Hexcel to display composite innovations at JEC Americas

As a further development of its highly successful PrimeTex proprietary spreading process technology, our booth will showcase the lightest 3K gap–free carbon fabric ever produced:  PrimeTex Very Light Weight 98 g/m².  This new range of 3K carbon fabrics breaks through the conventional limits for Fiber Areal Weight and opens the door to the cost-effective use of very light plies in composite lay-ups. 

PrimeTex Very Light Weight is also 12% thinner than conventional 1K carbon fabrics, which results in lighter structures making it the perfect candidate for surface plies, sandwich construction, structural parts or any other composite components requiring extreme lightness.

PrimeTex is Hexcel’s patented carbon fiber weaving technology in which the fibers are spread in both the warp and weft directions to produce a uniform weave and gap-free finish. The PrimeTex spreading process increases the closure factor in the fabric by 5-8% compared to conventional weaving processes (depending on the carbon tow and FAW).

Laminates made with PrimeTex have reduced porosity, leading to better mechanical performance and when used in sandwich structures the thin PrimeTex skins have particularly high resistance to water ingress.

On Hexcel’s booth at JEC Americas will be a ski made by Fischer using PrimeTex to benefit from the twin attributes of high performance and a highly attractive finish.

PrimeTex is also used to great effect in the contoured roof of the new BMW M6 Gran Coupe - combining elegant design with luxurious appearance.  BMW notes on their website that the contoured roof effectively lowers the weight and centre of gravity of the M6 Gran Coupe for even better driving characteristics.

AEROSPACE PROMOTIONS:

HiTape Advanced Reinforcements for Out of Autoclave (OOA) Processed Aircraft Primary Structures

HiTape combines the benefits of automated processing and the cost-effectiveness of infusion technologies with the high performance achieved with primary structure prepregs.  The UD tape based on HexTow carbon fiber allows dry preforms to be manufactured in a fully automated lay-up process with deposition rates as high as 50Kg/h without any material splicing or removal of polythene film.

Parts produced with HiTape reinforcements and HexFlow infusion resins can be up to 30mm thick with a 58 to 60% Fiber Volume Content.  The mechanical properties are therefore as high as those found in parts made with the latest generation primary structure prepregs.

In the booth, a primary structure demonstrator provides an example of HiTape’s new dry carbon reinforcement and the HexFlow RTM6 resin system. The self-stiffened panel has demonstrated that significant cost-savings are achievable with HiTape and the associated vacuum infusion process.  HiTape has been used to great effect by Aerocomposit for wing prototype components. Video footage from Coriolis and M Torres will demonstrate the speed and efficiency of the HiTape preform lay-up process.