Manufacturing more efficiently

Our highly automated manufacturing facility in Bahrain has been designed around repeatability, efficiency and scale.

Automation gives Ilium greater control over material use and production consistency, helping to minimise unnecessary waste while enabling efficient, high-volume manufacturing.

Our Bahrain facility now operates entirely on solar energy, significantly reducing the environmental impact of our manufacturing operations.

More responsible material choices

We use recycled content wherever it can be incorporated while maintaining the mechanical and processing performance our customers expect.

Recycled PET is incorporated into selected Ilium technologies where technically appropriate, allowing us to make greater use of recycled resources without changing the characteristics required for composite manufacturing.

Continuous improvement is one of our core values, and we continue to explore opportunities to increase the use of recycled content and to recover materials generated during production for reuse or recycling. Our aim is to combine technical performance with more responsible resource use.

ULTImat® incorporates flow media manufactured using 50% recycled polyester, providing a practical example of how recycled content can be incorporated into a high-performance reinforcement while maintaining the mechanical and processing performance required for demanding composite applications.

Cleaner, binder-free processing

Ilium’s proprietary technology enables reinforcements to be manufactured without chemical binders or stitching. This construction is central to the performance of our materials, while also delivering significant benefits throughout the manufacturing process.

Binder-free construction supports cleaner processing, with reduced fumes, dust and loose fibres on the shop floor, helping to improve air quality and operator comfort. It also gives manufacturers greater flexibility in their choice of resin systems, including compatibility with styrene-free and other alternative resin technologies.

Ilium CSM provides a practical example of how binder-free construction expands resin flexibility. Unlike conventional chopped strand mat, it does not rely on a chemical binder designed to dissolve in styrene, allowing it to be used with styrene-free as well as polyester, vinyl ester, epoxy and other resin systems.

Reducing waste through better engineering

Reducing waste starts with preventing it at source. Every rejected component or unnecessary processing stage represents material, resin, energy, labour and manufacturing capacity already consumed.

Ilium reinforcements are designed to help manufacturers reduce these inefficiencies at source.

Integrated surface veils can eliminate the need for separate veil materials, while dimensional stability and consistent reinforcement architecture can help reduce defects and rejection. Improved surface finish can also reduce secondary finishing, rework and additional coating processes.

FLEXmat® provides a practical example in pultrusion, where its stable, stitch-free construction and integrated veil can help improve consistency, reduce scrap and increase usable output from the same material and production input.

Fewer processes. Greater efficiency.

Reducing unnecessary manufacturing steps can deliver significant sustainability benefits. Fewer steps can mean lower material and energy use, as well as fewer defects, less rework and less waste.

Ilium reinforcements combine functions that would traditionally require multiple materials or production stages. Integrated surface veils, built-in flow media and engineered reinforcement structures can reduce handling, shorten layup or production time and eliminate unnecessary finishing operations.

FLEXmat® Amplify, for example, combines reinforcement and surface veil in a single integrated material, reducing the complexity of conventional pultrusion systems while supporting consistent surface quality.

Supporting lower-impact applications

The benefits of advanced composites extend beyond their manufacture.

Lightweight composite structures can reduce transport and marine weight, while corrosion resistance and long service life can lower maintenance requirements in infrastructure and industrial environments.

By improving the materials used within these applications, Ilium can help customers realise both the technical and environmental advantages of composite technology.

ULTImat® FR provides an example of how material engineering can support lower-impact composite construction. Its fire-retardant core provides a lighter alternative to 100% glass core alternatives while meeting demanding fire-performance requirements.

Helping composite products perform for longer

Sustainability is also about the performance and useful life of the finished component. Longer-lasting composite structures make better use of the materials, energy and resources invested in their production.

Ilium reinforcements are engineered to withstand chemicals, moisture, osmosis, blistering and demanding environmental conditions. Integrated surface technologies can protect the laminate while reducing the need for additional barrier materials.

In applications such as marine structures, pipes, infrastructure and industrial components, greater durability can reduce maintenance, repair and premature replacement.

CIPP is an area where Ilium is applying its reinforcement technology to address the demands of long-life infrastructure. Our work in this area is focused on reinforcement solutions designed to provide the strength, dimensional stability and chemical resistance required for durable CIPP systems, supporting longer service life and more efficient use of materials.

Responsible growth

Ilium believes that responsible growth means creating value for our customers, our people and the wider environment.

Alongside our focus on more responsible use of materials and energy, we are committed to providing a safe and supportive working environment, developing our people and maintaining high standards of quality, transparency and accountability across our business.

As Ilium grows, we remain focused on building a resilient, responsible business that delivers lasting value to our customers, our employees and the communities in which we operate.

Building a more sustainable composites industry

There is no single solution to making composites more sustainable. Progress will come through better materials, more efficient manufacturing, reduced waste, longer-lasting products and close collaboration throughout the supply chain.

Ilium is committed to playing its part, continually developing reinforcement technologies that help manufacturers improve performance while using resources more effectively.

Talk to our team about how Ilium reinforcements could support your performance, processing and sustainability objectives.