Hexcel (Stamford, Connecticut; www.hexcel.com) has opened a prepreg manufacturing facility in Nantes / France, which will supply high performance composites in the aerospace industry. Part of an on-going investment programme by the company, the facility will manufacture “HexPly” M21 unidirectional prepreg, which it will supply mainly to Airbus (Toulouse / France; www.airbus.com) at its neighbouring plant and its subcontractors. Typical applications for HexPly prepregs made in Nantes are the "A380" and "A400M" central wing box and "A340-500-600" keel beam.

A similar prepreg plant was opened by the company in Stade / Germany in 2007. The Nantes facility is the first of three new plants to start up for Hexcel in 2008. Later in the year the company plans to open a carbon fibre unit in Spain and a wind energy prepreg facility in China.