HITCO Carbon Composites has received the 2011 Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Achievement Award for its achievements in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program. The Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) had sponsored the award, which honors and recognizes outstanding technical accomplishments in achieving affordable manufacturing capability in defense systems.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, Brett Lambert, presented the award. HITCO’s President, Anthony Lawson, stated that it was an honor to be a part of the ManTech winning team.
HITCO Carbon Composites is a company, which specializes in composite structures and materials, high temperature materials and carbon-carbon brakes for aircraft. It is a subsidiary of the SGL Group – The Carbon Company, which supplies advanced materials and composite structures to the aerospace, aircraft and defense markets.
The ManTech winning team included the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Company, Navy ManTech, MAG Cincinnati, Cytec Engineered Materials, the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, and Composites Manufacturing Technology Center. For enhancing the affordability and the productivity of the JSF, the team had to increase the effectiveness of the automated fiber placement (AFP) process for manufacturing bismaleimide/ carbon fiber composites.
More than a hundred ManTech projects have been funded in 2011, of which only 10 receive nominations for the award. There were five finalists, among which the HITCO team received the award. The economic impact of the project garnered the award. Navy ManTech had invested $3.7 million, which will be realized as cost-savings over the next 20 years to the extent of $100 million.
HITCO has been providing composite product components for many decades to Lockheed Martin. It has supplied the Radomes for Hercules transport aircraft and nacelle skins and wing skins for the JSF.
Source: http://www.sglgroup.com/