TenCate Advanced Composites Europe announced today that a contract has been signed to supply TenCate Cetex carbon fibre fabric laminates for use in the new Airbus A350 XWB and other EADS applications. Delivery of TenCate Cetex will start to several Tier 1 and Tier 2 partners of Airbus that produce fuselage panels and components for the Airbus A350 XWB.

TenCate Cetex material, which is characterized as high strength and low weight, will be applied to the stiffening structure of the body of the Airbus A350 XWB. Frank Meurs, group director of TenCate Advanced Composites, explains: “Our thermoplastic material is already used in existing Airbus programs, amongst others the Airbus A380.

These advanced fabric reinforced thermoplastic composite materials are already used for many structural and semi-structural exterior as well as interior applications in aircraft. With the supply of TenCate Cetex material to the Airbus A350 XWB program, the importance of light and mouldable thermoplastic material is once again underlined. One of the advantages of the application of thermoplastic composite is the ability for the serial production in large numbers”.

TenCate Advanced Composites is a leading developer and producer of thermo set and thermoplastic prepreg composites for space and aerospace and industrial applications. Prepregs of TenCate Advanced Composites are used in commercial aircraft, satellites, helicopters, general aviation, aircraft interiors, radomes and unmanned vehicles. TenCate Advanced Composites has plants in Europe and North-America.