Without disclosing the purchasing price, Saint-Gobain (Paris / France; www.saint-gobain.com) in late May announced that it had acquired MIPNET Industries’ (Merignac / France) JTT Composites assets. The business, which operates a production plant near Bordeaux / France, produces composite parts for the aerospace market and also runs an R&D facility. The acquisition will allow Saint-Gobain to access JTT Composites’ proprietary “RT2i” weaving technology, which is said to combine the automated manufacture of 3D dry textile reinforcements in “Kevlar”, carbon or other types of fibre with the impregnation of these reinforcements with thermoplastic matrices or thermosets.

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics business manager Scott Huth said the purchase “will expand our portfolio of high-performance solutions and value-adding services.” He added that the European aerospace market is booming, and that the company has high hopes for this particular business.

Saint-Gobain said the acquisition is in line with its focus on strengthening its position in growth markets. As part of that goal, the French group in January acquired Brazilian speciality extruded tubing producer SG Plásticos (see Plasteurope.com of 13.01.2016).