Carbon fiber HexMC®

fabric

HexMC® is a high performance molding material, suitable for the production of complex shaped parts and specifically designed for compression molding. With long carbon fibers (50mm) and a low resin content, HexMC® provides better mechanical properties than any other short or long fiber molding compound. HexMC® molding materials enable composite parts to be manufactured for: Applications where complex 3-D shapes limit the use of typical fiber reinforced matrices/reinforced laminated composites; Use for applications where previously metal was the only solution; Parts with abrupt change of cross-sectional thickness; Applications where co-curing of elements is desired, such as metal inserts or mixing with other materials and more. Use with automated production process similar to SMC molding; Production of parts with zero material waste. As new generation commercial aircraft and jet engines increasingly use carbon fiber composites for large flight critical structures, a number of smaller complex geometry parts are required to connect these structures together. In the past these connector parts have been machined, cast or forged from aluminum, titanium or steel. However, Aluminum parts are sensitive to fatigue and corrosion and require frequent inspection and maintenance. Steel is heavy and sensitive to corrosion while Titanium adds significant weight and cost. HexMC® enables complex shapes to be manufactured in cost-effective series production while providing weight savings that are comparable to those traditionally achieved with aerospace carbon/epoxy prepregs. The resulting weight-savings reduce fuel consumption and increase aircraft payload.