Hexcel Corporation, an advanced composites company, has announced the acquisition of Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) Aerospace and Defense (A&D) business.
OPM is a producer of high-performance thermoplastic and carbon fiber reinforced 3D printed parts.
As previously reported, OPM is working with Boeing to provide 3D printed parts for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, and recently OPM PEKK was demonstrated to have numerous anti-infection orthopedic implant applications.
The assets acquired by Hexcel include equipment, intellectual property and manufacturing process technology related to the A&D business operations in South Windsor, Connecticut. OPM’s other businesses are not included in the acquisition.
OPM was the first company to “successfully apply and qualify additive manufacturing technology to the high performance polymer PEKK for aerospace, industrial and biomedical applications.”
Expanding market for materials
The materials developed by OPM include PEKK thermoplastic materials that Hexcel says, “can replace machined, cast, and printed metal parts in many applications, providing customers a high performance, lighter weight and potentially lower cost solution.”
OPM has also achieved numerous certifications including AS9100C, a standard for aerospace & industrial applications.
Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President Nick Stanage said, “We are excited to add this next-generation technology to our portfolio. In combination with our unique carbon fiber capability, PEKK can provide a range of new technology solutions to our aerospace and defense customers in printed parts as well as assembled structures and broader design solutions.”
Hexcel plans to scale and further develop OPM technology to meet increasing demand for carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic additive technology in aerospace and defense.
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