Velocity & Hexcel Global Supply Agreement

Company news 30 July 2024

Velocity Composites plc is pleased to announce the signing at Farnborough International of a global supply agreement for composite raw materials with Hexcel Corporation, a leading producer of carbon fibre reinforcements and resin systems, and the leader in honeycomb manufacturing for the commercial aerospace industry.
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For aerospace manufacturing, the pressure is on precision, pace, and predictability. As programmes scale and material requirements become more complex, inefficiency is being engineered out of the supply chain altogether. For Velocity Composites plc, this shift represents an opportunity. The Burnley-based business has continued to invest in proprietary digital manufacturing technology, aimed at transforming how composite material kits are produced, controlled, and delivered to customers operating at the highest levels of the aerospace and defence sectors. At the centre of this strategy is a fully digital, in-house manufacturing cell — designed not simply to increase throughput alone, but to fundamentally improve the way materials are managed across multiple programmes. The system enables full batch traceability across complex composite materials, while also unlocking more advanced nesting capabilities. By grouping material requirements across different kits and customers — where specifications allow — Velocity is able to significantly improve material utilisation and reduce waste. Speed is another critical factor. With composite materials often subject to strict shelf-life constraints, reducing processing time is essential. The company’s digital approach ensures materials move through the manufacturing cycle faster, preserving performance while improving overall efficiency. According to James Eastbury, the impact is being felt across the entire customer value chain. “Aerospace customers are under increasing pressure to deliver at scale, without compromising on quality or traceability,” he explains. “Our digital manufacturing capability allows us to manage complex product ranges with full transparency, while also optimising how materials are used across programmes. That combination is critical in building a more resilient and responsive supply chain.” The investment reflects a broader industry trend, where digitalisation is no longer a future ambition but a present-day necessity. For Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers alike, the ability to demonstrate control, traceability, and efficiency is becoming a prerequisite for long-term partnership. Velocity’s model is also inherently scalable. The digital manufacturing cell has been designed with replication in mind, allowing the company to deploy the same approach across multiple sites as demand grows. The result is a more consistent, data-driven manufacturing environment — one that reduces waste, improves operational control, and strengthens supply chain resilience at a time when the aerospace sector can least afford disruption. As production rates continue to rise and programme complexity increases, the role of digital manufacturing will only become more central. For Velocity Composites, the focus is clear: enabling customers to deliver with confidence, backed by a smarter, more efficient approach to composite material supply.

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