Hexcel opens new carbon fiber plant in France
The company’s new 37-acre plant is devoted to the manufacture of carbon fiber and PAN precursor.
Hexcel (Stamford, CT, US) announced Oct. 2 it has opened its new carbon fiber plant at the Les Roches-Roussillon Chemicals Industry Platform in Isère, France.
The new 37-acre plant is devoted to the manufacture of carbon fiber and PAN precursor. The new site will operate in synergy with Hexcel’s existing sites in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region: Les Avenières, the largest carbon fiber weaving plant in Europe, and Dagneux, manufacturer of prepreg fabrics and carbon fibers. Hexcel’s goal is to “create a global ecosystem for the high-performance composite materials sector” covering the entire production chain from carbon fiber to prepreg.
Hexcel has invested €200 million in the plant, which will reportedly generate 120 direct jobs and 250 indirect positions. Hexcel’s workforce in France has now risen to 1,200 people with more than 1,000 employees located in the Auvergne- Rhône-Alpes region.
Hexcel will also be presenting at Carbon Fiber 2018. Learn more about the event at carbonfiberevent.com.
Related Content
-
Cycling forward with bike frame materials and processes
Fine-tuning of conventional materials and processes characterizes today’s CFRP bicycle frame manufacturing, whether in the large factories of Asia or at reshored facilities in North America and Europe. Thermoplastic resins and automated processes are on the horizon, though likely years away from high-volume production levels.
-
Materials & Processes: Composites fibers and resins
Compared to legacy materials like steel, aluminum, iron and titanium, composites are still coming of age, and only just now are being better understood by design and manufacturing engineers. However, composites’ physical properties — combined with unbeatable light weight — make them undeniably attractive.
-
Price, performance, protection: EV battery enclosures, Part 1
Composite technologies are growing in use as suppliers continue efforts to meet more demanding requirements for EV battery enclosures.