Hexcel shows latest composite innovations at CAMX expo
September 28, 2016 - United States Of America
Hexcel Corporation, a leading advanced composites company, is set to exhibit at CAMX 2016 expo, The Composites and Advanced Materials expo, in Anaheim, at the Anaheim convention centre, CA from September 27 to 29, 2016, in booth E22, to promote its latest composite innovations for aerospace, automotive, recreational equipment, and wind energy applications.
Hexcel’s acousti-cap broadband noise-reducing honeycomb, used in airplane engine noise reduction, is displayed at the expo. Hexcel produces multiaxial reinforcements under the trademark of HiMax multiaxial reinforcements. HiMax reinforcements allow manufacturers to process multiple layers of unidirectional fibres in a single fabric. To showcase these innovative reinforcements, Hexcel is displaying a surfboard made from HiMax carbon fibre multiaxial reinforcements as well as a showcase board of several of the many different available weaves and materials. The reinforcements have long been a standard for structural composites, used in aerospace, military, transportation, and industrial applications.
Reinforcements in the form of fabrics or non-wovens are made using a variety of high performance fibres, including glass, carbon, aramids, and specialty reinforcements. Using a specialised spreading process called PrimeTex, carbon fabrics are processed for a smooth, closed weave and uniform cosmetic appearance. Along with a side-by-side comparison lightbox of a HexForce reinforcement before and after the PrimeTex process, Hexcel has presented a Warrior hockey stick at its booth to show the finished appearance of PrimeTex reinforcements in a recreational application.
PrimeTex reinforcements are widely used for their aesthetic and structural properties within the automotive industry as well. With a closed weave and uniform appearance, PrimeTex reinforcements have been used on BMW M3, M4, and M5 series car roofs. An example of such a BMW roof made from PrimeTex reinforcements is displayed at CAMX.
Composite leaf springs, made out of glass and carbon composites, offer many advantages such as up to 70 per cent weight savings, high corrosion resistance, optimised system integration, improved riding performance, and superior fatigue performance. An example of these composite leaf springs is displayed in Hexcel’s booth at CAMX. (GK)