Swiss composites specialist Gurit (Wattwil; www.gurit.com) has renewed its distribution agreement with Maricell (Longarone / Italy; www.maricell.it), a producer of closed-cell PVC structural foam. Gurit will continue to distribute all Maricell’s PVC worldwide until 31 December 2020, and has further options to extend the contract.

The Swiss group said it would continue to produce and globally distribute its existing core materials range, which includes “Corecell” PVC, “Balsaflex” and “Kerdyn” PET. Gurit added that it also offers regional stock as well as slicing and finishing capacities for structural foam to customers in Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

In separate news, Gurit has won a two-year contract, worth around CHF 9m (EUR 8m), to produce and supply carbon fibre-based hoods and other exterior car body panels to an Italian premium automotive OEM. The company will provide the parts to achieve best-in-class functional performance for the high-performance car. The parts, which will be manufactured using Gurit’s patented "press technology", are based on a new material and design concept.

According to the Swiss group, its Composite Engineering department has been involved in the structural design of the parts, including using computerised tool Finite Element Analysis for mechanical-loading performance and head-impact predictions.

The car parts will be produced at Gurit’s plant in Hungary, which is scheduled to start supply in January 2018. Keith Netting, Gurit’s head of sales and programme engineering, said the contract was a clear sign of the engineering and manufacturing capabilities that it had built up over the years. Neither the identity of the OEM nor the name of the car manufacturer were revealed.