From the Sector

Cavitec, part of Santex Rimar Group, presents the redesigned Caviscreen at Techtextil Frankfurt. Caviscreen features latest technology for breathable laminates.

Caviscreen was developed as a hotmelt coating and laminating unit for breathable sportswear, rainwear and protective clothing – with and without applying a membrane. The redesigned machine shows a brand-new method to supply adhesive more evenly and precisely. Using PUR adhesive (polyurethane reactive adhesive) goes with additional benefits like strong bonding capabilities and versatility.

Caviscreen’s hotmelt screen printing is a special system for high-end application garments. With this Caviscreen system, a PUR adhesive is transferred onto the substrate through a rotary screen, similar to the well-established textile printing method. The adhesives are fed from the drum melter through a heated hose to the traversing adhesive distribution system inside the rotary screen, just behind the doctor blade.

The adhesive is pressed by the doctor blade through the screen holes and transferred to the substrate. Different dot pattern (mesh or irregularly) and different screen thicknesses allow different coating weight and adhesive coverages.

The traversing adhesive dispenser is used to distribute the adhesive automatically over the set working width that – an additional technical benefit – can be set without any mechanical changes.

Cavitec’s screen coating system achieves high bonding strength while using less adhesive than other coating processes, because of applying the coating on the surface of the substrate and like this, the adhesive has less tendency to penetrate the substrate.

Bonding strength, softness of the fabric and the breathability are defined by the coating weight and the coverage. The rotary screen allows users to regulate and adapt the coverage respectively the coating weight. Cavitec offers a large selection of screens that are essential to fulfil the fabric requirements. A further advantage is the ease and efficiency of switching from one screen to another by simply unlocking the bayonet fitting. The IR-heater cover opens pneumatically and the lightweight screen can be easily removed by hand. Unlike with other methods, there's no need to deal with hot oil or any other heated liquid that requires cooling down.

The Caviscreen technology supports manufacturers by reducing costs with screens priced at a mere fraction, just 10%, of common gravure roller prices.

Adient, a leading supplier of automotive seating systems, has achieved full ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) of its foam plants in Lučenec (Slovakia) and Mandling (Austria) for increasing the sustainability of foams produced for its automotive seating systems. The stringent global sustainability certification system of ISCC allows for proven enhanced traceability of circular polyurethane (PU) foams throughout the supply chain.
 
The environmental impact of the newly developed PU formulations and processes of molded foams is improved by the re-integration of waste materials from industrial & natural origins replacing crude oil into the PU raw materials. This reduces the use of fossil-based materials in favor of recycled materials, to foster the development of a circular economy. As a result, the plants can offer foams with up to 20% less CO2 impact while fulfilling the same quality requirements as their conventional equivalents. To date, Adient is the first European ISCC PLUS certified PU foam manufacturer in this field.

Based on a mass balance approach, the certification highlights the need to envi-ronmentally balance every single stage of automotive value creation, including the entire supply chain.

• Auraloop is a brand-new range of cushioning solutions made from an innovative structure of Polyester-based fibers, 100% recyclable, aimed at the mobility markets
• One of the objectives of Auraloop is a twofold reduction in the carbon footprint of car seat pads, currently made from polyurethane foam
• Auraloop offers an increased level of performance in terms of thermal comfort and durability

R&D teams within the Faurecia seating activity have recently penned an exclusive development agreement with Indorama Ventures. This partnership between Indorama Ventures and Faurecia, a company of FORVIA Group which is one of the largest automotive industry suppliers, has the aim of developing Auraloop, a new range of cushioning solutions for the mobility markets and intended to replace polyurethane foam currently used in car seats.

“By setting out these initial milestones in our close-knit collaboration with Faurecia, this partnership is an integral part of Indorama Ventures’ commitment to expand its existing Polyester (PET)-based portfolio and related activities into wider areas. By bringing together two leading players in the automotive industry, we aim to open up further growth opportunities for both partners”, stated Arnaud Closson, Chief Executive Officer at Indorama Ventures’ Mobility Group / Fibers Segment.

