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Hexcel sets up new plant in Isère, France

08 Oct '18

3 min read

Courtesy: Hexcel

Hexcel has set up a new plant at the Les Roches-Roussillon Chemicals Industry Platform in Isère, France. The new 37-acre plant is the company's first combined precursor and carbon fibre plant outside the US. Four years after the project launch, the site has become operational and is contributing to enhancing Hexcel’s global carbon fibre production capacity.

Hexcel invested 200 million Euros in the plant that will generate 120 direct and 250 indirect jobs. Hexcel’s workforce in France has now risen to 1,200 people with more than 1,000 employees located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

The new facility is part of Hexcel’s ongoing worldwide investment to create a diversified and robust global supply chain to support aerospace customers’ growing demand for carbon fibre composites. Since 2015, Hexcel has invested in all its locations worldwide, largely to support the growing demand for composites and the development of aerospace industry programmes such as Airbus (A350 XWB) and Safran (CFM International LEAP engine).

Thierry Merlot, Hexcel president, Aerospace -- Europe/Asia-Pacific/Middle East/Africa, said: “With this plant, we are responding to the needs of aerospace customers and their growing demand for carbon composite materials. The site has already received its first aerospace certifications.”

Based at the Osiris Chemicals Industry Platform, the location was chosen by Hexcel due to its proximity to Hexcel customers, other Hexcel sites, its quality infrastructure and operational excellence, and the availability of competitively priced electricity in France.

Operating in synergy with Hexcel’s existing sites in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Les Avenières, the biggest carbon fibre weaving plant in Europe, and Dagneux, manufacturer of prepreg fabrics and carbon fibres, the new plant will create a global ecosystem for the high-performance composite materials sector covering the entire production chain from carbon fibre to resin-impregnated fabrics called prepreg.

In 2014, Hexcel signed a regional master agreement with Pôle emploi, the French national employment agency, to support its development and hire over 200 employees for its sites in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region through the implementation of job simulation recruitment (MRS).

Merlot said: “Hexcel has become more attractive in recent years. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has provided support with training. New employees have received customised training courses, including onsite training at Hexcel facilities in the United States and Spain.”

Merlot added: “Today we are able to invest in production capacity thanks to both organic growth and the acquisition of complementary technologies. Recent acquisitions and partnerships have enabled us to diversify and acquire new technology solutions such as additive manufacturing, adhesives, pultrusion processes and thermoplastics. For this purpose, this year we signed a strategic partnership with Arkema to develop carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastics and set up a new joint research and development unit in France.” (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India