Acquired business has been rebranded as Aerovac and is a major manufacturer, developer and supplier of process materials, tooling and services.
Composites One, the leading North American supplier of composites materials and value-added services, has acquired the Process Materials business from the Solvay Composites Materials Global Business. This acquisition brings along a unique opportunity for the company to add international manufacturing and sales capabilities in specialized materials used in a variety of vacuum-assisted composite manufacturing processes.
The acquired business has been rebranded as Aerovac and is a major manufacturer, developer and supplier of process materials, tooling and services used in prepreg processing, vacuum infusion, glass lamination, and other industrial applications.
Established in 1970s in Europe, the Aerovac brand 1970s has always represented innovation in process materials. It changed in 2000 to Richmond/Aerovac, a name referenced in current Aerospace specifications.
“The name Aerovac pays homage to the brand’s heritage and customer focus which is now combined with the market presence of Composites One,” said Robert Murdock, Vice President & General Manager of Aerovac.
The Aerovac line comprises an extensive array of vacuum bagging materials, from bagging films, breather fabrics, release films and fabrics, to peel plies, sealant tapes, valves and hoses. Also available are tailored process materials kits and hard and soft tooling.
These products are of the same quality that Composites One has been providing to customers for the past two years while serving as Solvay’s North American distributor.
Steve Dehmlow, CEO of Composites One, said “Aerovac is a natural, strategic extension of Composites One’s business. It positions us for future growth, and further establishes Composites One as a major supplier to the Aerospace, Wind Energy and Marine markets.”
“We believe that the Process Materials business will greatly benefit from being part of Composites One,” said Carmelo Lo Faro, President of Solvay Composite Materials Global Business Unit. “Their intent is to grow and invest in the business, fostering innovation, reliability and customer service and build on the excellent work that our Team has done.”
According to the news, with the acquisition, Composites One gains multiple manufacturing, kit design/fabrication and materials distribution locations including Santa Fe Springs, California; Sumner, Washington; Keighley UK; Mondovi, Italy and Toulouse, France. An additional site in Toulouse focuses on the design and manufacture of hard and soft tooling. Another attractive inclusion is a UK-based distribution business, Med-Lab, which trades in aircraft engine overhaul consumables and fuel testing instruments.
According to Stratview Research, the composite process materials market was valued at around $800 million in 2020. The report states that the Aerospace & Defense industry is the largest consumer of the process materials. As composite materials are witnessing a greater penetration in the latest aircraft, the demand for automation in the manufacturing processes is also raising. Process materials become necessary in most of the processes through which composite parts are made for the A&D industry.
Solvay was one of the top players in the composite process materials market. This acquisition will result in a big rise in the market share of Composites One in the process materials business.
News Source: Composites One
Market Estimates: Composite Process Materials Market Report