As part of the agreement, Web Industries will establish and operate a slitting operation within Hexcel's newly expanded prepreg facility in Stade, Germany.
| This agreement represents a significant partnership for our two companies and the combination of Hexcel's advanced carbon fibre materials and Web's precision composites converting will provide a unique service to our customers in Europe, Russia and the Middle East who will benefit from even greater levels of quality and responsiveness, significantly reduced freight costs, less inventory and shorter lead times." |
| Hexcel President, Nick Stanage |
Using its proprietary PrecisonSlit™ carbon fibre slit tape technology and processes, Web Industries will convert Hexcel's carbon fibre prepreg into various formats of precision slit tape. This slit tape is used on automated fibre placement (AFP) machines to make composite aircraft structures. The prepregs require strict operational and environmental conditions and co-locating the slit tape operation within Hexcel's Stade plant will provide outstanding environmental control and quality assurance.
Construction on the Web Industries' facility should be completed by May 2012, and commercial-scale production is expected to ramp up by December. The operation will eventually employ up to 70 people.
