Hexcel and NIAR launch the Hexcel Application Center in Kansas

The 55th edition of the International Paris Air Show (Salon international de l’aéronautique et de l’espace) has opened today, on 16-22 June 2025, at Le Bourget in France. For more than a century, the show has welcomed meetings and opportunities in the global aerospace industry, showcasing cutting-edge innovations and demonstrations and highlighting the challenges and opportunities for the future of air transport.

“Kansas has long been a hub for innovation, contributing significantly to the global aerospace and defence industries,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). “The collaboration between Hexcel and NIAR is a testament to our state’s talented workforce and robust supply chain for aviation and defense manufacturing. This collaboration is great news for Kansas and will be a key component to advancing the technologies that will shape the future of aerospace and defense.”

The future Hexcel Application Center will combine Hexcel’s expertise in composite materials with NIAR’s extensive research capabilities to accelerate innovation and enhance the U.S. composite industry’s competitiveness. The Hexcel Application Center will focus on several key processes, namely automated layup and fibre placement, liquid composite moulding and infusion, high-temperature carbon-based materials and advanced material processing so as to support high-rate manufacturing and improved performance of carbon fibre composites.

The Hexcel Application Center will be located in NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems in Wichita, KS. It will be equipped with $10 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment, among which an Advanced Fibre Placement (AFP) machine and an autoclave, which should facilitate complex composite material processing. The launch of the centre is expected to create opportunities for innovation, workforce development and economic growth in the region.

“The Hexcel Application Center will represent a significant step forward in our commitment to advancing composite materials technology,” said Tom Gentile, President and CEO, Hexcel. “By combining our strengths, we can accelerate the development of innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of the aerospace and defence sectors.”

“We are grateful for Hexcel’s continued support and the opportunity to expand our mutual resources to establish the Hexcel Application Center,” added John Tomblin, WSU Executive Vice President of Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR Executive Director. “Working alongside Hexcel team members on a regular basis will greatly enhance our research capabilities and provide valuable opportunities for our students and staff to engage in cutting-edge projects that have a real-world impact.”

Hexcel is the largest U.S.-based composite materials supplier and world’s largest supplier of aerospace-grade composite materials. The collaboration between NIAR and Hexcel will enable increased research and development and prototyping efforts, helping to improve the value and performance on future DoD platforms and national security.

Research and development efforts through the Hexcel Application Center at NIAR ATLAS will also benefit from the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) database. NCAMP, a NIAR initiative, provides a shared repository of material property data that is critical for commercial aerospace, defence and space applications. The database allows manufacturers to access pre-qualified material systems so as to significantly reduce the time and cost related to material qualification and certification processes.