Ex-Core Technologies
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Ex-Core carbon fibre composite part with EXCORE branding
🇪🇺EUROPEAN SOVEREIGN COMPOSITES

DEFENCE GRADE COMPOSITES.
AUTOCLAVE
FREE.

Ex-Core® patented technology enables the production of carbon fibre sandwich structures in a single process step, without compromising performance. No autoclave. No multi-step bonding. One shot, mission-ready.

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PROVEN FOUNDATION

BORN IN AUTOMOTIVE.
PROVEN FOR DEFENCE.

Ex-Core® was born in the high-performance automotive industry, engineered for Donkervoort supercars where weight, strength, and precision are non-negotiable. The technology has since matured into scalable industrial production and established a proven track record across defence, aerospace, marine, and sports & leisure applications.

10+ years
R&D EXPERIENCE
2000+
Ex-Core parts produced
up to 60%
Cost reduction vs conventional
100%
European. ITAR free.
Carbon fibre structural assembly for Donkervoort supercars
AUTOMOTIVE HERITAGE

Structural carbon fibre elements for Donkervoort P24 RS, F22 and GTO; front structure, undertray, roof bar, scuttle, and other structural and aerodynamic elements. Engineered for maximum stiffness-to-weight performance.

DEFENCE READY

Same technology, new mission. Ex-Core meets defence requirements for structural strength, complex geometries, and rapid field deployment.

✓

Full-scale crash validation - passed first test

✓

Ballistic-capable composite structures

✓

Enhanced NVH through integrated structures

Ex-Core team working on composite manufacturing

APPLICATION DOMAINS

MISSION-READY APPLICATIONS

UNMANNED SYSTEMS (UAV/UAS)

UNMANNED SYSTEMS (UAV/UAS)

Drone airframes, sensor pods, ground vehicle panels, protective enclosures

Carbon fibre UAV airframes with integrated mounting points. Single cure cycle eliminates secondary bonding. Lightweight sandwich structures for extended range and payload.

  • Sub-5kg airframe structures for tactical UAV platforms
  • Integrated antenna windows with RF-transparent layups
  • Crash-resistant energy absorption through syntactic core
  • Rapid prototyping: new geometry in days, not months
ARMOURED VEHICLES & PLATFORMS

ARMOURED VEHICLES & PLATFORMS

Appliqué armour panels, crew protection structures, blast-resistant floors, turret components

Composite sandwich panels with energy-absorbing syntactic core. Suitable for applique armour upgrades and blast-resistant vehicle floors. Bolt-on panel system for rapid vehicle integration.

  • 40-60% weight reduction vs steel equivalents
  • Multi-hit capable syntactic core absorbs impact energy
  • Bolt-on panel system for vehicle upgrade programmes
  • Non-magnetic composite for mine countermeasure vessels
AEROSPACE & RADOMES

AEROSPACE & RADOMES

Radome structures, antenna fairings, satellite housings, structural enclosures

RF-transparent composite radomes and fairings with integrated mounting hardware. Single-cure construction eliminates bonding joints that can compromise signal integrity.

  • RF-transparent composite layups for antenna applications
  • Integrated inserts for precision mounting
  • Environmental sealing in single cure step
  • Reproducible dielectric properties across production
NAVAL & MARITIME

NAVAL & MARITIME

Sensor masts, equipment housings, hatch covers, superstructure panels

Composite sensor masts and equipment housings with integrated cable routing. Seawater-resistant layup with UV-stable surface finish for long-term maritime deployment.

  • Seawater and UV resistant composite systems
  • Non-magnetic for mine countermeasure applications
  • Integrated cable routing reduces assembly time
  • Weight reduction for improved vessel stability

CAPABILITY MATRIX

DEFENCE & SECURITY

  • Blast-resistant panels and V-hull structures
  • Lightweight composite armour solutions
  • Shelter and container structural panels
  • Field-repairable modular structures

ANTENNAS, RADOMES & ELECTRONICS

  • Dielectric properties close to air
  • High specific properties with RF transparency
  • Tight dimensional tolerances for signal integrity

AEROSPACE & SPACE

  • Satellite structural panels and housings
  • Launch vehicle fairings and interstages
  • Helicopter structural components
  • Cabin interior structural panels
Ex-Core composite manufacturing technology in action

SEE THE TECHNOLOGY

EX-CORE IN ACTION

Intelligent self-heated tooling. Stronger and lighter carbon-fibre parts at up to half the cost and cycle time of conventional pre-preg sandwich processes. Simplified production without compromising performance.

OPERATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH

ELIMINATING AUTOCLAVE DEPENDENCY

Conventional composite manufacturing requires massive autoclaves, multiple process steps, and non-EU supply chains. Ex-Core eliminates all three with its unique self-heated, stand-alone tooling.

✓

Reduced energy consumption

✓

Lower tooling investment

✓

Extreme flexibility

Stand alone tooling: mould and IOPC heating controller
STAND ALONE TOOLING

Mould and IOPC heating controller

TRADITIONAL PROCESS
LIMITATIONS

Autoclave Dependency

Multi-million euro equipment. Not deployable. Long queue times. Single point of failure.

Multi-Step Assembly

5-8 separate process steps. Additional layers and adhesives. Each step introduces risk, cost, and quality variance.

Supply Chain Vulnerability

Critical materials and processes dependent on non-EU suppliers. ITAR constraints.

Lead Time Pressure

Months from order to delivery. Incompatible with urgent defence procurement cycles.

EX-CORE PROCESS
SOLUTION

No Autoclave Required

Self-pressurising process with stand-alone tooling. Deployable anywhere with a standard power socket.

One-Shot Production

Single process step from layup to near-net-shape finished part. Integrated inserts. No post-processing.

Sovereign EU Supply Chain

100% European design, IP, and production. ITAR-free.

Rapid Turnaround

1-4 hour cure cycle. From prototype to series in weeks, not months.

Carbon fibre weave detail

STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION

ONE-PIECE NEAR-NET-SHAPE COMPOSITE

Limitless design freedom

  • •Complex geometries
  • •Zero-radius corners
  • •Variable thicknesses

Integrated inserts

  • •Pre-integrated inserts
  • •No secondary bonding

Overlapping prepreg layers

  • •Continuous fibre load paths
  • •Not compromising strength

Certification ready

  • •Accuracy, full traceability
  • •Repeatable quality for defence qualification
One-piece composite integration
Cross-section detail of Ex-Core composite
Ex-Core composite curing result
Ex-Core carbon fibre composite part on black background

REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

CONVENTIONAL VS EX-CORE®

A single drone wing demonstrates the fundamental difference between conventional and Ex-Core production.

EX-CORE® TECHNOLOGIES
ONE-SHOT PROCESS
Ex-Core drone wing - one-piece carbon fiber structure
1

One-Piece. Near-Net-Shape.

Single-shot process. No autoclave. No bonding. Integrated inserts. 67% reduced production costs.

SPECIFICATIONS
Cycle Time
2 hours-95.8%
Part Count
1 part-96.3%
Production Costs
Reduced-67%
Weight per Part
Lighter-30%
Process Steps
1 single-shot vs 5-8-85%
Investment
No autoclave infrastructureUp to -60%
Waste
Near-net-shape processMinimal
Design Freedom
0mm radiusMax
Strength
Comparable to autoclaveHigh
CONVENTIONAL PREPREG + AUTOCLAVE
TRADITIONAL
Conventional drone wing - 27 individual components
27

Individual Elements

Multiple process steps. Individual part production, assembly, bonding, and fastening required.

SPECIFICATIONS
Cycle Time2 days
Part Count27 parts
Production CostsBaseline
Weight per PartBaseline
Process Steps5-8 steps
InvestmentAutoclave required
WasteSignificant cut-off
Design FreedomLimited by process
StrengthStandard

Comparison based on equivalent UAV wing structure. Actual values may vary depending on geometry and specifications. Weight and cycle time reductions based on validated comparison data. Investment and waste figures are indicative estimates based on process characteristics. Actual results vary by application, geometry, and production volume.

