Parker Aerospace composite ducting is fitted between the on-board waste collection tank and the ground servicing panel, allowing for the smooth flow of the tank contents overboard to the ground servicing receptacle. We fabricate our composite ducting from a pre-impregnated E-glass fiber fabric, with a thermoset resin. In the cured state, the composite meets Boeing specification BMS-8-79 and DMS2296, DMS2297, and DMS2441.

The fabrication process allows for the production of complex integrated shapes with varying diameters, where required. Dependent upon shape, ducts can be formed over hard or soft tooling. Additionally, various types of end fittings are either formed as part of the lay-up procedure or are mechanically bonded into position. Internal coating on the ducting provides a low-friction surface on the duct interior. The external coating is provided for aircraft fluid compatibility (including compatibility with Skydrol), and the coating also provides a redundant fluid barrier.
The advantages of Parker’s composite ducting include the use of weight-reduced lower density materials (including duct and end fittings) to replace heavier and more expensive aluminum and titanium. Our composite ducting is flexible, with the capability to resist heavy mechanical loads, as well as the high vibration of aircraft landings. Parker’s ducting is resistant to chemical attack and much easier to install than conventional materials.  Lower maintenance costs are also a benefit as our ducting features an inner polytetrafluoroethylene paint that reflects the buildup often occurring in other water or waste systems.

At Parker, our expertise in the fundamentals of engineering has driven us to become one of the leading innovators in the aerospace industry.  Our advances in lightweight materials and composites are just some of the ways Parker continually offers progressive products to market. With over 100 million flight hours, our design innovations have proved again and again to result in lower cost and longer service life.

FEATURES AND ATTRIBUTES: Significant weight savings; composite ducts with polymer end fittings are roughly 50 percent lighter than titanium
• No need for electrical safety grounding during installation
• Ducting can be customized to bend into any shape needed, even around corners
• Compared to the following conventional metallic materials (aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium), the pre-impregnated E-glass fiber fabric used has a density of 112 pounds per square foot
 Aluminum alloy is 168 pounds per square foot
 Stainless steel is 494 pounds per square foot
 Titanium is 280 pounds per square foot
• The two-inch diameter ducting developed by Parker Aerospace has a weight per linear foot of 0.15 pounds per square foot. This compares to a 0.028inch thick wall, two-inch outer diameter titanium tube which has a weight per linear foot of 0.337 pounds per square foot. Three-inch and four-inch diameter ducting is also offered
• Further potential weight saving from polymer end fittings as a replacement for typical steel fittings
 Polymer end fitting to replace the conventional stainless steel or titanium end fitting per specification AS1656

APPLICATIONS:  Parker composite ducting has been in production since 1999 and used on business and regional jet applications such as Bombardier, Cessna, and Hawker aircraft.