“Auraloop will replace those materials currently used in car seating with innovative and sustainable materials, based on polyester fibers that offer a total recyclability of 100%. This new material will allow for a twofold reduction in the carbon footprint of car seat pad solutions compared to current materials”, explains Nicolas Michot, Director of Technology at Faurecia Seating. Development of this product, which paves the way towards wider commercial release in two or three years, falls within the FORVIA Group strategy of going carbon neutral by 2045. For this, the group is seeking to root its commercial offer fully in the circular economy, with the development and production of sustainable cutting-edge materials under the banner of MATERI’ACT.

Auraloop offers a range of new perspectives in terms of seating comfort thanks to a more open fiber structure and permeability for air than current seating pad solutions, the breathability of seating is improved, enabling a better passive thermal regulation of occupants. The durability of seating is also increased by limited subsidence of the seat over its lifetime. The market for comfort aboard vehicles is constantly growing. The development of Auraloop falls within this dynamic, with a product offering significantly improved performances in terms of static, dynamic and welcoming comfort.

Rieter is presenting the latest innovations in its systems, components and services at the upcoming India ITME 2022 in Uttar Pradesh (India), taking place from December 8 – 13, 2022.

Autoconer X6
The automatic winding machine Autoconer X6 completes the Rieter ring and compact-spinning systems. The machine serves as the final quality assurance in the ring and compact-spinning process and is key to the performance of the subsequent process stages. The Multilink system with Multilot offers maximum flexibility to handle a different type of yarn.

The latest splicer generation OZ1 and OZ2 provides an optimum splice quality based on an open prism. With only two prisms spinning mills can splice the entire spectrum of cotton yarns as well as blends. They are also used for the splicing of cotton-based elastic core yarns in combination with the Elastosplicer. The splice zone exhibits an impressive elasticity in the fabric.

Compacting Solutions
The Rieter compacting devices include the COMPACTapron, COMPACTeasy and COMPACTdrum. Spinning mills can change quickly between ring and compact yarn and offer customers a broader product range.

Recycling Expertise from Rotor to Ring
Rieter offers solutions for the integration of recycled raw material into yarn production to help close the textile loop and make fashion more circular. Both rotor and ring yarns can be produced with a considerable amount of mechanically recycled fibers.

ESSENTIALorder
Based on existing customer information, the webshop ESSENTIALorder visualizes which Rieter machines andn systems are available inside each spinning mill. It therefore offers a personalized shopping experience and facilitates order management, enabling spinning mills to optimize their internal stock levels.

ROBOspin
The piecing robot ROBOspin reduces personnel requirements in the ring spinning section by 50%. The robot also attains productivity increases thanks to higher spindle speeds at equal or higher efficiency.

SSM NEO-FD
SSM is presenting NEO-FD, the assembly-winding machine for precision wound packages for twisting. It meets all requirements for efficient production. The machine features the auto-doffing option and the online back-pressure system for low and high package densities.

Temco CoolFlow Disc
Temco’s CoolFlow texturing discs offer longer lifetime thanks to a brand-new geometry and the latest polyurethane technology. The texturing discs now generate a disc surface that operates at a lower temperature, resulting in slower ageing and abrasion. Further benefits are more stable yarn quality, higher productivity, and an overall process cost reduction.

• Recypur successfully starts up a complete airlay line delivered by ANDRITZ for its mill in L’Alcúdia, Spain

The airlay line is designed for recycling of post-industrial and post-consumer foam and was developed specifically for the bedding and furniture industry, with material heights reaching 20 cm and densities of up to 120 kg/m3. Experimental tests carried out together with experts from ANDRITZ Laroche led to the conclusion that the mechanical method for recycling polyurethane is the most versatile and reliable.

With a capacity of 1.2 t/h, this airlay line enables Recypur to supply new mattresses made of industrial & post-consumer foam waste from old mattresses. This well proven process allows to reduce the environmental impact, increase self-sufficiency and eventually reduce the use of polyurethane. Such a set-up also allows multiple functional materials to be incorporated into the blend, such as flame-retardant, conductive and insulating fibers, among others. Thanks to this tailored approach, Recypur is now able to expand its diversification, innovation and reputation on the Spanish market.

