Specialty glass fiber reinforcements supplier AGY (Aiken, S.C., U.S.), and multiaxial noncrimp fabrics (NCF) manufacturer Saertex (Saerbeck, Germany) have announced a joint development focused on use of AGY’s high-strength S-2 Glass fiber in Saertex-engineered NCF architectures. The combination aims to deliver lightweight, high-strength composite solutions for aerospace, defense, pressure vessels, industrial and advanced mobility applications.

Saertex NCFs are designed with precisely aligned fiber orientations and optimized surface weights to maximize load performance while reducing component weight and layer count, said to enable improved mechanical efficiency and lower manufacturing costs. AGY’s S-2 Glass fiber is designed for optimal tensile strength, impact resistance and fatigue performance.

The integration of materials is said to provide:

- Higher specific strength and stiffness for weight-critical structures
- Improved impact and damage tolerance compared to conventional glass systems
- Optimized multiaxial load paths through tailored NCF architectures
- Compatibility with infusion, resin transfer molding (RTM), prepreg, compression, and pultrusion processes.

“This development represents a significant step forward in expanding the performance envelope of glass-fiber-based composites,” says Patrick Hunter, CCO and president of AGY. “Combining S-2 Glass with Saertex’s advanced multiaxial fabric design enables lightweight solutions that can compete in applications traditionally reserved for higher-cost materials.”

“Saertex is committed to delivering tailor-made reinforcement systems that maximize structural efficiency and manufacturability,” says Christian Beckmann, CEO of Saertex. “The integration of AGY’s S-2 Glass fiber allows us to offer customers enhanced mechanical performance while maintaining the processing advantages of NCFs.”

The companies are currently qualifying multiple multiaxial constructions, including unidirectional, biaxial and quadriaxial formats, with customized fiber orientations to meet specific load-case requirements and manufacturing methods.