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Hexcel Composites Ltd • Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4QD, United Kingdom • Telephone +44 (0)1223 833141
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Carbon fiber composites will be in the spotlight at this year’s Paris Air Show, as the drive to save aircraft weight, improve performance and reduce fuel costs intensifies. Hexcel, a leading supplier of carbon fibers and composites for aerospace, will be promoting its latest composite innovations at the show (Stand F80, Hall 2B). Hexcel will demonstrate how their composite materials and technologies are benefitting so many current and future aerospace and space programs.
Just 3 years ago Hexcel was awarded the contract by Airbus to supply HexPly® M21E prepreg, reinforced with HexTow® IMA carbon fiber, for all of the primary structures on the A350 XWB aircraft. Since then, Airbus and its Risk Sharing Partners have made great progress using HexPly® M21E to successfully manufacture a number of primary composite structures. Parts built so far include wing spars, wing covers, fuselage sections, keel beam and the central wing box. For Le Bourget Hexcel has been fortunate in obtaining for display purposes an A350 XWB Fuselage test panel manufactured using Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) by the Composite Technology Center (CTC), Stade, Germany, using Hexcel’s HexPly® M21E slit tape prepreg reinforced with HexTow® IMA carbon fiber. CTC GmbH, a subsidiary of Airbus, is the CFRP competence center for Airbus Germany and a major technology driver for the A350 XWB.
HexMC® is Hexcel’s patented carbon fiber/epoxy compression molding material and technology that enables structural complex-shaped parts to be molded cost-effectively, bringing weight-saving and performance advantages. In the last few years, hundreds of HexMC® parts have been qualified for use on commercial aircraft including window frames, brackets, fittings, gussets, clips/cleats, intercostals, pans and static guide vanes, bringing substantial weight-saving and performance advantages. A selection of these parts will be on display at the show.
New components to benefit from HexMC® are the Outlet Guide Vanes for the GE-Honda HF120 turbofan. The concept design of the OGV was developed by Honda and the manufacturing of them was jointly developed by GE Honda and Hexcel successfully. Each engine has 42 OGVs, which are great candidates to benefit from HexMC® technology while providing weight savings that are comparable to - or better than – those achieved with other aerospace carbon/epoxy solutions. The GE-Honda HF120 turbofan has a robust, simplified design to deliver greater payload, longer range and outstanding durability for business jets. The use of HexMC® contributes to the weight reductions which, together with an innovative 3D aerodynamic design, provide enhanced efficiency and optimize operability.
HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® is Hexcel’s broadband sound reducing honeycomb that enables engine designers to achieve superior acoustical performance without a structural weight penalty. Acousti-Cap® consists of a permeable cap material embedded into a non-metallic honeycomb to create an acoustic septum. Customers specify the flow resistance characteristics, overall core thickness, number of caps in a cell and insertion depth. The result is a product tuned to their acoustic requirements. Quieter engines bring a number of advantages including recurring cost-savings from lower landing fees at airports, increased fleet flexibility and improved cabin comfort. HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® is used by GE and Rolls-Royce to save weight and reduce engine noise by up to 30%.
Hexcel’s composite solutions extend way beyond their use in commercial aircraft. The unique environment of outer space places rigorous demands on the materials used for construction of military and commercial satellites. Severe temperature changes can cause ordinary materials to warp, expand or contract depending on temperature. By contrast, satellites are subject to relatively little risk from collision damage.
At the Paris show Hexcel will display an Ultra Light Antenna Reflector for a communications satellite, manufactured by Astrium (part of the EADS group) using Hexcel’s HexPly® M18 prepreg that was developed for space applications. HexPly® M18 is Hexcel’s 180°C (350°F) curing epoxy system that operates at temperatures up to 170°C (340°F). The system provides outstanding low moisture absorption and high strain to failure, making it highly resilient to the temperature fluctuation experienced in outer space.
Out Of Autoclave (OOA) processing is generating great interest among aircraft manufacturers wishing to manufacture composite parts without investing in costly autoclave equipment and incurring associated processing costs. HexPly® M56 is Hexcel’s solution for OOA – a prepreg that provides the same high quality and performance that is achieved with autoclave-cured prepregs, from a simple vacuum bag cure in an oven.
HexPly® M56 is available with woven carbon, UD carbon tape, woven glass and Metallic mesh reinforcements and is suitable for Hand Lay-up, Automated Tape Laying (ATL) and Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) processing. The standard cure temperature is 180°C and an alternative 135°C cure cycle is possible, with potential for reduced tooling costs and composite repair applications. In OEM and Tier 1 trials all requirements for porosity, C-scan, surface aspect and mechanical performance have been achieved. The easy handling of HexPly® M56 for Hand Lay-up and ATL applications is also appreciated, along with the 30 day tack life at room temperature.
In Paris Hexcel will display the OOA cured fuselage frame for the Falcao Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) manufactured by Avibras, Brazil, using HexPly® M56 prepreg, with HexTow® IM7 carbon fiber that has been woven using Hexcel’s patented PrimeTex® technology. PrimeTex® fabrics are processed for a smooth, virtually gap-free weave that provides higher mechanical properties and improved surface finish.
Ends
Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced composites company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight, high-performance structural materials, including carbon fibers, reinforcements for composites, prepregs, honeycomb, matrix systems, adhesives and composite structures, used in commercial aerospace, space and defense and industrial applications.
Contacts :
Communications Worldwide:
Rachel Owen
Tel: +44 1223 838370
Rachel.Owen@hexcel.com
Communications Europe: Sophie Meyniel
Tel: +33 4 72 25 26 33
Sophie.Meyniel@hexcel.com
15 June 2011