The scope of supply includes a blending line with five feeders, an Exel 1500 for fine opening, an Airlay Flexiloft+ with 2.20 m working width, a recycling machine and an oven.

Airlay lines strongly support the circular economy and are part of ANDRITZ’s comprehensive product portfolio of sustainable solutions that help customers achieve their own sustainability goals in terms of climate and environmental protection.

Recypur, based in the Spanish province of Valencia, is part of DELAX, a Spanish group specialized in manufacturing and commercialization of innovative beds and mattresses. This company is the first Spanish manufacturer of recycled flexible polyurethane foam cores from post-consumer foam waste.

Hexcel Corporation (NYSE: HXL) is collaborating with METYX to manufacture high-performance carbon pultruded profiles made from polyurethane (PU) resin and unidirectional carbon fiber for the wind energy market.

The two companies have joined forces to develop technology that builds on Hexcel expertise in polyurethanes for the ski industry combined with its strength in providing high-performance composites to wind energy customers and expanding to other markets for composite applications. METYX is a manufacturer of high-performance NCF and woven glass and carbon, consumables, core and fabric kitting, molds, prototypes, and components for industries including wind energy, marine, automotive, rail and construction.

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order to supply four new needlepunch lines for nonwoven production from Chongqing Double Elephant Microfiber Material Co., Ltd., China. These lines are scheduled for installation and start-up in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The needlepunch lines by ANDRITZ are designed to process islands-in-the-sea fibers dedicated mainly to the production of high-quality synthetic leather products. Once completed, the lines will produce 30 million meters a year of microfiber nonwoven materials.

The production lines are equipped with an ANDRITZ carding machine and the newly developed Profile® crosslapper as well as the advanced-technology ProWid closed-loop system from ANDRITZ. The system can monitor the weight uniformity (CV%) of the entire product online and predict the weight distribution changes caused by the bonding process. In addition, the web weight can be reduced by controlled stretching, which solves the issue of fiber accumulation at the edges caused by traditional crosslapping methods. Both the weight and the uniformity of the product can be automatically adjusted via the closed-loop function as set on the ANDRITZ gauge.

Chongqing Double Elephant Microfiber Material Co., Ltd., wholly owned by listed Wuxi Double Elephant Microfiber Materials Co., Ltd., is located in the Changshou National Economic and Technological Development Zone of Chongqing City. The company is active in the research, development and manufacture of microfiber materials, polyurethane synthetic leather and polyurethane resin.

Labels and small accessories stand together for the company’s great passion for leather, featuring a mix of eclectic inspirations, complemented by a variety of solutions and with a new exclusive Green Book, with a very sustainable approach.

A creative selection of proposals enriched with a new line of completely green products defines the SS2021 collection by Vivolo. Sustainability is the running theme, thanks to the development of concepts that focus on the combination of zero-impact processing techniques and state-of-the-art materials, bringing to life RE Vivolo.
This special Green Book gathers a selection of products that provide a sustainable interpretation of the beauty of Vivolos work. The selection of specific raw materials defines five micro-areas in terms of options: leather (recycled, solvent-free and vegetable-tanned), eco-leather (solventfree and jacron), technical solutions (silicon and recycled post-industrial polyurethane), fabrics (organic cotton, recycled cotton, felt obtained from the recycling of post-consumer plastic materials) and the brand new plant-based options (Apple Skin, Piñatex® and Bananatex®). In parallel with this eco-line, the collection presents the evolution of more classical option.
The heritage style results in the selection of new designs, made thanks to an combination heat embossing and hand painting enhancing the quality of leather through the creation of miniature works of art. An additional highlight is the embroidery section.
Technical inspirations remain the most direct expression of the research by the inhouse R&D team. From the use of high-performance materials to the implementation of ideal processing techniques, the mood emphasizes the high-tech character of these options, through mirrored, reflective and  iridescent finishings along with a fluorescent color palette. Silicon and polyurethane make again in this season their appearance.

