Language Chinese Deutsch English Español Français Russian INNOVATION R&T Philosophy Technical Fields Technology Breakthroughs Presentations Careers in R&T Recent Technology Breakthroughs At Hexcel a culture of innovation permeates our organization and is a strategic priority. Targeting a breakthrough, aiming for what seems an unrealistic goal, or challenging some long-held paradigm are springboards to discovery and thinking "outside the box". We embrace the curiosity to explore ideas, the passion to challenge the impossible andthe conviction to success beyond expectations. Explore some of our recent breakthroughs by using the scroll bar below. PRIMETEX® LIGHT WEIGHT GAP-FREE FABRICS PrimeTex® is a 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 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, resulting in higher mechanical performance. When used in sandwich structures the thin PrimeTex® skins are highly resistant to water ingress. PrimeTex® Very Light Weight 98 g/m² is the lightest 3K gap-free fabric ever produced, permitting 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, resulting in lighter structures making it ideal for surface plies, sandwich construction, structural parts or any other composite components requiring extreme lightness. HITAPE® ADVANCED REINFORCEMENTS FOR OUT OF AUTOCLAVE (OOA) PROCESSED AIRCRAFT PRIMARY STRUCTURES HiTape® combines the benefits of automated processing, the cost-effectiveness of infusion technologies and primary aircraft structure performance. The HiTape® UD tape made from 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 removal of polythene film. When infused with HexFlow® resins, parts made with HiTape® can be up to 30mm thick and have a Fiber Volume Content of 58 to 60%. The mechanical properties are therefore as high as those found in parts made with the latest generation primary structure prepregs. HEXWEB® ACOUSTI-CAP® Hexcel’s broadband sound reducing honeycomb, enabling engine designers to achieve superior acoustical performance without a structural weight penalty. Acousti-Cap® consists of a permeable cap material embedded into a non-metallic honeycomb to create an acoustic septum. Customers specify the flow resistance characteristics, overall core thickness, number of caps in a cell and insertion depth to meet their acoustic requirements. New aluminum Acousti-Cap® provides comparable broadband noise reducing performance with added cost-saving benefits. It withstands temperatures of up to 175°C/350°F during fabrication of the nacelle core blanket and is processable using industry-standard techniques for forming, joining, cutting and machining. »LEARN MORE HEXPLY® M77 PREPREG Curing in only 2 minutes at 150°C/300°F, REACH-compliant HexPly® M77 brings significant advantages to automotive and sports equipment manufacturers, especially as this reactive system also offers a long shelf life of 6 weeks at 23°C. A Tg of 120°C/250°F and good adhesive properties (eg when bonding to aluminum) make HexPly® M77 highly suitable for large volume production. Hexcel has launched a range of HexPly® M77 prepregs based on glass or carbon reinforcements, in multiaxial form as well as woven fabrics and UD tapes. »LEARN MORE HEXPLY® M91 PREPREG This new generation epoxy prepreg for airframe primary structures and engines expands the performance boundaries for epoxy prepreg, meeting the ever growing needs of aerospace OEMs to manufacture lighter, faster and more efficient aircraft. HexPly® M91 demonstrates excellent toughness, including very high residual compression after impact (CAI). Also improved tensile performance in combination with Intermediate Modulus (IM) and High Strength (AS) HexTow® fibers; achieving outstanding performance in combination with Hexcel’s new HexTow® IM10 fiber. Good hot-wet properties up to 120°C (250°F) are also obtained. HexPly® M91 is supplied as UD tape and has been designed specifically for automated processing and is particularly suited for both automated tape laying (ATL) and advanced fiber placement (AFP). Good tack life and out-life provide flexibility during processing on the shop floor and low exotherm behavior allows simple cure cycles of thick monolithic structures up to 70mm (2.76”). »LEARN MORE HEXTOW® IM10 CARBON FIBER This Intermediate Modulus carbon fiber achieves the industry challenge of over 1,000 ksi tensile strength performance, without compromising outstanding tensile modulus of 44.0 Msi. HexTow® IM10 is therefore a true breakthrough in IM carbon fiber development building on Hexcel’s 28 years of supplying IM fiber products to the aerospace industry. HexTow® IM10 provides the highest commercially available tensile strength and meets the demands for next generation aerospace programs and applications. »LEARN MORE 60+ YEARS OF INNOVATION Hexcel was the first company to develop an adhesive for bonding metal to metal, reducing aircraft weight and revolutionizing the industry. Hexcel was the first company to manufacture honeycomb on a commercial scale. Hexcel was instrumental in developing the first prepregs for use in wind turbine blades. Hexcel materials were the first to land on the moon in the energy absorbing footpads of Apollo 11 that were built from Hexcel's aluminum honeycomb. In 2008 Hexcel was awarded the biggest contract in its history to supply the primary structures prepreg for the Airbus A350 XWB. Hexcel had developed a superior product combining carbon fiber and resin formulation technologies. Home Products Innovation Resources/Downloads News Investor Relations Our Company Careers Contacts Locations ©2016 Hexcel Corporation Terms & Conditions HRUK T&C Privacy Policy EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Privacy Policy