Hexcel is exhibiting at the Asian Aerospace Exhibition (Singapore, 21-26 February) to promote its latest composite technologies for the aerospace industry and support its sales activities in the region. On the stand Hexcel will feature its range of composite materials – from carbon fibre and fibre-reinforcements, through to prepregs and honeycombs.
To meet the growing demand for carbon fibre composites Hexcel is investing $100 million to expand its carbon fibre production capacity through the addition of new Magnamite® carbon fibre lines and a new precursor line. As part of that program, Hexcel is building the first ever carbon fibre plant in Spain, near Madrid. In the United States, the Company is adding an additional carbon fibre line to its Salt Lake City, UT facility and additional capacity at its Decatur, AL facility, where the carbon fibre precursor is manufactured. The new U.S. line will be aerospace qualified by the end of 2007 and the Spanish line in 2008.
These additional carbon fibre manufacturing lines will increase Hexcel’s global carbon fibre capacity by about 50%. Approximately half of this capacity expansion will be provided by the new Spanish plant, where one carbon fibre line will be installed initially, with space to add further lines as required to meet demand from new programs. Hexcel is also in the process of investing $20 million in new state of the art equipment for prepreg production in the UK, Spain, Germany and France, to meet the growing demands of the aerospace industry.
At AA06 Hexcel will be displaying a number of composite parts on the stand including the carbon fibre Stiffener for the Vertical Stabiliser and Fin box, manufactured by JAMCO Corporation Aircraft Components Company using HexPly® M21 carbon fibre prepreg. The stiffeners are manufactured by JAMCO’s automated Advanced Pultrusion Process (ADP).
In August 2005 CTRM Aero Composites and Hexcel signed an agreement which confirms Hexcel as the major supplier of composite materials for all CTRM manufacturing programmes carried out at its facilities in Melaka (Malaysia). A whole range of Hexcel products, including prepreg, adhesives, honeycombs and special process - from plants in Europe and the USA - will be used by CTRM AC to fabricate parts for Airbus and other programmes.
CTRM has loaned Hexcel three parts to display on the stand. The Airbus A380 Fixed leading Edge Lower Panel (FLELP) – Inner Panel 5 – is manufactured by CTRM for Airbus UK using Hexcel’s HexPly® 8552 prepreg which contains Hexcel’s Magnamite® AS4 carbon fibre. The part is manufactured using Hexcel’s Redux ® 319A film adhesive and has a HexWeb® HRH-36 honeycomb core.
Hexcel will also display a section of the Alvis bridge – a portable bridge launching system – that is being manufactured by CTRM for BAE Systems using Hexcel’s HexPly® M51 prepreg, Redux® 212 foaming film and Redux ® 312 film adhesives. The bridge section also has a HexWeb® 5052 Aluminium honeycomb core.
An Airbus A320 spoiler, manufactured by CTRM for BAE systems using Hexcel’s HexPly® 914 prepreg, Redux® 319A film adhesive and HexWeb® HRH-10 honeycomb will also be on show.
Ends
Background
Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced structural materials company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight, high-performance reinforcement products, composite materials and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense, electronics, and industrial applications.
Hexcel is the largest US producer of carbon fibre, the leading weaver of structural fabrics and a major supplier of composite materials. Hexcel fibres, fabrics, resins, prepregs, honeycombs and adhesives are widely used in the aerospace industry. Regional jets, helicopters, aircraft engines and satellites are also major users of Hexcel materials.
With headquarters in Stamford (CT), USA, Hexcel is a global company, manufacturing in USA, Europe and Asia pacific region.
Hexcel joint venture manufacturing facilities in the Asia pacific region include plants which manufacture composite structures: BHA Aero Composite Parts in Tianjin, China and Asian Composites Manufacturing in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Malaysia.
Hexcel is also well represented by sales offices in the region, from bases in Melbourne, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Melaka, Malaysia; Bangalore, India; and Seoul, Korea.
Contact: Rachel Woolerton
Tel: +44 (0)1223 838370
Rachel.Woolerton@hexcel.com