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Hexcel
Reinforced Plastics Volume 00, Number 00 September 2016
CONFERENCE SHOWCASE
Conference Showcase Hexcel Hexcel is exhibiting at Composites Europe (Hall 8b/Stand H31) to promote composite materials that offer performance and processing benefits to customers in Automotive, Wind Energy and Recreation markets. Hexcel’s range of composite materials for automotive now includes HiMaxTM multiaxial fabrics. Hexcel will display a composite structure manufactured for a British automotive OEM using HiMaxTM multiaxials specifically optimized for high-volume composites manufacturing. Hexcel created a non-crimp fabric with the optimum balance between drape, stability and permeability, using an automotive-grade standard modulus, high tow count carbon fiber. The high drape reinforcement conforms to the complex mold geometry of the part, minimizing the defects typically seen with standard materials. The fabric permeability is optimized to enable the fast injection and cure times required for high volume manufacturing. Hexcel will also be promoting DPA (Dot Pattern Adhesive) which is a special treatment applied to non-crimp fabrics to provide tack so that the materials can easily be
positioned in a lay-up for processes such as vacuum infusion and RTM. Hexcel prepregs developed for automotive applications include HexPly1 M77 that is used in the BMW 7 Series to save weight and reinforce the metal shell of the B-pillar. HexPly1 M77 prepreg cures in 1.5 min at 160 8C, meeting volume production requirements with a 2-minute press-cure cycle at 150 8C (80 bar pressure). Hexcel supplies BMW with preforms made of unidirectional carbon prepreg set in various orientations and combined with adhesive. To meet the requirements for series production in the automotive industry, Hexcel has installed a fully automated production line that converts unidirectional prepreg into bidirectional preforms in seconds. The process includes automated cutting, cameraassisted ply positioning, integration of adhesive and automated packing allowing Hexcel to meet the required production rates and high quality expectations. The benefits of HexPly1 M77 epoxy resin are also available in the form of HexMC1-i, a high performance carbon fiber/epoxy compound developed for compression
molding which has a very high fiber volume content assuring excellent mechanical performance. Hexcel’s Polyspeed1 Pultruded Carbon Profiles are a new technology for pre-cured, thick-ply carbon fiber elements. They offer an economical way of structurally reinforcing wind turbine blades, and other loadcarrying applications. Carbon fiber tows are impregnated with thermoset resin and shaped and cured in a continuous pultrusion process, resulting in perfect fiber alignment and a smooth surface. Pultrusion is a cost-effective solution for achieving standardized geometries in high volume applications. Hexcel also manufactures carbon fiber laminates with an areal weight of 1500 g/ m2 in a range of lengths and widths that are used mainly for load carrying spars in wind blades made by resin infusion or prepreg. The laminates provide great dimensional flexibility, allowing the part thickness to vary depending on the number of plies employed, with smooth tapering from thick to thin sections, such as in the blade tip. Hexcel; www.hexcel.com
0034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.08.086
1 Please cite this article in press as: Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.08.086
CONFERENCE SHOWCASE
Conference Showcase Hexcel Hexcel is exhibiting at Composites Europe (Hall 8b/Stand H31) to promote composite materials that offer performance and processing benefits to customers in Automotive, Wind Energy and Recreation markets. Hexcel’s range of composite materials for automotive now includes HiMaxTM multiaxial fabrics. Hexcel will display a composite structure manufactured for a British automotive OEM using HiMaxTM multiaxials specifically optimized for high-volume composites manufacturing. Hexcel created a non-crimp fabric with the optimum balance between drape, stability and permeability, using an automotive-grade standard modulus, high tow count carbon fiber. The high drape reinforcement conforms to the complex mold geometry of the part, minimizing the defects typically seen with standard materials. The fabric permeability is optimized to enable the fast injection and cure times required for high volume manufacturing. Hexcel will also be promoting DPA (Dot Pattern Adhesive) which is a special treatment applied to non-crimp fabrics to provide tack so that the materials can easily be
positioned in a lay-up for processes such as vacuum infusion and RTM. Hexcel prepregs developed for automotive applications include HexPly1 M77 that is used in the BMW 7 Series to save weight and reinforce the metal shell of the B-pillar. HexPly1 M77 prepreg cures in 1.5 min at 160 8C, meeting volume production requirements with a 2-minute press-cure cycle at 150 8C (80 bar pressure). Hexcel supplies BMW with preforms made of unidirectional carbon prepreg set in various orientations and combined with adhesive. To meet the requirements for series production in the automotive industry, Hexcel has installed a fully automated production line that converts unidirectional prepreg into bidirectional preforms in seconds. The process includes automated cutting, cameraassisted ply positioning, integration of adhesive and automated packing allowing Hexcel to meet the required production rates and high quality expectations. The benefits of HexPly1 M77 epoxy resin are also available in the form of HexMC1-i, a high performance carbon fiber/epoxy compound developed for compression
molding which has a very high fiber volume content assuring excellent mechanical performance. Hexcel’s Polyspeed1 Pultruded Carbon Profiles are a new technology for pre-cured, thick-ply carbon fiber elements. They offer an economical way of structurally reinforcing wind turbine blades, and other loadcarrying applications. Carbon fiber tows are impregnated with thermoset resin and shaped and cured in a continuous pultrusion process, resulting in perfect fiber alignment and a smooth surface. Pultrusion is a cost-effective solution for achieving standardized geometries in high volume applications. Hexcel also manufactures carbon fiber laminates with an areal weight of 1500 g/ m2 in a range of lengths and widths that are used mainly for load carrying spars in wind blades made by resin infusion or prepreg. The laminates provide great dimensional flexibility, allowing the part thickness to vary depending on the number of plies employed, with smooth tapering from thick to thin sections, such as in the blade tip. Hexcel; www.hexcel.com
0034-3617/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.08.086
1 Please cite this article in press as: Reinf. Plast. (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.repl.2016.08.086