JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007 - 25

SIGRAFIL carbon fibre Sport application to develop steadily. It recently announced that its Los Angeles-based US subsidiary, HITCO Carbon Composites, Inc., has been awarded a contract extension to supply flap track fairings to Boeing for the 767 Programme through April 2008. HITCO will produce two ship sets per month. To meet the growing demand, the Group decided to invest in a new R&D centre large enough for 100 people at its Meitingen site in Bavaria. It also decided to join the Carbon Composites Association, which works to promote companies that use or produce carbonfibre and fibre-composite technology in the southern part of Germany. SGL Group’s teams are now motivated by the determination to use all available skills to develop new products. SGL Group is on the way to built a graphite electrode plant in Malaysia which is a 120€M investment. More information www.sglcarbon.com (Many thanks to Dr. Hubert Jäger, Senior Vice President, Chairman Technology & Innovation and Dr. Jan Verdenhalven, Chairman Carbon Fibers & Composites for their collaboration) CFRP manipulator - roboter wing AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. REINHARD JANTA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SITE MANAGER SGL GROUP DR. REINHARD JANTA: Our objective is to run projects of common interest that will also interest smaller companies. It is also our intention as a raw-material producer to develop more applications for carbon fibres. This is mostly a competency of smaller companies, too. JCM: What do you expect to get out of your commitment to the Association? DR. REINHARD JANTA: Presently, carbon fibres are an expensive alternative to metals and other composite materials. SGL Group is the only independent European producer of carbon fibres, and therefore intends to lead efforts to develop a carbonfibre-based industry. Our target is to install additional fibre and precursor capacities in Scotland and Germany in a short time, develop new and cheaper highperformance fibres, and improve our knowledge of carbon composite materials by bringing the knowledge carriers from industry and research institutions like universities closer together. JCM: Are the programmes you are participating in compatible with SGL Group projects? DR. REINHARD JANTA: Common programmes are presently under discussion. Our intention is to make them compatible with our internal programmes to save time and money. The other members of the Association are working towards that, too. Within the scope of SGL Group’s participation in the Carbon Composites Association, we spoke with Dr. Reinhard Janta, who had more to say on the Group’s reasons for joining and its objectives. JEC Composites Magazine: You are one of the Association’s “heavyweights”. How do you envisage working with the other companies, in particular the smaller ones? No36 October - November 2007 / JEC Composites Magazine

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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #36 - October 2007