Hexcel’s stand No E68 at this year’s JEC Composites show (Paris Porte de Versailles, 3-5 April) will reflect the newly focused and streamlined business and showcase new product and application developments that are enabling Hexcel to meet the greater than ever performance demands on advanced composite materials.
JEC Awards
Hexcel’s new aircraft noise absorption product, HexWeb® Acousti-Cap™, has won the JEC Group’s “Award Winning Innovation” 2007 competition in the Aeronautics category. The award will be presented to Hexcel and its partners: Spirit AeroSystems; Alenia Aermacchi, S.p.A.; MRA Systems Inc.; and the University of Cincinnati; at a ceremony during the JEC Composites Show.  HexWeb® Acousti-Cap™ consists of a non-metallic permeable cap material embedded into honeycomb core to create an acoustic septum.  Hexcel’s customers specify the flow resistance characteristics they want in the product, as well as overall core thickness, numbers of caps in a cell, and insertion depth.  The resultant product is an assembly that is tuned to their acoustic requirements thereby reducing some forms of engine noise.  This noise reduction can result in many benefits, including: recurring cost savings due to a reduction in landing fees at airports, increased fleet flexibility, improved cabin comfort and fewer other acoustic treatments in the fuselage that affect weight and cost.  Hexcel will officially launch HexWeb® Acousti-Cap™ at the JEC Composites Show 2007 by displaying a large Acousti-CapTM demonstrator built by Spirit AeroSystems in the JEC Award showcase area.

Exhibits on the Hexcel stand at JEC will include the JEC Award winning Cosmic Carbone Ultimate mass-produced bicycle wheel in 100% carbon, manufactured by the MAVIC Division of Salomon SA using Hexcel HexPly® M10 prepreg.  This all-carbon bicycle wheel is produced in a one shot manufacturing process with a short manufacturing cycle, allowing short delivery times (15 days compared to the usual four to six months) and reduced production costs.

Another exhibit on Hexcel stand is the Lamborghini Murcielago roadster composite engine frame – a JEC Award finalist, manufactured by ATR Group using HexPly® prepregs from Hexcel.  The engine frame is an aesthetic, hollow, one-piece structural part with high service-temperature resistance. The lack of node bonds provides very high mechanical performance for a composite reticular structure. Autoclave molding technology was used with a prepreg hand lay-up process, using two different epoxy matrices from Hexcel to best meet the overall requirements for stiffness, heat resistance and aesthetic appeal. A new, improved lamination technology was used to increase production rates and industrialize the manufacturing process as much as possible. A final painting step gave the right surface finish. The absence of node bonding and the industrialisation of consumable materials give cost reductions.

Product Launches
In addition to HexWeb® Acousti-CapTM Hexcel is launching four other new products at the JEC show:

HexPly® XF3 is a new surfacing film that provides an excellent surface finish for applications requiring performance and aesthetic appeal, such as the bodywork of performance cars.  HexPly® XF3 is used, along with HexPly® prepregs M47 and M49, to manufacture the bodywork of the new Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione – a car that Hexcel is proud to be displaying at the JEC show.  HexPly® XF3 is a lightly reinforced surface film that provides a superior smooth finish that is ready to paint with minimum preparation.  HexPly® XF3 is compatible with Hexcel’s epoxy systems that are already in use for automotive applications, adapting to a range of cure cycles from 100 to 140°C.  Parts made with HexPly® XF3 look wonderful when newly manufactured – and the highly durable finish does not degrade over time.  The system has been submitted to the full range of demanding automotive aging tests at low and high temperatures and has proven to be extremely resilient. 

Redux® 870 is a two-component liquid shim that was developed in support of Airbus requirements for future aircraft programmes.  The technical challenge was to provide a shimming product that did not suffer from significant slump whilst having characteristics that allowed the product to be injected.  The easy handling of the material and room temperature cure (which may be accelerated to reduce production time) is creating significant interest in the marketplace and will be released in April 2007.

Hexcel is also launching Polyspeed® Grid Laminates.  These woven glass fibre epoxy laminates with an open grid structure, are supplied in roll form in widths from 38mm to 1270mm. Grid laminate materials are available in a wide fiber area weight range from 500 up to 1600 g/m² glass including flexibility on mesh size of the grid pattern.  The open grid structure provides reinforcement, whilst the holes enable flow of liquid resins or reactive foams through the lay up structures.  This makes the materials ideal for combined technologies where reactive liquid systems need to be combined with solid, already cured composite parts. Target market is manufacturing of large composite structures.

The use of grid laminates allows large structures to be manufactured cost-effectively by combining infusion technology with laminates or other pre-cured load carrying structures like pultruded components.  Grid laminates provide mechanical fixing of dry reinforcements which need to be infused and contribute to the final mechanical performance.  They not only reduce the use of auxiliary materials but can also result in a saving of dry reinforcement in wet processes as grid laminates contribute to the structural performance. 

Hexcel is rebranding its carbon fibres under the HexTowTM trademark, to reflect the company’s investment in carbon fibre capacity increases.  Hexcel is also expanding its carbon fibre product range by launching a new improved version of HexTowTM IM9.  This intermediate modulus carbon fibre has an excellent balance of tensile strength and tensile modulus performance, making it ideal for applications such as performance cars, rockets and high end sporting and recreational goods.  HexTowTM IM9 has a Tensile Strength of 890ksi/6141MPa and a Tensile Modulus of 44MSi/304GPa. 

Other exhibits on the Hexcel stand at JEC will include HexMC® structural aircraft components manufactured by Hexcel in Kent, USA, for application on Boeing aircraft; a mould tool manufactured by Visioneering, Michigan, USA, using Hexcel’s unique HexTOOLTM machinable composite tooling material; and a generic wind blade model manufactured by Hexcel to demonstrate the various applications for Hexcel materials in wind energy.

Ends

Hexcel Corporation, based in Stamford, CT, 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, and industrial applications. Hexcel has offices and manufacturing plants around the world.

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