The UK’s National Composites Centre (NCC) and SGL Carbon have entered into a new partnership to jointly develop future composite technologies for different applications in aerospace, transportation, as well as oil & gas. A development area is the improvement of material utilization for primary and secondary structure components.
To this end, the two partners are currently setting up a development program for the advanced processing of carbon fiber-based textiles like Non-Crimp Fabrics (NCF) at the NCC’s research and technology facility in Bristol. Over the course of this year, they will produce demonstrator components and prototypes of new composite airplane wings using NCF materials based on carbon fibers from SGL Carbon. The fabrics are developed for efficient processing of composite components and are produced at the SGL Carbon site in Wackersdorf, Germany. The carbon fibers used are being produced by SGL Carbon in their UK manufacturing site at Muir of Ord, in the Scottish Highlands and their Moses Lake site in the USA.
Andreas Wüllner, President of Composites – Fibers & Materials of SGL Carbon: “The NCC is a highly experienced partner driving future composite concepts, especially in the aerospace industry. We are glad to join the UK centre for strategic projects and to become a member of the NCC. With the partnership, we generate knowhow around efficient usage of composite materials and technologies. Furthermore, we will strengthen our footprint in the UK with the new office at the NCC.”
Richard Oldfield, CEO of the National Composites Centre: “We are delighted that SGL Carbon has joined the NCC’s rapidly growing innovation network. We share a commitment to technical excellence and a bold vision for the potential future applications of carbon fiber technology. We are looking forward to welcoming the SGL Carbon team to our Bristol technology centre to start, what we believe will be, a series of successful and ground-breaking innovation programs.”
SGL Carbon has many years of experience in carbon fibers and composite materials covering the entire value chain – from precursor, carbon fibers, textiles, and pre-impregnated materials to finished components made from fiber-reinforced plastics. As a reliable and innovative partner to its customers, SGL uses this experience to offer tailored composite solutions across industries helping not only to produce lighter components, but also boost performance thanks to greater durability of individual components or improved overall architectures.
About SGL Carbon
SGL Carbon is a technology-based company and world leader in the development and production of carbon-based solutions. Its high-quality materials and products made from specialty graphite and composites are used in industrial sectors that determine the future: automotive, aerospace, solar and wind energy, semiconductor and LEDs as well as in the production of lithium-ion batteries and other energy storage systems. In addition, SGL Carbon develops solutions for chemical and industrial applications.
In 2018, SGL Carbon generated sales of around 1 billion euros. As of December 31, 2018, the company had approximately 5,000 employees worldwide in 33 locations in Europe, North America, and Asia.
Materials, products and solutions from SGL Carbon are embedded in the major topics of the future: sustainable mobility, new energies and cross-industry digitization. Further developments in these areas demand more intelligent, more efficient, networked and sustainable solutions. This is where the entrepreneurial vision of SGL Carbon evolves around: contributing to a smarter world.
Further information on SGL Carbon can be found at www.sglcarbon.com/press.
About NCC
The National Composites Centre (NCC) is one of seven centres that form the High Value Manufact focuses on accelerating the adoption of high value, sustainable engineering solutions in composites, in order to stimulate growth, and enhance capability for the UK. The NCC has over 350 specialist composites engineers based at ist facility and offers open-access to cutting-edge digital manufacturing technology for the design, and development of new composite products pulling through technology from the lab to large-scale production. Visit www.nccuk.com
Important note:
To the extent that our press release contains forward-looking statements, the latter are based on information that is available at present and on our current forecasts and assumptions. Forward-looking statements, by their very nature, entail known as well as unknown risks and uncertainties that may lead to actual developments and events differing substantially from the forward-looking assessments. Forward-looking statements must not be understood to be guarantees. Instead, future developments and events depend on a large number of factors; they comprise various risks and imponderables and are based on assumptions that may possibly turn out not to be appropriate. These include unforeseeable changes to fundamental political, economic, legal and societal conditions, particularly in the context of our main customers’ industries, the competitive situation, interest and exchange rate trends, technological developments as well as other risks and uncertainties. We perceive additional risks e.g. in pricing developments, unforeseeable events in the environment of companies acquired and Group member companies as well as in current cost savings programs from time to time. The SGL Carbon assumes no obligation and does not intend to adjust or otherwise update these forward-looking statements either.
Press Contacts
SGL Carbon SE
Philipp Stieffenhofer
Soehnleinstrasse 8
65201 Wiesbaden/Germany
Telephone +49 611 6029-100
Fax +49 611 6029-101
press@sglcarbon.com
www.sglcarbon.com
NCC
Jools Granville
Communications Director
T: +44 117 244 3905
Email: jools.granville@nccuk.com
www.nccuk.com