JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #73 - June 2012 - 5

products stronger, lighter and more competitive. We do this by combining a wide range of core materials, finishing, kits and long-term competence. We work closely with customers in our target industries to understand their needs and challenges, and we use our competence to develop solutions for them. This can be a new product, such as Divinycell F40, that significantly decreases the weight of aircraft interiors. Or, it can be a tailor-made “core material kit”, where we have also provided the structural calculations for the application via CCG (our consulting offering for composites). Naturally, we have a vision for growth and profitability as well, and it is closely connected to how well we deliver on our mission.
JCM: What are your main sectors of activity? And according to you, what will be the most promising one in the next few years?

the most significant leverage of the benefits of sandwich composites is in transportation. Weight savings have a significant impact on the efficiency of any vehicle – trains, cars, buses, trucks or aircraft.
JCM: How is your company organized to grow?

L.H. : DIAB works in five main market areas: wind, marine, aerospace, industry and transportation. For wind and marine, the demand is closely connected to the economy and to governmental policies. Looking at composites and the way the world is going in terms of the environment,

L.H. : We understand that the speed of service and security supply is crucial. Our global presence with sales companies and manufacturing units located close to our clients ensures that we capture arising growth opportunities. However, our strongest growth driver is our competence. DIAB’s ability to turn needs into sandwich composite solutions enables us to capture growth inside and outside our target segments. A good example of this is the Horton building in Copenhagen ( JEC Award 2010), where a combination of Divinycell P and Italian Travatino stone resulted in an exceptional house façade that would not have been feasible without sandwich design.
JCM: What is your R&D strategy?

We continuously develop our current portfolio and launch new products. A good example is the Matrix series, which is an evolution from our Divinycell H line. The Matrix series provides higher mechanical properties per weight compared to Divinycell H. This provides both weight and cost savings for our customers. For research, we look a couple of years ahead for new core materials with characteristics meeting the needs we see inside and outside our current target segments.
JCM: In your opinion, how do composites compare with sandwich materials in terms of growth?

Some of DIAB’s main markets

L.H. : Our strategy is quite simple: we work on different time horizons with our guiding mission to “make our customers’ products stronger, lighter and more competitive”.

L.H. : We see these two more as complements than competing solutions. Many applications using sandwich materials also use «single skins». It’s true that sometimes they compete head to head, but normally there are needs for using one over the other and only one of the two that can fulfil that need. Comparing growth rates and analysing the two makes no sense as they provide different characteristics. Hence, we see great growth potential for both. n
More information: www.diabgroup.com

titive. Today, DIAB is one of world’s largest manufacturers of structural core materials, supplying a wide range of markets including marine, wind energy, transportation, aerospace and industry. The company has manufacturing facilities on four continents for high service level and optimal supply chain. In addition, it has seventeen sales subsidiaries and strategically located distributors around the world, so that it can offer close support to its global customer base. DIAB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Swedish private equity company Ratos AB.

DIAB’s latest release. Divinycell Matrix 10-8

No73 June 2012 /

jec composites magazine 5

http://www.diabgroup.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #73 - June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #73 - June 2012