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REINFORCEDplastics MARCH/APRIL 2013 10 www.reinforcedplastics.com BUSINESS In brief Kineco Private Ltd of India, and Kaman Aerospace Group Inc, a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, USA, have formally inaugurated their joint venture in Goa, India. The new company, Kineco Kaman Composites – India Pvt Ltd, will manufacture composite parts for aircraft and helicopters as well as for other industries. The joint venture will initially employ 50 people; this number is expected to grow to over 500 in the next three-five years. THE US Federation Aviation Adminstration (FAA) has announced that it will conduct a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787’s critical systems, including their design, manufacture and assembly. Boeing 787 in safety review TENCATE, A producer of composites for space and aerospace, protective fabrics and geosynthetics, has announced it will acquire Amber Composites, a UK-based manufacturer of prepregs for the industrial and automotive markets. The financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed. Netherlands-headquarter- ed TenCate’s activities in the composites market are mainly focused on aerospace, space and radome applications and within the TenCate Advanced Compos- ites group, which has activities in the USA and Europe. TenCate is a leader in thermoplastic prepregs for the aviation industry under the Cetex® brand. Amber Composites was estab- lished in 1988 to manufacture prepreg materials. It is headquar- tered near Nottingham in the UK and serves a number of industries including motorsport, automotive, aerospace, communications, marine and wind energy. The acquisition of Amber Composites will help accelerate TenCate’s thermoset composites activities in the European market, and in the industrial and auto- motive composites, tooling materials and aerospace market. Announcing the news, Amber Composites stated that by joining forces with Tencate it will strengthen its ability to provide its customer service on a more global basis. • TenCate recently announced an alliance with BASF for thermo- plastic composites for the auto- motive market, as well as with 3M for the US tooling market, aimed at expansion of its market potential for thermoset composites. The recent acquisi- tion of PMC Baycomp in the US and the current acquisition of Amber Composites also support the company’s expan- sion into new markets. TenCate; www.tencate.com Amber Composites; www.ambercomposites.com TenCate acquires Amber Composites In November, Boeing announced that it would be increasing production of the 787 Dreamliner to five aircraft per month. The aircraft sells for around US$206.8 million. (Picture © Boeing.) This follows incidents in January, including an electrical fire, brake problems, and fuel leaks. The purpose of the review is to validate the work conducted during the certification process and further ensure that the aircraft meets the FAA’s levels of safety. A team of FAA and Boeing engineers and inspectors will conduct the joint review, with an emphasis on the aircraft’s electrical power and distribution system. Industry commentators note that new aircraft often have some ‘teething problems,’ but incidents such as those the Dreamliner has experienced over recent weeks could affect the public’s percep- tion of the plane. “We are confident that the aircraft is safe,” says FAA Adminis- trator Michael P. Huerta. “But we need to have a complete under- standing of what is happening. We are conducting the review to further ensure that the aircraft meets our high safety standards.” “We also stand 100% behind the integrity of the 787 and the rigorous process that led to its successful certification and entry into service,” said Boeing CEO Jim McNerney in a statement. “We look forward to participating in the joint review with the FAA, and we believe it will underscore our confidence, and the confi- dence of our customers and the travelling public, in the reliability, safety and performance of the innovative, new 787 Dreamliner.” Composite materials make up 50% of the primary structure of the 787, including the fuselage and wing. • On 16 January, Japanese airlines All Nippon Airways (ANA) grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners when one aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing because of battery problems. Japan Airlines followed suit, grounding its 17 787s until further notice. FAA; www.faa.gov