The collection comes to a close with the accessories – patches as well as  drawstrings, puller, buttons and cord stoppers, along with many others – conceived to become the added detail to embellish and enhance outerwear and knitwear. Once again, Vivolo proves its ability in  interpreting a style that transcends time, representative of the Made in Italy tradition along with an unparalleled approach to production.

• Hexcel’s Composite Innovations For Aerospace, Automotive, Energy And Marine Applications At JEC World 2019 Hall 5 - Stand J41

STAMFORD, Conn. – At this year’s JEC World taking place in Paris on March 12-14, Hexcel will promote a wide range of composite innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, energy and marine markets.

Aerospace Innovations

Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements were developed to complement a new generation of HiFlow™ resin systems, producing high quality aerospace structures using the resin infusion process. HiTape® was developed for the automated lay-up of preforms and HiMax™ is a range of optimized non-crimp fabrics (NCF). Both products incorporate a toughening veil to enhance mechanical properties, meeting the structural requirements for aerospace parts.

Visitors to JEC will see an Integrated Wing Panel demonstrator and an I-beam, both made with HiTape® reinforcements, and an Opticoms rib made with HiMax™ NCF. The Opticoms rib and I Beam were both manufactured using C-RTM (Compression Resin Transfer Molding). They were injected with Hexcel’s RTM6 resin in a process taking less than 5 minutes. The total manufacturing cycle for both parts was just 4.5 hours.

Also among the Aerospace exhibits, Hexcel will display a composite petal for a satellite antenna, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space Italia. The petal is part of a set of 24 deployable structural elements that form the large area reflector assembly used on board Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observation satellites. Thales Alenia Space Italia selected Hexcel’s HexPly® M18 prepreg for this application, acknowledging the superior mechanical and outgassing properties provided.

Another Hexcel prepreg application on show is a “zero” frame, manufactured by Aerofonctions for the engine area of Daher’s TBM 910/930 single-engine turboprop aircraft. Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg was selected by Daher for the “zero” frame – a product developed for Out of Autoclave applications that provides the same high quality and performance as autoclave-cured prepregs, from a simple vacuum bag cure in an oven.

With 50 years of experience behind its comprehensive range of high-strength, high-strain PAN-based carbon fibers, Hexcel continues to innovate, and is introducing two new fibers to its portfolio. HexTow® HM50 combines high modulus and high tensile strength, making it ideal for commercial and defense aircraft and engines. HexTow® 85 was developed specifically to replace rayon-based carbon fiber for ablative applications.

HexTow® carbon fiber holds the most qualified carbon fiber positions on aerospace programs in the industry and is the best unsized fiber available on the market. It provides excellent bonding interfacial properties with thermoplastic matrices and is the best-performing fiber for 3D printing applications.

Additive manufacturing is another area of expertise for Hexcel, using PEKK ultra-high performance polymers and HexAM™ technology to manufacture carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts. This
innovative process provides a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Hexcel is well known for its range of weight-saving, stiffness-enhancing honeycombs and the company adds value by providing a range of engineered core solutions to customers from facilities in the USA, Belgium and the newly opened Casablanca plant in Morocco. Hexcel’s engineered core capabilities enable highly contoured parts with precision profiling to be produced to exacting customer specifications. An example of such a part will be on display at JEC. Made from Aluminum FlexCore®, the part is CNC machined on both sides, and formed and stabilized with both peel ply and flyaway layers of stabilization. Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel core technologies including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.

Hexcel’s Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs.

HexBond™ – the new name in Adhesives

Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil. The company has now decided to unite the range by marketing all of its adhesive products using HexBond™ branding. The comprehensive range of HexBond™ structural film adhesives, foaming adhesive films, paste adhesives, liquid shims, epoxy fillets and Chromium free liquid primers is suitable for a wide range of applications in combination with Hexcel’s prepreg and honeycomb products.

