacturer of cutting-edge composite components and assemblies, with products installed on the most advanced commercial and military aircraft and spacecraft. Qarbon Aerospace operates nearly two million square feet of factory space across three facilities located in Red Oak, Texas, Milledgeville, Georgia, and Rayong, Thailand. Qarbon Aerospace has vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities from component fabrication through large-scale assembly as well as world-leading proprietary thermoplastics technologies. Qarbon Aerospace has longstanding relationships with blue-chip OEM customers and a diversified product portfolio across a variety of successful commercial, defense, and business jet platforms. Qarbon Aerospace has the capabilities and resources to solve the market's toughest challenges with Quality Assured.
About Supernal
Supernal is a U.S.-based mobility service provider on a mission to redefine how people move, connect, and live. We are developing an Advanced Air Mobility eVTOL vehicle and working to responsibly co-create the supporting ecosystem and integrate it into existing transit options. As part of Hyundai Motor Group, we are both a new business and an established company, with plans to harness our automotive manufacturing heritage to make Advanced Air Mobility accessible to the masses.