Toray Advanced Composites Forms Strategic R&D Alliance with NCC

Toray Advanced Composites (formerly TenCate Advanced Composites, Morgan Hill, Calif., U.S.) announced on Sept. 11 that it has signed a Tier 1 membership with the National Composites Centre (NCC, Bristol, U.K.), to use the world-leading facilities and capabilities of the Centre as part of its research and development (R&D) strategy.

As part of the new agreement, Toray Advanced Composites will collaborate with the NCC on composites innovation programs in the U.K. within both the aerospace and automotive sectors, such as the Wing of Tomorrow program, which is Airbus’ largest research and technology program taking place globally and encompasses a cross-industry partnership including the NCC, Spirit AeroSystems (Wichita, Kan., U.S.) and GKN Aerospace (Worcs, U.K.), to develop and demonstrate the technology and digital capability needed to deliver the next generation of aircraft wings. Toray will work together with program partners to develop materials and product solutions for next-generation program needs.

The partnership with the NCC has a long history, as TenCate Advanced Composites has been a member of the NCC since 2012. With TenCate now part of the Toray group, and recently changing its name to Toray Advanced Composites, the team is set to further its R&D activity with the NCC as a Tier 1 member.

Toray Advanced Composites says it will continue its core R&D program on thermoplastics composites developed with the TenCate team, as well as  working with the NCC to shape its future research direction with other Tier 1 industry members. The NCC will also be supporting Toray to connect more closely with its partner the Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS, Bristol, U.K.), which brings together the composites research activity taking place across the University of Bristol.

“The NCC incubate and drive forward a collaborative platform for technology and material innovation, enabling the next generation of composites adoption,” says Frank Meurs, managing director at Toray Advanced Composites. “As a long-standing member of the NCC, we are excited to accelerate this progress together with the NCC and industry partners as a Tier 1 member.”

“This is a significant commitment from Toray and we are delighted they want to enhance their membership with the NCC. Toray has a long heritage of product and process innovation and we look forward to strengthening the partnership and the valuable contribution they will make to the NCC’s future growth,” says Janet Mitchell, director of the Aerospace & Defence Business Unit at the NCC.