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE

ENGINEERED PRECISION

How it works: Ex-Core® technology is compatible with wide range of reinforced fibres: glass fibres, carbon fibres, natural and recycled fibres. The curing cycle can be tailored to specific applications.

CURING & PROCESSING SPECIFICATIONS

PROCESS
SpecificationEx-Core®
Density Range85-150+ kg/m³
Curing Range120-140°C
Pressure Range2-8 bar
Cure Time1-4 hours
Pot Life (fill tool)8 hours
Pot Life (before cure)24 hours
Storage Life (unmixed)1 year
Unmoulding Temp<70°C
Cross-section detail: Ex-Core department sample close-up

CROSS-SECTION DETAIL

Ex-Core consolidated against the carbon-fibre layers

Raw Ex-Core material

RAW EX-CORE MATERIAL

Uncured Ex-Core with clay-like viscosity.

European sovereign composite supply chain map

SOVEREIGN PRODUCTION

100% EUROPEAN. ITAR-FREE.

Fully produced within Europe. Ex-Core Technologies operates an ITAR-free, EN ISO 9001 certified supply chain, ensuring sovereign sourcing, export flexibility, and long-term production continuity.

✓High-volume production capacity
✓Capacity for large-scale and structurally complex composite structures
✓Short and predictable lead times
✓Fast scale-up from development to serial production

MORE THAN 600 FTE

🇳🇱

THE NETHERLANDS

HQ + R&D + PRODUCTION

Headquarters, R&D, prototyping and series production.

🇩🇪

GERMANY

PRODUCTION PARTNER

Central European partner for German and regional defence markets.

🇪🇸

SPAIN

PRODUCTION PARTNER

Two production partners covering Mediterranean and Southern NATO markets.

🇷🇴

ROMANIA

PRODUCTION PARTNER

Cost-effective high-volume capacity. EU member state with growing defence sector.

🇨🇿

CZECH REPUBLIC

PRODUCTION PARTNER

Established aerospace and defence industry. Central European capacity.

🇸🇰

SLOVAKIA

PRODUCTION PARTNER

Growing defence industrial base within the EU.

COLLABORATION MODELS

TWO PATHS TO PARTNERSHIP

Choose between two flexible engagement models, structured to support your production strategy and align with your operational priorities, infrastructure capabilities, and scalability objectives.

Denis Wiegel discussing composite solutions in the Ex-Core workshop
PATH A

Flexible production solution

WANT TO PRODUCE YOURSELF?

Manufacture carbon-fibre components on any location. We provide stand-alone tooling, know-how, process support, and ongoing Ex-Core® material supply.

Design
Engineering
Prototype
Tooling
Process Know-how
Your Production

Defence Advantage

Produce anywhere. Quick field repairs. Mobile tooling operates from a standard power socket.

Required: Mixing machine, IOPC heating controller, cable loom, aluminum mould, Ex-Core® material

PATH B

Turnkey production solution

WANT US TO PRODUCE?

Complete development and manufacturing - from feasibility to delivery. End-to-end service, minimising your internal resource requirement.

Design
Engineering
Prototype
Tooling
Production
Delivery

Full-Service

Fast turnaround. Large-scale capacity. Ready to operate.

Ideal for organisations seeking turnkey composite solutions without in-house composite expertise.

Ex-Core production process
Engineering and CAD design
Donkervoort content day
Ex-Core Technologies contact and consultation

UPCOMING EVENTS

JEC WORLD 2026

MEET US AT JEC WORLD PARIS

10-12 March 2026 · Paris-Nord Villepinte

See Ex-Core composite technology live at the world's largest composites trade show.

SCHEDULE A MEETING AT JEC

EUROPEAN DEFENCE FUND INFO DAYS 2026

MEET US IN BRUSSELS

10-11 March 2026 · Brussels, Belgium

Explore EU defence funding and collaboration opportunities with Ex-Core.

EXPLORE EDF OPPORTUNITIES

GET IN TOUCH

Whether you need structural composite components, plan to establish your own production, or have a specific defence application in mind, we are ready to support your mission.

[email protected]