New booth conversations, a tour of Hexcel Kent, technical engagement focused on production readiness
At the 2026 SAMPE Conference and Exhibition held in Seattle, Hexcel demonstrated how its manufacturing capabilities, technical leadership and investment in people are aligning with the needs of the aerospace and defense industries.
Hosted by the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, SAMPE remains one of the industry’s leading technical forums, bringing together engineers, researchers, manufacturers and suppliers to meet and discuss the advances in materials and manufacturing technologies. This year’s event provided a backdrop for conversations shaped by increasing attention to production readiness, supply chain transparency, and domestic manufacturing.
Customer conversations
Throughout the week, Hexcel engaged customers and partners through technical discussions and formal meetings, as well as off‑site visits that showcased how advanced composite materials move from concept to production. As the centerpiece of the show, Hexcel’s newly designed booth reflected the depth of its vertically integrated manufacturing base and the company’s purpose – lightweighting to propel the future.
“I can’t tell you how many of our customers really commented in a positive way about our new booth and the chance to have conversations without distractions,” said A.J. Kapadia, Director, Customer Business Teams for Defense and Space, Hexcel. “We had two conference rooms built into the booth and had back-to-back meetings every day.”
The product displays highlighted Hexcel’s broad portfolio, including carbon fiber, honeycomb, reinforcements, and engineered composite products. The display showed how these materials enable lighter, stronger, and more efficient structures across aerospace and defense applications.
“The booth really made Hexcel shine, because it created a space where customers could both see our capabilities and engage directly with the people who support their programs,” added Kapadia. “Those conversations become increasingly important as programs move from initial to full-rate production.”
The digital manufacturing thread
Beyond customer conversations, Hexcel’s technical engagement extended from the exhibit floor and into the conference program itself.
Research Engineer Xiao Zhang and Technical Fellow Sanjay Sharma had some of their research on digital manufacturing and high‑rate composite production shared in one of the SAMPE technical presentation meetings.
Their research, developed in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, addressed the creation of robust material data sets that enable more accurate manufacturing simulation. This approach helps engineers better predict processing outcomes, reduce cycle time, and support the transition of composite structures from development into scalable production, according to Sharma.
“As production rates increase, digital manufacturing tools become essential,” said Sharma. “This work helps bridge advanced research and real‑world manufacturing, which is increasingly important for our customers.”
Showcasing Hexcel Kent
As part of the SAMPE Expo, Hexcel also welcomed customers to its Kent, Washington manufacturing site, offering an in‑depth look at how large, flight‑critical composite structures are produced.
Located near Seattle, the Kent facility supports commercial aerospace, defense, and space programs. During the tour, customers observed composite manufacturing processes spanning clean‑room lay‑up, autoclave processing, advanced machining, and non‑destructive inspection. The facility can produce full‑scale composite structures, including complex aerostructures used on demanding flight applications.
“The Kent site provides a tangible view of how materials, processes and people come together,” said Jon Fewster, Product Manager, Hexcel. “It is an important way for customers to see how lightweight materials move from design to flight‑ready structures. This site really is one of Hexcel’s greatest assets, and the secret is out because we’re filling up the shop floor with work from some of the biggest OEMs in the industry.”
Aligning with evolving defense priorities and collaborating with start-ups
Across the industry, aerospace and defense programs continue to place greater emphasis on supply chain resilience and long‑term manufacturing readiness. Direction from Pentagon officials, along with the guidance embedded in recent acquisition rules, are pointing to a sustained focus on trusted domestic and allied sourcing.
For composite materials suppliers, this has sharpened interest in how materials are produced and scaled. Carbon‑fiber‑based structures are increasingly central to military aircraft, small and large uncrewed systems, and munitions programs, and customers are taking a broader view of supply chain confidence, according to Bob Yancey, Director of Business Development and Competitive Intelligence, Hexcel.
“Performance is still critical,” said Yancey. “But customers are also looking for partners who can provide consistency, transparency, and confidence over the life of a program. Vertical integration and a strong U.S. manufacturing footprint help support those needs.”
The theme of domestic supply chain resiliency was reinforced at SAMPE during conversations with officials from Hybron, a manufacturing technology start-up company focused on accelerating composite production, especially as that applies to the Pentagon’s munitions and attritable drone platform programs.
Hybron is collaborating with Hexcel and developing manufacturing processes designed to significantly reduce manufacturing cycle times, enabling higher‑rate production for aerospace and defense applications. The collaboration with Hexcel allows Hybron to pair those processes with a proven, domestically produced materials supply.
“Composites offer tremendous advantages, but they have historically been difficult to scale,” said Aaron Guo, Hybron’s chief technology officer. “By working with Hexcel, we can focus on manufacturing innovation while relying on consistent, high‑quality materials produced in the United States.”
Yancey said such collaborations demonstrate how established suppliers and emerging innovators can work together to meet evolving customer expectations while advancing lighter, more efficient designs.
Investing in the next generation of composites professionals
Alongside its technical and customer engagement, Hexcel continued a long‑standing commitment to workforce development by sponsoring and hosting the SAMPE Student Social for the ninth consecutive year.
The event brought together students, faculty members, and industry professionals for networking and, perhaps most importantly, for recognizing the schools whose students won various SAMPE engineering competitions.
Hexcel engineers and team members also engaged directly with students, discussing career paths, internships, and early‑career opportunities.
“For students, access and visibility matter,” said Nancy Rupp, Senior Specialist for Global Recruiting Programs at Hexcel. “The Student Social creates opportunities for networking and conversations about internships and careers, which helps students get a step closer to taking their skills into the real world after graduation.”
Rupp said those connections are essential to sustaining the composites industry over the long term.
“Investing in people is just as important as investing in technology,” she said. “That is how we help build a strong future workforce and shape the next generation of talent for success in our industry.”
Looking ahead to SAMPE 2027 in Salt Lake City
As SAMPE 2026 concluded in Seattle, attention was already turning to the 2027 conference, which will be held in Salt Lake City, home to Hexcel’s Americas & Global Fibers headquarters.
For Hexcel, hosting the composites community in Utah presents an opportunity to highlight not only advanced materials and technologies, but also the people and manufacturing operations behind them and how those capabilities support the industry.
“Having SAMPE come to Salt Lake City is fantastic,” said Yancey. “It is our home turf, so it is an opportunity to bring the industry closer to our facilities, our teams, and our capabilities, and to continue important conversations about the future of lightweight composites.”
