In the last
week´s JEC Composites show in Paris, Hexcel provided details of its work on the
Airbus A350 XWB, which takes carbon composites to a new level and represents
the largest contract in the company’s history, with overall revenues of between
$4-5 billion.
Hexcel’s
total content on each A350 XWB is now worth over $4 million and it secured the
contract by developing a complete composite proposal, including carbon fibre
prepreg and associated products.
The company’s
experience in intermediate modulus carbon fibres was exploited to design HexTow
IMA to Airbus requirements and HexPly M21E prepreg resin matrix developed to
ensure that the very high performance properties in the fibre are fully
optimised in the cured prepreg laminates.
One composite
structure built using HexPly M21E/IMA is the rear fuselage.
To meet the
increasing demand for HexTow carbon fibre, new lines have been added at the
company’s PAN precursor facility in Decatur, Alabama new carbon lines
commissioned in Salt Lake City, Utah and a first European carbon fibre
manufacturing plant etsablished in Illescas, Spain.
Click the image to watch the video of Hexcel @ A350 XWB
With the
resin film manufactured in UK, the UD prepreg is converted at Hexcel facilities
in France, Spain, Germany and the USA from where it is supplied to nearby
Airbus facilities and the Tier 1s throughout Europe and the USA.
This has
resulted in a highly effective supply chain model for prepreg production,
resulting in shorter lead times, greater responsiveness, reduced transportation
of materials, point of use delivery, less packaging, reduced inventory and less
requirement for cold storage space.
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