AMSilk wants to fly higher
12/09/2018
In recent comments to business media group Forbes, AMSilk said it has established a more stable business in the cosmetics market, with its fibres going into products such as skin treatments and shampoos. “It’s a stable business,” said chief executive, Jens Klein. “It’s not fashion or luxury goods, where trends may change.”
However, he said the steady sales AMSilk is able to generate from cosmetics have allowed it to investigate potentially lucrative future ventures, including in aerospace.
AMSilk confirmed that it has been in discussion with aircraft manufacturer Airbus since two years ago and has been working since then on developing new materials for use in aircraft construction, based on its spider silk fibres, which it refers to as biosteel.
It said carbon fibre composite materials work well in many parts of aircraft, but that there are some parts of the structure, such as where the wings join the body, that require less rigidity. It believes its fibres can work well in that context and is working with Airbus on a new type of composite material, for which it aims to have a prototype ready in 2019.
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