Automotive Innovations

Hexcel’s carbon prepreg patch technology provides an innovative way of locally stiffening and reinforcing metal parts, providing noise and vibration management functionality. HexPly® prepreg patches consist of unidirectional carbon fiber impregnated with a fast curing epoxy matrix that has self-adhesive properties, enabling it to bond to metal in a highly efficient one-step process. These key technology properties are demonstrated in an 18.5kg aluminum subframe (that is 50% lighter than steel equivalents), which was reinforced with 500 grams of HexPly® prepreg and tested by Saint Jean Industries. The part demonstrates a significant reduction in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Other benefits include lower production costs, energy savings, increased driver comfort, production flexibility and part count reduction. With this technology Hexcel is a finalist in the JEC Innovation Awards 2019 in the Automotive Applications category.

HexPly® prepreg patch technology was also applied to a hybrid side sill demonstrator developed with Volkswagen and Dresden University to address future crash test requirements, specifically for electric cars. Combining fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) with metal, the hybrid construction allows for optimum performance including weight savings, enhanced safety, increased energy absorption, battery protection in a crash situation and production flexibility.

Hexcel will also display a lightweight CFRP transmission crossmember produced from Hexcel’s high performance HexMC®-i 2000 molding compound. The transmission crossmember was developed in partnership with the Institute of Polymer Product Engineering (at Linz University), Engel and Alpex. As the part connects the chassis together and supports transmission it has to be stiff and strong, resisting fatigue and corrosion. Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 was selected as the best-performing molding compound on the market, curing in as little as two minutes to produce lightweight, strong and stiff parts.
To produce the transmission crossmember HexMC®-i 2000 preforms are laid up in Alpex molds and compression-molded in a v-duo press that was tailored for the application by Engel. Ribs, aluminum inserts and other functions can be molded into the part using the single-stage process, reducing component-count. Any offcuts from the preforms can be interleaved between the plies of material to provide additional reinforcement in key areas - meaning that the process generates no waste.

Other Automotive promotions on Hexcel’s stand at JEC World include a composite leaf spring manufactured by ZF using HexPly® M901 prepreg. In contrast to steel leaf springs, composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. HexPly® M901 prepreg reduces the cure cycle to below 15 minutes and provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure.

Marine Innovations

Hexcel has a comprehensive range of products aimed at racing yacht and luxury boat builders that include America’s Cup, IMOCA class and DNV GL-approved prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for hull and deck structures, masts and appendages.

At JEC World Hexcel will display an IMOCA yacht mast manufactured by Lorima using HexPly® high modulus and high strength carbon fiber prepreg from Hexcel Vert-Le-Petit. Lorima is the exclusive official supplier of masts for IMOCA 60 class racing boats.

Hexcel’s HexTow® IM8 carbon fiber has been selected as the highest performing industrial carbon fiber on the market and will be used by spar and rigging manufacturer Future Fibres to manufacture their AEROrazr solid carbon rigging for all the teams in the 36th America’s Cup.

Hexcel’s HiMax™ DPA (Dot Pattern Adhesive) reinforcements are non-crimp fabrics supplied pre-tacked, allowing multiple fabrics to be laid-up more easily in preparation for resin infusion. Providing an optimal, consistent level of adhesion, they allow a faster and more consistent resin flow, as well as eliminating the use of spray adhesive for a healthier working environment and lower risk of contamination. Simply unrolled and applied to the mold or core layer before the introduction of resin, HiMax™ DPA fabrics are widely used in boat building, where lay-up times can be reduced by up to 50%.

Wind Energy Innovations

Hexcel has developed a range of HexPly® surface finishing prepregs and semi-pregs for wind turbine blades and marine applications. Providing a tough, durable and ready-to-paint surface without using in-mold coats, these products shorten the manufacturing cycle and reduce material costs. HexPly® XF2(P) prepreg is optimized for wind blades and has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, saving at least 2 hours of takt time.

Polyspeed® pultruded carbon laminates were developed for load-carrying elements in a blade structure and are manufactured with a polyurethane matrix that provides outstanding mechanical performance in terms of stiffness and durability. The blade manufacturing process is optimized, with increased throughput. The pultruded laminates are supplied in coils as continuous cross section profiles.
HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics using E-glass, high modulus glass and carbon fibers are also available in a wide range of unidirectional, biaxial and triaxial constructions. HiMax™ fabrics have applications throughout the turbine, from the stitched carbon fiber UDs used in the main structural elements, to glass fabrics and hybrids for blade shells and nacelles. There are also specialist applications such as lightweight fabrics for heated leading edge de-icing zones.

