Key takeaways
- Aviation packaging involves the filling and packaging of adhesives, PR sealants, and technical products used in aircraft construction and maintenance.
- Products in this sector (polysulfides, two-component epoxies, silicones) are highly sensitive to air, humidity, and temperature: their packaging requires high-precision dosing and controlled environments.
- PR (polysulfide) sealant is the industry's flagship product: it is used for sealing fuel tanks, pressurizing cabins, and providing corrosion protection.
- Aero formats are small and precise: two-component kits, pre-measured syringes, cartridges with static mixers, and tubes and jars containing exact weights.
- Outsourcing to a contract packager like Etraves provides batch traceability, quality compliance, and flexibility for small production runs, without the need to invest in filling lines.
From assembling an aircraft fuselage to sealing a fuel tank, the aerospace industry relies on highly specialized chemicals: structural adhesives, polysulfide sealants, and two-component formulations. In an industry where every component is certified, traceable, and inspected, the packaging of these products for the aerospace sector leaves no room for error. Precise weight, an exact resin-to-hardener ratio, and a reliable use-by date: these requirements make filling and packaging a true industrial operation. This is the role of a contract packager like Etraves: to enable formulators and distributors of aerospace products to focus on their core business, with the assurance that their packaging meets the industry’s highest standards.
What is aerospace packaging?
Aviation packaging refers to all operations involved in filling, dispensing, and packaging chemicals used in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance: structural adhesives, PR (polysulfide) sealants, high-temperature silicones, technical greases, adhesion primers, and two-component formulations. In practice, the packaging operator receives the product in bulk (drums, tanks, containers) and transfers it into containers suitable for the end use: cartridges, two-component kits with built-in mixers, syringes, tubes, vials, or cans.
This step is even more critical in the aerospace industry than in other industrial sectors. The products used are extremely sensitive to air, humidity, and temperature: a polysulfide sealant that is improperly packaged loses its resistance to kerosene, and a two-component epoxy adhesive that is improperly mixed compromises the mechanical strength of a structural assembly. Shelf lives are short; some products must even be stored at low temperatures to prevent polymerization. Custom packaging therefore requires high-precision dosing equipment, controlled environments, and systematic quality controls to ensure that the product retains all of its specifications until it is applied in the workshop or on the assembly line.
What products should be packaged for the aerospace industry?
The aerospace industry uses a wide variety of technical chemicals, each with its own specific packaging requirements. Three major categories account for the bulk of the needs of formulators, equipment manufacturers, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities.
Structural Glues and Adhesives
The aerospace adhesives are playing an increasingly important role in the assembly of modern aircraft: bonding composite materials, securing inserts in sandwich panels, assembling cabin interior components, or structural bonding that complements—or even replaces—riveting. These adhesives, which are epoxy-, polyurethane-, or acrylic-based, require filling under a controlled atmosphere to prevent premature curing. The dispenser must be capable of handling both single- and two-component products, with precise control of the resin-to-hardener ratios, which directly determine the mechanical performance of the final bond.
PR (polysulfide) sealants
Aviation PR sealant is the industry’s flagship product. These polysulfide sealants ensure the watertightness of wing-integrated fuel tanks, maintain cabin pressurization, protect structural joints from corrosion, and provide aerodynamic smoothing of surfaces. Resistant to kerosene, hydraulic fluids, and extreme temperatures, they are almost exclusively available in two-component form, with standardized pot life (classes A, B, or C depending on the application). Their packaging requires precise measurement of the base-to-hardener ratio, the complete absence of air bubbles, and strict control of the cold chain when the product is delivered pre-mixed and frozen.
Two-component products, kits, and small sizes
The aerospace industry is characterized by the small size and precision of its components. Whereas the automotive industry uses standard cartridges, aerospace workshops work with two-component kits with built-in mixers, pre-measured syringes, small cartridges with static mixers, and tubes and jars with precise gram measurements. Each workstation receives the exact amount of product, with minimal waste and no risk of mixing errors. A versatile dispensing system must be able to handle all of these formats—from kits containing a few dozen grams to containers holding several liters—while maintaining the same high quality standards.
