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28 May 2008  -  Germany

Hitco to supply composite components for the B787

© Boeing

Hitco Carbon Composites announced on May 27, 2008 that it has signed a long term agreement with Alenia Aeronautica, S.p.A., a Finmeccanica Company, to supply the trailing edge components for the Boeing 787 horizontal stabilizer.

Hitco will begin delivering flight hardware in the second quarter of 2008. In addition, Alenia has selected Hitco to supply a range of other composite components for the B 787. These components will be delivered directly to Alenia as well as to other Alenia subcontractors. Boeing Commercial Airplanes contracted Alenia as a Tier I supplier to build the aft fuselage and other sections of the B 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

“Hitco was selected to produce the Trailing Edge components for the B 787 Horizontal Stabilizer because of its established performance as a Gold Supplier to Boeing – particularly the C 17 and B 767 programs and its approval to Boeing’s Process Specification 5578. The factors above along with Hitco’s ongoing transformation to a state-of-the-art fully automated production facility utilizing lean manufacturing principles, are making our goal of becoming a Best in Class Tier II carbon composites supplier for the aircraft industry a reality,” said Edward G. Carson, Hitco’s Chief Operating Officer.

About Hitco Carbon Composites, Inc.
Hitco Carbon Composites, Inc. was founded in 1922 and manufactures advanced composite materials primarily for aerospace and defense applications. Hitco continues to be an innovative leader in the advancement of carbon composite technologies and continues to strategically focus within the SGL Group on new projects for aerospace/aircraft and defense applications.

About Alenia Aeronautica
Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica Company, is the largest Italian aeronautic player which operates world-wide in the commercial and military aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles and aerostructures. Alenia Aeronautica also coordinates the activities of Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali - wholly owned companies – respectively active in the design and manufacturing of military trainer aircraft and in the overhaul, maintenance and modification of military and civil aircraft.

About SGL Group
The SGL Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group’s core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group’s carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to the paradigm shift in the use of materials as a result of the worldwide shortage of energy and raw materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group’s high-performance materials and products from an increasing number of industries. Carbon and graphite products are used whenever other materials such as steel, aluminum, copper, plastics, wood etc. fail due to their limited properties. Products from the SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive, chemical and glass/ceramics industries. However, manufacturers in the semiconductor, battery, solar/wind energy, environmental protection, aerospace and defense industries as well as in the nuclear energy industry also figure among the Company’s customers.
With 38 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, the SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2007, the Company’s workforce of around 5,900 generated sales of € 1.4 billion. The Company’s head office is located in Wiesbaden/Germany.

Source : SGL Group