STAMFORD, February 26, 2018 - at JEC World 2018, taking place in Paris March 6-8, Hexcel will display an array of product innovations for customer applications in aerospace, automotive, wind energy and marine markets.
Hexcel’s banner at the exhibit hall entrance features the Airbus H160 helicopter and A350 XWB aircraft, both with carbon fiber livery to acknowledge the high Hexcel composites content in both programs. Hexcel’s reinforcements, prepregs, adhesives and honeycomb materials were selected for the H160’s composite fuselage structures and main rotor blades, contributing to the lightweight fuel-saving design and performance optimization. Airbus has loaned Hexcel an H160 BLUE EDGE blade to display on the booth.

Among the Aerospace promotions at Hexcel’s booth are carbon-reinforced 3D printed parts, made from Hexcel’s HexAM™ additive manufacturing technology that uses PEKK ultra-high performance polymers. Hexcel acquired this technology from Oxford Performance Materials in December 2017 to provide a weight-saving solution for intricate parts in highly demanding aerospace, satellite and defense applications. HexPEKK™ structures offer significant weight, cost and time-to-market reductions, replacing traditional cast or machined metallic parts with a new technology.

Aircraft engines benefit from a number of Hexcel technologies that will be promoted at JEC 2018, including HexShield™ honeycomb that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles. By inserting a thermally resistant material into honeycomb cells, Hexcel provides a core product with unique heat-shielding capabilities that allows for the potential re-use of material after a fire event.
Another honeycomb innovation from Hexcel is Acousti-Cap® broadband noise-reducing honeycomb that significantly improves acoustic absorption in aircraft engine nacelles. The acoustic treatment may be positioned at a consistent depth and resistance within the core, or can be placed in a pattern of varying depths and/or resistances (Multi-Degrees of Freedom and 3 Degrees Of Freedom), offering an acoustic liner that is precisely tuned to the engine operating conditions. These technologies have been tested at NASA on a full engine test rig and meet all 16 design conditions without trade-offs. An example of this technology will be on display at JEC 2018.

Rounding off the aircraft engine exhibits is a CTi fan blade for new generation lightweight turbofan engines from Rolls-Royce, manufactured from Hexcel’s HexPly® M91 high toughness and impact-resistant epoxy prepreg. Hexcel supplies HexPly® M91 as slit tape for the automated lay-up of the complex aerodynamic shape, with a constantly changing thickness across the blade length. The blade which is thinner and lighter than titanium fan blades is currently undergoing flight tests.
Hexcel’s HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements that were developed for the automated lay-up of preforms for resin-infused aerospace structures will be promoted at the show. Two demonstrator parts, one made with HiMax™ and one with HiTape®, were both infused with HexFlow® RTM6 resin to demonstrate the potential benefits of an integrated design for aircraft skins, spars and stiffeners that meets OEM requirements for production rate increases and cost effectiveness.

Hexcel is also introducing its new range of HiFlow™ advanced liquid resins for aerospace structures manufactured by liquid molding technologies. Based on novel proprietary chemistry, the new resin family will enhance the performance of composites and ease processing when combined with HiTape® and HiMax™ dry carbon reinforcements. HiFlow™ HF610 is the first resin in the range.
Hexcel’s range of high performance adhesives has expanded considerably following the company’s acquisition of Structil last October. Hexcel is relaunching the acquired products under the new HexBond™ brand name at JEC World. This fast-growing range of pastes, liquid shim and film adhesives has a wide spectrum of operating temperatures and is in qualification with a large number of aerospace and industrial OEMs.
In the Planet Aerospace area at JEC, Daher and Hexcel will jointly display an aircraft spar manufactured from HexPly® M56 prepreg. Hexcel’s Neil Parker and Daher R&T Director Dominique Bailly will give a joint presentation focusing on the materials used and the benefits for the finished part. The aircraft spar was designed and manufactured by Daher using Hexcel’s HexPly® M56 prepreg, in slit tape format, that was developed for automated deposition and out-of-autoclave curing. The spar was manufactured using only the vacuum bag process and demonstrates very low porosity levels. It is currently undergoing testing and validation through CORAC funding.

