CANNON redefines possibilities in composite manufacturing with innovative solutions for the aerospace industry

Patented technologies for thermosets and thermoplastics

overcoming the industry's biggest challenges

Caronno Pertusella, Italy, February 26, 2026 – As aerospace manufacturers race toward lighter aircraft, higher production rates, and zero-defect performance, CANNON delivers the process technologies that make next-generation composites viable at industrial scale.

From advanced air mobility platforms and UAVs to next-generation commercial aircraft and helicopters, the aerospace industry is under intense pressure to reduce weight, improve mechanical performance, and increase manufacturing efficiency — all while ensuring absolute process reliability and repeatability. Meeting these demands requires more than incremental improvements: it calls for a rethinking of composite manufacturing itself.

At JEC World 2026, CANNON showcases a portfolio of proprietary technologies specifically engineered to overcome long-standing limitations in composite processing. By addressing critical challenges such as resin handling, void reduction, infusion control, pressure management, and thermoplastic processing stability, CANNON enables aerospace manufacturers to move from complex laboratory solutions to robust, scalable industrial production.

Triple Vacuum Frame (TVF) for resin handling

CANNON’s TVF technology for all prepreg applications enables the safe and clean handling of material stacks by fully isolating resin during handling and forming. This eliminates tackiness-related issues and removes the need for routinely cleaning grippers, ovens, and molds, as well as the use of mold release agents. TVF supports multi-stack handling per cycle (multi-cavity molds) and, thanks to its excellent draping capability, often allows manufacturers to eliminate the preforming step altogether. This provides significant advantages in efficiency, cost reduction, and part quality while reducing cycle times and material handling. In the aerospace industry, TVF is applicable to nacelles, tail structures, and thrust reverser cascades, among other prepreg applications.

Dynamic Overpacking System (DOS) for void reduction and pressure management

Designed to integrate seamlessly with HP-RTM (High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding) processes, CANNON’s DOS provides active in-mold pressure control during both injection and curing phases. This dramatically reduces void formation due to resin shrinkage, enabling the inclusion of fragile or sensitive inserts — such as antenna reflectors and radomes — while still delivering superior mechanical performance and outstanding surface quality. DOS technology is particularly beneficial for manufacturers outputting complex high-stress structural parts or aesthetic components, making it an ideal solution for aircraft propeller blades.

DXI low-pressure direct infusion dosing unit for total control

The DXI low-pressure dosing units are CANNON’s highly innovative solution for the vacuum resin infusion process. With this technology, no additional pumping systems are needed as the flow rate decreases during infusion thanks to its patented configuration. The DXI actively controls infusion points, automatically changing the flow rate according to the infusion pressure in the laminate. In addition, its dedicated mixing head is specially designed to process the resin and hardener in line without losing mixing efficiency during flow rate changes at each infusion gate, which dramatically improves cycle time and process repeatability. Originally developed for producing composite structures such as wind turbine blades, CANNON is now applying this technology to manufacturing aerospace skins and other UAV structures as well as larger components for aircraft.

In-line resin degassing unit for maximum quality

CANNON’s proprietary in-line epoxy resin degassing unit exploits the principle of vacuum towers to remove air from the chemicals during infusion, RTM, and pultrusion processes. It can perform resin degassing at up to 160 l/min with a single unit and maintain a vacuum that reaches a few millibars of absolute pressure, leading to a stronger laminate that makes it perfect for producers of large composite parts.

Production lines for stable and repeatable processing of thermoplastics

For production lines processing thermoplastics, CANNON solutions ensure smooth, reliable material handling across the entire process, minimizing temperature loss between heating and molding to preserve material properties, improve part consistency, and enhance overall efficiency. CANNON technology supports producers in manufacturing complex components, for example, thermoplastic composite sidewall panels and reverse thrusters in the aerospace sector; the thermocompression process achieves high quality utilizing infrared, direct contact and forced air heating, fast transfer and state-of-the-art compression molding equipment.

CANNON systems are designed for robust, repeatable, and scalable production, meeting the requirements of demanding industries such as automotive and aerospace. CANNON is more than an equipment supplier, they are a long-term global technology partner that supports customers throughout the entire journey, from process development and validation to full industrialization.

Source：CANNON