#Composites

2023-02-23

SGL Carbon sold its business activities at the Gardena site (USA)

As part of the realignment of SGL Carbon, strategic options were developed for all Business Units. In this context, the site network of the Business Unit Composite Solutions was also reviewed. The Composite Solutions Business Unit offers customer-oriented and tailor-made solutions based on carbon and glass fibers for high-tech applications in the automotive, aerospace, energy and other industrial sectors.

The review revealed that the Gardena site (California, USA) should no longer be embedded in the strategic alignment. Against this background, SGL Carbon sold its business activities at the Gardena site to an affiliate of Tex-Tech Industries, Inc., effective February 16, 2023. This also includes all plant and machinery as well as customer contracts served from the Gardena site that will be fulfilled by the buyer in the future. The employees of the site were also taken over by the buyer. The property will remain in the possession of SGL Carbon and will be leased to the buyer for use.

In the future, the Composite Solutions business unit will serve its North American business from Arkadelphia site (Arkansas, USA) which is being expanded as a hub for the manufacturing of composite components, in particular for large-volume orders from North American automotive customers.

SGL Carbon decides to restructure its Carbon Fibers business unit

The Board of Management of SGL Carbon SE today decided, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to restructure the loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit. SGL Carbon will significantly reduce the business activities of Carbon Fibers and focus on a profitable core. Individual solutions are being developed for all Carbon Fibers sites, including the closure of unprofitable sites.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

Georg Stausberg, a veteran of the textile machinery industry, takes over as Rieter Group CEO

Georg Stausberg, one of the most experienced executives in the international textile machinery industry, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Rieter Group with immediate effect from 4 November 2026. With more than three decades of industry experience and a long-standing leadership career at Barmag, Stausberg brings extensive technological expertise, international market knowledge and an established network across the global textile industry to his new position.

Jeanologia and BCome connect factory data with Life Cycle Assessment and Digital Product Passports

A new white paper by EIM by Jeanologia and BCome demonstrates how primary environmental data from denim finishing processes can be integrated into a garment's Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and prepared for use in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). A comparative case study highlights significant improvements at the production stage while also showing how these translate into the environmental performance of the finished garment.

Inside the Making connects denim and sportswear supply chains at Ecomondo 2026

Six European companies are joining forces at Ecomondo 2026 in Rimini to demonstrate how different stages of denim and sportswear production are interconnected. The new initiative, Inside the Making, highlights the importance of cooperation across the textile supply chain in addressing sustainability challenges, from reducing resource consumption to improving transparency and the reliability of environmental claims.

EDANA welcomes definitive EU anti-dumping measures on Chinese PET spunbond

EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries, has welcomed the European Commission's decision to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of PET spunbond originating in China. The association considers the measures an important step towards restoring fair competition and safeguarding European industrial capacity.