Hexcel’s Automotive promotions at JEC World 2018 include a new prepreg for composite leaf springs, HexPly® M901. In contrast to steel leaf springs used for suspension on vans, trucks and SUVs, newer composite versions offer many advantages including weight savings of up to 70%, high corrosion resistance, optimized system integration and superior performance. Hexcel’s HexPly® M901 prepreg raises the bar further, reducing mold cure time below 15 minutes, a 50% reduction compared to standard industrial prepregs. HexPly® M901 provides 15% higher mechanical performance, with enhanced fatigue properties. It also operates at high temperatures, providing a Tg of up to 200°C following a post cure. Hexcel’s expertise in manufacturing heavy weight glass UD prepregs, with fiber areal weights of up to 1600gsm, allows the company to offer a highly cost-competitive solution for the rapid manufacture of these safety critical components.

Hexcel is constantly seeking ways to ensure that customers obtain the maximum benefit from composites and has recently acquired state-of-the-art simulation technology that accurately predicts how HiMax™ non-crimp fabrics will drape in a mold. Working in collaboration with Nottingham University Hexcel has created a car seat shell, for which the material selection was optimized using this new drape simulation technology. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand at JEC will see an on-screen demonstration that illustrates how the simulation tool operates, predicting process and performance and ensuring that the optimum fabric architecture is quickly identified, reducing the need for expensive trial programs.
Hexcel’s HexMC®-i 2000 carbon fiber/epoxy molding compound has been successfully used by Audi to manufacture a high-performance engine cross brace. HexMC®-i is a fast curing high-performance molding material, suitable for the series production of complex shaped parts and providing excellent mechanical properties. The Audi cross brace covers the engine, providing torsional stiffness for enhanced drive dynamics.

Hexcel’s product offering for customers in the Marine industry has expanded following the acquisition of Formax in 2016 and Structil in 2017. At JEC World, Hexcel will promote its enhanced portfolio of carbon fibers, prepregs, woven reinforcements and multiaxial fabrics for builders of racing catamarans and luxury yachts.
Marine customers have supplied a number of parts for display to illustrate their expertise in manufacturing composite structures from Hexcel materials. These include part of a Diam 24 yacht mast made by ADH Inotec from Hexcel’s HexPly® M79 fast curing, low temperature cure prepreg. ADH Inotec purchased the prepreg from Composites Distribution, a Hexcel Official Distributor that also supplied HexPly® M9.6 prepreg to Lorima for the Outremer 5X catamaran mast section on display. Part of Lorima’s 42m wing mast for a multihull racing boat made with HexPly® prepreg from Vert-Le-Petit (formerly Structil) will complete the marine display.

Hexcel’s innovations for Wind Energy include Polyspeed® pultruded laminates for load-carrying elements in wind blades. These continuous cross-section profiles, made from a polyurethane matrix reinforced with unidirectional carbon fiber, provide consistently high mechanical properties, including high stiffness, fracture toughness and shear strength, combined with low weight and durability. Visitors to Hexcel’s stand will see a 2m diameter coil of pultruded carbon laminate that contains 255m of material in a single roll. This technology offers an economical way of reinforcing large-scale composite structures such as wind turbine blades. Hexcel will also launch its surface finishing prepreg for wind turbine blades and components. This provides a tough, durable and ready-to-paint blade surface without the use of gel coat and results in faster blade manufacture, saving time in production and reducing material costs. The benefits of the new surfacing prepreg will be demonstrated via a wind blade exhibit that has been given four different treatments across the blade surface. These include a section with gel coat, a section of standard prepreg without gel coat, and a section where a fleece has been added to improve surface quality but still requires preparation before painting due to pin holes. The final section made with new HexPly® XF2P surfacing prepreg has a ready-to-paint surface, straight from the mold, without any requirement for gel coat, fleece or finishing operations.