Market and product

Belgium-headquartered chemicals giant Solvay has announced that it has inaugurated a new carbon fibre production line at its US site in Piedmont Facility, South Carolina.

The company said that its new line doubles its production capacity of a key raw material to make carbon fibre reinforced composite materials.

Solvay stated that the new line was introduced to meet increasing demand for light-weighting composite materials in the aerospace industry, but it has not disclosed a financial figure for the investment.

"Through this strategic capacity expansion we offer our customers greater supply capabilities and contribute to their increased needs for reinforced composite materials to reduce weight and fuel consumption and to reduce assembly costs by integrated part design. For Solvay this production expansion results in greater flexibility to strengthen our growth in innovative composite materials and our leading position in the industry," said Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, chief executive of Solvay.

Solvay highlighted that the new production line has won qualification by the Boeing Company to manufacture secondary structures such as wing movable flaps, engine nacelles and interior applications. - prw.com