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Date:
1/26/2009 Cecilia Haviland
Los Angeles, January 26, 2009 -
HITCO Carbon Composites, Inc., Gardena, California,
U.S.A., a subsidiary of SGL Group – The Carbon Company – announced today
it has entered into a long-term strategic agreement with Denel Saab
Aerostructures Ltd., a subsidiary of South African and Swedish aerospace
manufacturers to collaborate in composite components manufacturing for the
Embraer C-390 Military Transport Aircraft. Denel
Saab and HITCO intend to produce composite components, such as the Aft
Fuselage, ensuring that the aircraft meets established performance goals
within aircraft weight targets.
Enhanced, automated manufacturing solutions will be offered by these two
companies to maximize customer value and affordability.
In announcing this agreement, Peter Hoffman, President of HITCO Carbon
Composites said: “HITCO took delivery of its Viper® 6000 Automated Fiber
Placement (AFP) machine in October 2008 from Cincinnati MAG.
This AFP equipment complements our existing Automated Tape Laying (ATL)
capacity that will provide commercial and military customers automated
solutions to their growing composite needs for major aerostructure
components. We will utilize our
AFP equipment for fabricating the complex composite Aft Fuselage II work
package.”
“Together, HITCO and Denel Saab will offer ‘Best
Value’ because of our unique combination of attributes including: time to
market, schedule adherence, quality and reduced risk”, said Hoffman.
Lana Kinley, CEO of Denel Saab Aerostructures also commented: “We at
Denel Saab are pleased to have HITCO on board offering advanced
manufacturing solutions for the Embraer C-390 program.
Like them, we have invested in major plant upgrades and capital
equipment. By entering into this
relationship, we offer a great value-add to our customers.”
HITCO, supported by its parent SGL Group, has
developed enhanced capabilities for manufacturing composites for the
aerospace industry. The company continues to execute its plan for expanding
and upgrading its production facilities to accommodate even more modern
production equipment. The recent
plant investments and enhanced automated manufacturing capabilities enable
the company to serve as a value-added supplier and partner to its OEM and
Tier I customers, thus enabling HITCO to fulfill its mission of becoming a
world-class Tier II supplier to the aerospace industry.
About Denel Saab
Denel Saab, located in Kempton Park, Republic of South Africa, is a recently
merged subsidiary of the South African, State-owned aerospace and defense
manufacturer Denel and Saab AB, of Sweden for the purpose of manufacturing
aerostructures. The merger was announced mid-2006, in Stockholm, Sweden.
About HITCO Carbon Composites, Inc.
HITCO Carbon Composites, Inc. was founded in 1922 and manufactures advanced
composite materials primarily for aerospace and defense applications. HITCO
continues to be an innovative leader in the advancement of carbon composite
technologies and continues to strategically focus within the SGL Group on
new projects for aerospace/aircraft and defense applications. About SGL Group – The Carbon Company
The SGL Group is one of the
world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products. It has a
comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to
carbon fibers and composites.
SGL Group’s core competencies are its
expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and
engineering know-how gained over many years.
These competencies enable
the Company to make full use of its broad material base.
SGL Group’s carbon-based materials combine
several unique properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, heat
and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with
low weight. Due to the paradigm shift
in the use of materials as a result of the worldwide shortage of energy and
raw materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group’s high-performance
materials and products from an increasing number of industries.
Carbon and graphite products are
used whenever other materials such as steel, aluminum, copper,
plastics, wood etc. fail due to their limited properties.
Products from the SGL Group are used
predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive, chemical and
glass/ceramics industries.
However, manufacturers in the semiconductor, battery,
solar/wind energy, environmental protection, aerospace and defense
industries as well as in the nuclear energy industry also figure among the
Company’s customers.
Important note:
This press release contains statements on
future developments that are based on currently available information and
that involve risks and uncertainties that could lead to actual results
deviating from these forward-looking statements. The statements on future
developments are not to be understood as guarantees. The future developments
and events are dependent on a number of factors: they include various risks
and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions that may not be
correct. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable
changes in political, economic and business conditions, particularly in the
area of electrosteel production, the competitive situation, interest rate
and currency developments, technological developments and other risks and
unanticipated circumstances. We see other risks in price developments,
unexpected developments relating to acquired and consolidated companies and
in the ongoing cost optimization programs.
SGL Group does not intend to update these
forward-looking statements.
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