In a busier sky than ever, the aerospace industry relies on strong partners capable of meeting its growing demands for more efficient and lightweighting composite materials with an uplift in global availability.
Henkel answers these needs with the expansion of the company’s production facilities at Montornès del Vallès in Spain and a continuing focus on innovative solutions designed to enhance the sustainability and consolidation of composite structures.
Among the highlights of Henkel’s exhibit (Hall 6, Booth M58) during JEC World 2019 at the Paris Nord Villepinte Exhibition Center from March 12-14, the company will present Loctite EA 9378 AERO, an innovative next-generation liquid shim material under development.
"As a gap filler for use as an integral component in primary aerospace structures, the new grade builds on the proven weight and fuel saving benefits of our broad existing portfolio of Loctite liquid shim solutions, while offering even faster curing rates at ambient temperature,” explained Alessandro D’Angelo, Head of Sales Europe for Henkel.
"The material will help OEMs in the industry reduce both carbon emissions and manufacturing costs in a wide range of consolidated structural designs.”
Loctite EA 9378 AERO has been designed for structural gap filling and tolerance bridging with uniform stress distribution throughout assemblies.
It exhibits controlled flow characteristics and will fill even large gaps up to 3mm with good slump resistance, which gives designers more flexibility in compensating part tolerances.
Besides rapid curing, the new liquid shim material also offers high mechanical strength in combination with enhanced fatigue and thermal cycling resistance.
Currently in its scale-up phase, the product is being sampled in the field and has already received positive feedback from selected customers.
Beyond material innovations to meet their needs, customers in aerospace expect global availability and security of supply.
"Our expanded European production facilities at Montornès del Vallès are aimed at improving the supply chain by combining state-of-the art automation technology for reliable high-volume rates with best principles of sustainability, resource-efficient production and manufacturing excellence,” said D’Angelo.
Scheduled to go on-stream in June 2019, the Montornès expansion – close to main aerospace manufacturing sites – is expected to become fully operational for aerospace products from Henkel by 2021.
Today, Henkel products are listed in more than 5000 aerospace specifications worldwide.
In addition to the company’s liquid shim technology, further aerospace innovations on display at the JEC show will include Loctite potting compounds for honeycomb sandwich assemblies, high-quality Loctite surfacing films, as well as various priming and surface treatment solutions.
The comprehensive portfolio is complemented by Henkel’s extensive engineering expertise in the rapid development, validation and optimisation of aerospace composite applications.
Apart from test volumes of materials available for sampling, customers are also supported through dedicated test facilities at the company’s Düsseldorf (Germany) and Bay Point (California) sites.
Meet Henkel’s market and materials experts at Booth M58 (Hall 6) during JEC World 2019 to learn more about the company’s innovative solutions for advanced lightweighting applications in aerospace.
