“Screws Are So Last Century – How Glue Might Be the Future of Flight”

When you think “airplane,” you probably imagine sleek wings, roaring engines… and thousands of bolts, rivets, and screws holding it all together.

But what if glue could replace them?

No, this isn’t arts and crafts for engineers. This is MABOND: Multi-Application Bonding—a cutting-edge aerospace project that’s rethinking how aircraft are built from the ground up. And yes, glue (technically, advanced structural adhesives) could be the star of the show.

✈️ The Big Idea: Ditch the Fasteners, Bond the Future

The aviation industry has relied on mechanical fasteners—think rivets, nuts, and bolts—for over a century. But they come at a cost:

🔩 Added weight🔩 Interrupted aerodynamics🔩 Complex assembly🔩 Poor recyclability

MABOND is out to change that. The goal? Use high-performance adhesives to bond critical aircraft parts, reducing or even eliminating the need for traditional fasteners—even in high-stress areas where glue was once off-limits.

🧪 The Tech Behind the Transformation

Led by GKN Aerospace, MABOND is developing scalable manufacturing systems that prove bonded joints can be just as strong, lighter, cleaner, and easier to produce.

Here’s how it works:

• ✅ Bonds thermoset composites to each other

• ✅ Bonds aluminum alloys to composites

• ✅ Enables lower aspect ratio wings with improved load transfer

• ✅ Creates ultra-smooth surfaces for better aerodynamics

• ✅ Cuts down on fill, fairing, and finishing steps ✅ Allows for easier disassembly and recycling at the aircraft’s end-of-life
  

In short: Stronger, lighter, smoother, greener.

🧠 Powered by the Best in the Business

This isn’t just a single team’s ambition. MABOND brings together a UK dream team of aerospace and research leaders:

• GKN Aerospace – Tier-one supplier and project lead

• AUTHENTISE – Digital workflow management experts

• University of Bath – Home to a top-tier composites lab

• EXPERT Tooling & Automation – Tooling design and innovation

• University of Surrey – Mechanical testing and performance modelling pros
  

Funded by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and supported by the Department for Business and Trade, Innovate UK, and UK Research and Innovation, the project officially launched in July 2024 and is set to run through mid-2027.

🌍 Why It Matters: Lighter Planes, Greener Skies

Airlines and manufacturers are under constant pressure to reduce fuel burn, emissions, and lifecycle costs. MABOND could help deliver all three.

• Lighter planes = Less fuel

• Smoother wings = Better aerodynamics

• Fewer fasteners = Simplified manufacturing

• Bonded joints = More recyclable at end of life
  

It’s a win-win-win… win.

And with scalable systems in development, this isn’t just for massive jets. The bonding breakthrough could power everything from urban air taxis to next-gen single aisle aircraft.

🔧 From Prototype to Production

Over the course of the project, the MABOND team will demonstrate a fully scalable manufacturing line—proving that bonded aircraft structures aren’t just possible, but ready for prime time.

Whether it’s retrofitting older platforms, enabling next-gen designs, or unlocking the future of elastic-tailored wings, MABOND is laying the foundation for aerospace’s next leap forward—without the metal fatigue, weight, or drag of the past.

💬 Ready to Rethink What Holds Planes Together?

Structural adhesives might just be the next revolution in aerospace—and MABOND is leading the charge.

Stay tuned as the project unfolds and delivers stronger, sleeker, smarter aircraft, one bonded joint at a time.

Follow us for updates on how MABOND is changing the future of flight—without a single bolt in sight.