JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #113 - June 2017 - 10

NEWS in brief

in partnership with

www.huntsman.com

Opening

Stelia Aerospace inaugurates its Aeronautical Factory
of the Future in Méaulte
After more than one year of transformation and an investment
of 70 M€, the Stelia Aerospace factory in Méaulte inaugurates
its Aeronautical Factory of the Future, specializing in aerostructure
assembly, mainly for the front fuselages of Airbus aircraft and the
central fuselage for Bombardier's Global7000.
The site has been extended up to 1.2 million sq. feet (115,000 sq.
meters) of production surface, and is now equipped with new leading-edge tools: more than 35 robots and automatic riveting machines as well as 3 moving production lines, moving at the rate of 1
in/min, dedicated to the A320 family, and enabling the delivery of
15 front fuselages per week.
The industrial facilities also include
new digital tools
supporting production, based for example on augmented reality and digital
mock-ups.
In order to optimize
the operational performance and simplify the industrial flows, the
factory is now organized by production programme, each one located in a dedicated building with its relevant teams.
www.stelia-aerospace.com

10

jec composites magazine / No113 June 2017

Partnership

www.compositerecycling.org - www.elgcf.com

Investment

The results show that CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency regulations
are key drivers for the use of lighter weight materials, but affordability and the long-term availability of carbon fibre are stopping more
manufacturers from using composites in mass production.
According to respondents, fibre-reinforced composites will become
more widely adopted by the premium and sports automotive sector
over the next ten years and will likely reach mainstream car segments
in the longer term. The development of electronic cars will also influence the use of composites, as manufacturers look to develop lightweight and more energy-efficient models.

Composite Recycling Technology Center signs
memorandum of understanding with ELG Carbon Fiber
The Composite Recycling Under the terms of the agreeTechnology Center (CRTC) ment, the CRTC and ELG will
based in Port Angeles, WA develop innovative ways to utiand ELG Carbon Fibre Ltd lize the carbon fiber that gets re(ELG) based in Coseley, UK, an- claimed by ELG's state of the art
nounce that they have signed a pyrolysis process, and turn it inMemorandum of Understanding to value added products that posto collaborate on carbon fiber re- itively impact people's lives and
cycling.
our environment.
Porcher Industries to invest more than €50 million in
capacity, R&D and technology
Porcher Industries, founded over 100 years ago and recently acquired by Warwick Capital, has appointed André Genton
as Chairman of the Executive Management Board, to provide
the expertise for this exciting new phase in Porcher's history. André
Genton joined Porcher Industries in 2016, bringing more than 20
years' experience in the composites and polymer industries and a
passion for the innovative chemistry that makes up the DNA of the
Porcher Group. André has already been instrumental in accelerating
the pace of Porcher's development and is committed to increasing the
group turnover from approximately €300M to €500M within the next
5 years by improving quality, driving innovation and adding capacity
and resources. The recent integration of Cordtech International into
the group illustrates Porcher Industries' commitment to development
in existing market sectors, strengthening both the R&D expertise and
the automotive product range. €50+M of new investments, beginning
in 2017, will be used to add new weaving capacity and develop quality control technology at sites in the US, Europe and China; increasing output in Porcher's key automotive airbag and aerospace interiors markets. Thermoplastic prepreg solutions, such as the pioneering
Spheriflex CFRP rotor hub developed with Airbus Helicopters for the
H160.
www.porcher-ind.com

Expansion

The future of composites in automotive industry
A Huntsman Advanced Materials proprietary survey unearths attitudes towards the use of composites in the automotive industry,
helping identify future trends and ensure innovations meet customer needs.
Huntsman Advanced Materials is releasing the results of its latest
comprehensive survey into the use of composites in the automotive
industry, which gauges customer needs and attitudes towards light
weighting materials and technologies.
Conducting in-depth interviews across the world with more than
160 respondents, including automotive suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and engineers, the research identifies
future industry trends and ensures Huntsman's new product development and innovation programmes are tailored to meet its customers' needs.

World Market News

Boeing expands production with investment in new UK
site and US facility
Boeing announces that it plans to open a production facility in
Sheffield, United Kingdom, to manufacture high-tech components for Boeing's Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 aircraft.
These actuation systems will be used on the trailing edge of wings of
these models. The new facility, the result of a Boeing investment of
more than £20 million, is part of a broader plan by Boeing to begin
in-house manufacturing of key actuation components and systems
in the US and the UK to enhance production efficiency and reduce
cost in its supply chain. Boeing's new UK facility, to be named Boeing
Sheffield, will produce actuators in Boeing's first manufacturing facility in Europe, supporting global growth and competitiveness. Boeing
Commercial Airplanes' (BCA) facility in Portland, Oregon, US, will
also produce actuators and assemble actuation systems for these models as a new work statement.
www.boeing.co.uk
http://www.compositerecycling.org http://www.elgcf.com http://www.huntsman.com http://www.porcher-ind.com http://www.stelia-aerospace.com http://www.boeing.co.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #113 - June 2017
