Today, Thursday 11 March, Mr Hervé Morin visited
the HEXCEL COMPOSITES site at Dagneux (department of Ain), France.
The facility in question is a leading company in the field of composite materials.
It develops, manufactures and sells high-performance, light-weight structural materials, including carbon, glass and aramid fabrics, prepregs, resin systems and composite structures.
HEXCEL COMPOSITES at Dagneux employs 350 staff .
The minister was able to observe the manufacture of composite materials used for aeroplanes and helicopters such as the NH90, the Tiger and the A380, as well as for future programmes such as the A350 and the A400M.
These materials, which make structures lighter, stiffer and stronger , now provide the civil and military aviation industry with more alternatives and greater scope for new programmes and form the core of the technological challenges at stake.
Two years ago, HEXCEL signed the largest ever contract in its history to supply carbon fibre composite materials for the primary structures of the A350.
After a presentation of the company and a visit to the production workshops, the minister delivered a speech on the site in front of about one hundred employees and local elected representatives who had gathered to mark the occasion. A number of demonstration parts in composites were exhibited: these included, among other items, helicopter blades, helmets, an A340 connecting rod, a helicopter Starflex, a “radome sleeve” and an aeroplane engine nacelle acoustic panel.
HEXCEL COMPOSITES:
Mr Andrea Domenichini, Chairman
Mr Vincent Beynier, Director of Operations and Deputy Managing Director
Mr Thierry Merlot, Vice-President Sales and Marketing, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Deputy Managing Director
Mr Jean-François Veauville, Director of Aerospace Sales in France.
Hexcel Composites is part of the Hexcel Group which has 3,734 employees globally, including 680 in France working at 3 French sites. The Group generated sales of $1.1 billion in 2009 and operates 18 factories across the world.
The Hexcel Group manufactures a diverse range of advanced composite solutions: carbon fibres, technical fabrics, prepregs, honeycombs, sandwich panels and adhesives, etc.
These materials are used by the civil and military aviation industry, the space and defence industries, as well as in other sectors such as the car and sports and leisure industries.
Contact: Sophie Meyniel
Sophie.meyniel@hexcel.com
00 33 (0 )6 76 93 84 62