Hexcel is exhibiting at the JEC Asia show in Singapore (22-24 October) to promote the company’s latest composite technologies for the aerospace and wind energy markets – and to support rapid growth in the region. 
Hexcel is well represented in the Asia Pacific, with sales, technical support and customer service facilities in Shanghai, China; Yokohama, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bangalore, India; Seoul, Korea; and Melbourne, Australia.
Hexcel has also set up a new production facility in Tianjin, China to manufacture glass fibre/epoxy prepregs for the wind energy industry and other industrial markets.

Innovations in Aerospace
Hexcel is celebrating being awarded its largest ever contract to supply the carbon fibre composites for the primary structures of the Airbus A350 XWB.  At least 53% of the A350 XWB airframe is to be built in composites and Hexcel’s contract is expected to generate revenues of $4 - $5 billion through 2025.
Hexcel is promoting HexPly® M56, a new Out of Autoclave (OOA) prepreg for aircraft secondary structures.  Unlike traditional aerospace prepregs that require an autoclave cure to achieve the required properties, HexPly® M56 provides the same quality and performance from a simple oven cure under vacuum.  At JEC Asia Hexcel will display an Out of Autoclave panel for the Airbus A380 manufactured by CTRM in Malaysia, using HexPly® M56. 
Hexcel will also be promoting its new composite tooling material, HexTOOL®, which provides many benefits compared to traditional tooling prepregs and Invar.  Tools made with HexTOOL® can be machined without distortion, allowing complex shaped tools to be manufactured to tight tolerances that maintain vacuum integrity.  With a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that matches carbon/epoxy composites, HexTOOL® is lighter than metal tooling, allowing easier handling and reduced infrastructure investment.  HexTOOL® provides fast heat-up and cool down rates relative to metal tools, leading to reduced production costs.  It can be repaired and modified to accommodate design changes and withstands several hundred autoclave cycles at 180°C.
Hexcel is also promoting its HexMC® part manufacturing capability.  HexMC® is an innovative form of high strength carbon fibre/epoxy moulding material that enables complex shapes to be manufactured in composites that previously could only be machined, cast or forged from metal.  HexMC® offers low density, with good strength and high stiffness properties providing weight savings that are comparable to those achieved with aerospace carbon/epoxy prepregs.  Hexcel will be displaying a range of HexMC® components manufactured by Hexcel for application on Boeing aircraft.

Innovations for wind energy
Hexcel will be promoting its range of composites for wind turbine blades, including the new prepreg, HexPly® M19.  This innovative system, available with glass or carbon fibre reinforcements, cures in 15-20% less time than current products used for the same application.  Less energy is therefore required to cure the prepreg and production rates are increased.  There are also savings in mould costs as less expensive tooling resins and coatings can be used along with a cheaper tooling support system.  Overall cost savings of up to 10% are achievable per mould and the moulds are more durable with an increase in cycle life of up to 30%.  HexPly® M19 has the same excellent mechanical and handling properties as the established HexPly® M9 range and is suitable for shells, spars and the root end.

Growth and Investment
Hexcel is in a major expansion phase, investing over $300 million to set up new prepreg facilities and to increase carbon fibre capacity to 7000 tons by 2010. This expansion will meet the accelerating demand for carbon fibre composites driven by market growth and the increasing penetration of these materials, particularly in commercial aerospace.  Hexcel already manufactures more high strength Intermediate Modulus (IM) fibre than any other producer in the world – a fibre that is used widely in the manufacture of aerospace primary structures.
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Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced composites company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight, high-performance structural materials, including carbon fibres, reinforcements, prepregs, honeycomb, matrix systems, adhesives and composite structures, used in commercial aerospace, space and defence and industrial applications.

Contact: Rachel Woolerton
Tel: +44 1223 838370
Rachel.Woolerton@hexcel.com