The Benefits of Custom Packaging for the Aerospace Industry
Outsourcing aerospace packaging to a specialist offers tangible benefits for both chemical manufacturers and distributors that supply aircraft manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and maintenance facilities.
Traceability and Quality Requirements in the Aviation Industry
The aerospace industry imposes the strictest quality standards in any industry. Every packaged lot must be fully traceable: lot number, date of manufacture, expiration date, and storage and transportation conditions. A leak in a tank or a faulty bond can have serious consequences, and liability extends throughout the entire supply chain. By entrusting the packaging of adhesives and sealants to a specialist equipped with systematic quality controls and labeling that complies with CLP regulations, industry players ensure their regulatory compliance and the security of their supply chain.
Flexibility for small production runs and custom sizes
Unlike mass-market sectors, the aerospace industry operates on a program-by-program basis and in small- to medium-volume runs: a few hundred kits for a test program, pre-dosed syringes for an assembly line, or specific formats for a maintenance workshop. A contract packager accommodates these variations without requiring the manufacturer to invest in dedicated filling lines. This makes it possible to qualify a format on a pilot run and then scale up production in line with the program’s pace, without changing partners or processes.
Etraves: Your Partner for Aerospace Packaging
Based in France, Etraves is a contract packaging company specializing in technical products: adhesives, sealants, silicones, greases, paints, and two-component formulations. Our filling lines handle all the formats used in the aerospace industry: cartridges, tubes, bottles, cans, syringes, and two-component systems with mixers.
Our expertise covers the entire process: receiving your bulk products, filling under controlled conditions, precise dosing of two-component materials, sealing and capping, labeling in compliance with CLP regulations, cartoning, and logistics preparation. Whether you’re a formulator of polysulfide sealants, a manufacturer of structural adhesives, or a distributor of aerospace maintenance products, we tailor our production rates and formats to your needs, from pilot runs to full-scale production. Contact our team to discuss your aerospace packaging project and receive a customized quote.
FAQ – Aviation Packaging
What is PR sealant in the aerospace industry?
PR sealants are polysulfide-based sealants widely used in aircraft manufacturing. They ensure the sealing of structural fuel tanks, maintain cabin pressurization, and protect assemblies from corrosion. Resistant to kerosene, hydraulic fluids, and the extreme temperature fluctuations encountered during flight, they come in a two-component form and are classified according to their working time (classes A, B, C). Their packaging requires precise measurement of the base-to-hardener ratio and containers that ensure optimal preservation.
How should a two-component adhesive for the aerospace industry be packaged?
Two-component aerospace adhesives are packaged in kits that keep the resin and hardener separate until application: dual-chamber cartridges with a static mixer, kits with an integrated mixer, or pre-measured syringes. The ratio between the two components is precisely measured during filling, as it directly determines the mechanical performance of the bond. Some products are also delivered premixed and then frozen to halt polymerization, which requires complete control of the cold chain. These stringent requirements explain why this packaging process is entrusted to specialists.
What packaging formats does the aerospace industry use?
The aerospace industry favors small, pre-measured formats that minimize waste and mixing errors at the workstation: two-component kits ranging from a few dozen to a few hundred grams, syringes, cartridges with static mixers, tubes, and small jars. Surface preparation products and primers are typically packaged in bottles or pails. The choice of format depends on the amount used per operation, the product’s pot life, and the traceability requirements of the workshop or assembly line.
Why outsource the packaging of your aerospace products?
Outsourcing allows companies to avoid significant investments in filling lines, skilled personnel, and quality control, while gaining access to dosing equipment tailored to the industry’s requirements. A contract packager like Etraves handles the small production runs typical of aerospace programs, guarantees full batch traceability, and ensures labeling that complies with regulations. This allows the manufacturer to focus its resources on product formulation and qualification—which constitute its true added value.
