Hexcel, a leading advanced composites company, will be exhibiting at CAMX composites and advanced materials exhibition that takes place in Dallas, TX, from 27-29 October.

The company will be promoting the latest composite innovations for aerospace, automotive, recreational equipment and wind energy applications.

Aerospace

The company’s wide portfolio of standard and intermediate modulus fibres expanded into high modulus offerings in 2014 with the HexTow HM63 high modulus carbon fibre which has been quickly adopted by customers and is already in multi-lot qualification with major space and aerospace OEMs.

HexTow HM63 has the high tensile strength and is said to provide outstanding translation of fibre properties in a composite, including superior interlaminar shear and compression shear strength. HexTow HM63 fibre is ideal for applications such as space, UAV, commercial aerospace, helicopters and satellites. It also meets the special requirements for premium sports and recreation applications such as Formula 1, marine, bicycles, fishing rods and other industrial applications.

Honeycomb technology

Hexcel was the first company to manufacture honeycomb on a commercial scale over 50 years ago and continues to innovate by adding functionality to core products. The company will present new HexSHIELD high temperature honeycomb, a technology that provides high temperature resistance in aircraft engine nacelles.

Hexcel also continues making advancements in noise reducing honeycomb. Hexcel’s Acousti-Cap broadband noise-reducing honeycomb has resulted in Multi-Degree of Freedom (MDOF) liners that are said to bring significant improvements in acoustic absorption capabilities in aircraft engine nacelles.

CAMX Hexcel will also display tooling made from HexTOOL M61, which is used to make CFAN fan blades for the GE90 and GEnx engines and is manufactured by Sawyer Composites.

Automotive

Hexcel will be promoting products and manufacturing technologies for the large volume production of structural parts for the automotive industry. Visitors will see CFRP reinforced Body in White parts made with HexPly M77 preforms from Hexcel’s automated process.

The preforms’ low tack allows for automated handling by the customer. They require no surface preparation and are designed for one step bonding and curing in a press, requiring no finishing operations. Common BIW part joining technologies such as welding can be used, and the parts are compatible with e-coating processes.

Hexcel’s HexPly M77 resin cures in 2 minutes at 150°C, or 1.5 minutes at 160°C, and is available as HexPly M77 prepreg or as HexMC moulding compound, which is ideal for complex shapes. The gel time of M77 allows the resin to quickly flow into mould contours to achieve precise geometries, the company reports.

Recreation

From performance bikes to tennis racquets, golf shafts, fishing rods, surfboards, skis, snowboards and hockey sticks, Hexcel supplies cutting edge materials that are designed to provide amateurs and professionals with the performance edge.

At this year’s CAMX, Hexcel will be displaying a 12’ BOTE paddleboard constructed with a comingled Hexcel HexTow AS4C GP 3k carbon fibre and Innegra fibre. This combination capitalizes upon the impact properties of Innegra fibres and the stiffness of Hexcel’s carbon fibre.

www.hexcel.com