JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #122 - July 2018 - 8

ln brief
Zoltek and Uniti sign memorandum of understanding
Teijin strengthens carbon fibre operations in China and Taiwan

NEWS

BMW Group invests over €10 million in an additive manufacturing campus

10
13

Announcement at OC
"We are actively investing in the growth of our Composites business"
Agenda

NEWS in brief
Agreement

Zoltek and Uniti sign memorandum of understanding
Zoltek, a global specialist in the production of low-cost industrial-grade carbon fibre, and electric vehicle maker Uniti signed a memorandum of understanding in
April. The agreement, which took effect immediately, outlines a partnership between the two companies in which Zoltek became the preferred supplier of carbon
fibre for Uniti's line of electric cars. Uniti has already received thousands of pre-orders
for their Uniti One vehicle, which will feature an all-carbon fibre body made with approximately 20kg of Zoltek PX35, 50K carbon fibre. This memorandum secures the carbon fibre supply for Uniti as the demand for their vehicles increases.
"It was important for us to develop a partnership with a carbon fibre supplier with the proven ability to increase production to help us grow our business," commented Anton Franzén,
CTO, Uniti. The use of Zoltek PX35 carbon fibre to replace the conventional metal design has resulted in a vehicle that is lightweight while maintaining superior mechanical
properties, all without the high price of typical advanced materials.
www.toray.com - www.uniti.earth

Acquisition

Appointement

Continental Structural Plastics
appoints Karen Williams as plant
manager
Continental Structural Plastics (CSP)
announced in May the promotion of
Karen Williams to plant manager of the
Huntington, Indiana, manufacturing
facility. She became the first woman to be
named to a plant management position in the
company's more than 50 years in operations.
As plant manager, Karen Williams will
oversee all operational aspects of the 31,600m²
Huntington manufacturing facility. The
plant, which recently underwent a significant
expansion to support future customer
programmes, currently employs approximately
400 hourly and salaried employees. The facility
manufactures
Class A body
panels for the
GM Corvette,
the Ford Raptor
and the Lincoln
Navigator.

Exel Composites acquires Diversified Structural Composites
In April, Exel Composites signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in
Diversified Structural Composites (DSC), a composites company based in the
United States of America, from Teijin Carbon America, a subsidiary of global carbon fibre manufacturer Teijin.

Karen Williams, who joined CSP in 2010, most
recently served as corporate quality manager.
In this position, she was the primary point of
contact for product quality related to launches
across multiple CSP facilities.

DSC has a manufacturing facility using mainly pultrusion technology located in
Erlanger, Kentucky, and a high level of technological know-how in pultrusion-related
technologies, which complements well Exel Composites' existing expertise and growth
strategy. DSC's product portfolio consists of carbon fibre and glass fibre-reinforced composites that are produced particularly for the wind energy industry. The company has
about 90 employees and, for the fiscal year 2017 ended in March 2018, revenue amounted to USD 19 million and operating loss close to USD one million. Restructuring initiatives since 2015 have progressively improved the company's profitability and breakeven
profitability is expected to be reached in 2019.

www.cspplastics.com

www.exelcomposites.com

AOC acquired by CVC Capital Partners Fund VI
AOC's parent company, The Alpha Corporation of Collierville, Tennessee, announced in May that it signed a definitive agreement
with CVC Capital Partners Fund VI to be acquired. The transaction includes AOC, LLC, the primary asset and wholly-owned
subsidiary of The Alpha Corporation. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals.
AOC is a leading global producer of resin chemistries for composites and cast polymer applications. Headquartered in Collierville,
Tennessee, the company manufactures polyester and vinyl ester resins, gel coats, colorant dispersions and specialty additives for
customers manufacturing products used in the automotive, marine, corrosion, construction and infrastructure segments, among
others. The company has production facilities in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Upon completion of the transaction,
AOC, under the ownership of CVC, plans to work closely with Swiss-based Aliancys, a manufacturer of quality resins and a CVC
portfolio company, to create a global leader in the industry. Aliancys' products are sold to various composite end users in the
automotive, building & construction, marine and relining/CIPP sectors.
www.aoc-resins.com

jec composites magazine / N°122 July 2018

http://www.toray.com http://www.uniti.earth http://www.cspplastics.com http://www.exelcomposites.com http://www.aoc-resins.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #122 - July 2018