Hexcel Composites Cambridge is part of Hexcel Composites, which in turn is Hexcel's largest business unit, with a turnover of $540 million in 2002. Hexcel Composites has 11 manufacturing facilities in Europe and the USA and a joint venture, DIC-Hexcel Limited, in Japan. Hexcel Composites is the leading manufacturer of composite materials, with a unique product offering comprising an unrivalled range of carbon fibres, honeycombs, special panels, thermoplastics and polyurethane systems. Our regular customers are major players in the wind energy, aerospace, rail, marine and automotive industries. In the future, composites will be the material of choice for any customer looking to replace conventional materials with strong, stiff, lightweight and cost-effective alternatives. Our size provides us with unrivalled research and development resources, quality assurance and production facilities for the secure, continued supply of the widest range of quality composite materials in the industry. And Hexcel proves that large doesn't have to mean cumbersome. Our worldwide network of sales offices enables us to provide the friendly, efficient service of a local company that speaks your language.
Role in the project
In this project Hexcel composites Cambridge represents a large provider of composites for the manufacture of wind turbine blades. Hexcel is also a major supplier of composite material to Vestas (who are the other LE partner in this project). Hexcel will provide R&D back up to the consortium on the practical requirements of an end user and will provide advice to the remainder of the consortium in order that inspection and automation conflicts are limited to a minimum.
Reasons for participating
In the main Hexcel supplies composite materials to the manufacturers of wind turbine blade manufacturers. Thus Hexcel will be a potential customer for the developments in this project, as they would inspect the composite material before it is shipped to Vestas for turbine blade manufacture thus guaranteeing quality at source.
