INDUSTRY NEWS EXEL COMPOSITES SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT OF LCA60T AIRSHIP


Exel Composites has developed a new production capability at its factory in Joensuu, Finland, to support its collaboration with FLYINGWHALES, the French-Canadian aeronautical company developing the innovative LCA60T airship. The collaboration between the companies has


now moved into process validation, a key step toward producing the pull-wound composite tubes for the first LCA60T airship frame. The LCA60T is a 200m long vertical take-off airship designed to transport up to 60 tons of cargo in landlocked territories. The airship’s frame uses around 80km of pull-wound carbon fibre tubes to achieve the required combination of lightweight construction and mechanical performance. The new production area in Joensuu offers additional manufacturing space for producing very long tubes and enhanced control of conditions such as temperature, humidity, and air cleanliness. Themilestone follows early fibre, resin and lay-up testing, as well as the 2024 agreement that deepened the collaboration between Exel and FLYING WHALES. The area includes several pull-winding lines, drawing on Exel’s decades of global experience in continuous


composite manufacturing. Pull-winding combines the design flexibility needed to engineer lightweight, high-strength tubes with the consistency and cost efficiency of continuous production. During process validation, Exel will demonstrate that the pull-winding process can consistently produce the composite tubes required for the first LCA60T airship frame with the required quality and repeatability. In aerospace applications, this validation is particularly important, as it demonstrates that the equipment and process parameters used to produce each component can consistently meet the tight tolerances and quality requirements required to reach the highest safety standard. “This milestone is an important step in


preparing the LCA60T program for industrial readiness. It illustrates the strength of the industrial consortium behind the program and our shared ambition to transform what is possible in aeronautics. Exel’s advanced composite expertise, process discipline and production capability are essential as we move toward the next phases of the program,” said Vincent Guibout,


CEO of FLYING WHALES. “The progressmade in Joensuu reflects the commitment and close collaboration of everyone involved.” “Moving into this next phase together with


FLYING WHALES reflects the strength of our long-term partnership and the dedication of our Joensuu team,” said Paul Sohlberg, CEO of Exel Composites. “The new production area strengthens our manufacturing capabilities and supports the aerospace-level process control, repeatability and expertise required for demanding applications such as the LCA60T.”


www.exelcomposites.com


RENISHAW CELEBRATES EXPANSION OF MISKIN, SOUTH WALES, SITE Jim Long, director of Group Manufacturing,


Renishaw is celebrating the 15th anniversary of the purchase of its Miskin site in South Wales, and the completion of the first phase of a further £70 million development of the facility. Announced in 2022, this investment will ultimately double the size of the Miskin site, giving the company space to expand manufacturing capacity to meet rising demand for its precision metrology, additive manufacturing and position


measurement products. The expansion of the Miskin site represents


a major long-term investment in UK manufacturing, sustainability and skills development. It reinforces Renishaw’s commitment to South Wales and the UK while providing a modern, low-carbon, manufacturing environment that showcases the best of British engineering.


MADE SMARTER NORTH WEST BACKS AVOCET MATERIALS


Avocet Materials Group, a family-owned business, is taking on some of the world's biggest battery markets after transforming itself from a specialist distributor into an advanced manufacturer in just five years. The company develops specialist components for lithium-ion batteries. These are used in Formula One


(F1) battery applications, as well as aerospace, defence, electric vehicles and energy storage applications. The business exports 99% of its battery products to markets including China, Japan and the US. Now, having grown turnover from £1.5m to £3.5m, including around 25% sales growth this year, the


speed and scale of Avocet’s transformation has prompted the company to take stock of the systems, technology and leadership needed for its next phase. It is working with Made Smarter North West, the government-backed programme helping SME manufacturers grow and innovate through digital technology and skills, to improve productivity, increase capacity and build the foundations for further expansion. Kieren Hall, CEO, said: “When you think that five years ago we didn’tmanufacture anything, what we’ve


achieved is pretty remarkable.We’ve built amanufacturing operation fromscratch, developed our own technology and we’re nowmaking specialist components for lithium-ion batteries in Cheshire for some of the most demanding applications in the world.” The pace and ambition of Avocet’s expansion created a new challenge, however, with its systems and


processes struggling to keep up with its rapidly evolvingmanufacturing operation. It turned to Made Smarter for support, securing a £13,000 grant towards a £75,000 ERP system. Going live in January 2027, the technology will integrate operations across the business, improve productivity and give Avocet the digital infrastructure it needs to scale. Avocet is already looking to its next manufacturing challenge, exploring automated inspection


technology to increase production capacity, alongside opportunities to use AI. Donna Edwards, director of Made Smarter NorthWest, said: “Rapid expansion on that scale brings


challenges as well as opportunities. Made Smarter is there to give ambitious SME manufacturers access to the right technology, skills and leadership support at the right time, helping them turn that potential into sustainable growth. It is incredibly exciting to see what Kieren and the team have achieved and to support them as they prepare for what comes next.”


madesmarter.uk 8 DESIGN SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 2026 www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


said: “Our long-term commitment to manufacturing is exemplified by the investment that we have made in Miskin over the past 15 years and I would like to thank the many people from across our business who have supported the development of this world-class facility.”


www.renishaw.com MHP WINS MCLAREN


AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD


MHP has won McLaren Automotive’s Supplier Excellence Award 2026 – Project Execution. The award provides an opportunity to


celebrate the expertise, commitment and hard work of the MHP colleagues involved, alongside the close collaboration with stakeholders across McLaren’s IT and Commercial teams. Bodo Philipp, CEO of MHP Consulting UK,


said: “Receiving this award from McLaren is a fantastic recognition of what the team has achieved together. It reflects the commitment, expertise and collaboration of everyone involved. I’m incredibly proud of the team and grateful to McLaren for recognising their contribution.” The recognition builds on MHP’s


longstanding work with automotive organisations, combining strategic and technology expertise to support complex transformation programmes.


www.mhp.com/en/


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