2009 - Jaarverslag

The largest proportion of sales and composites is related to ballisticprotection (armour composites). TenCate Advanced Armour is theglobal market leader in concepts for ballistic protection of personneland vehicles. The US market is by far the largest. In Europe, the UKis the dominant market. Customers are mainly the large industrialconglomerates in the defence industry, manufacturers of trucks,aircraft, helicopters etc. and the related suppliers. The specificationsare determined by government bodies (defence ministries).developed. The start-up of production for aerospace has requiredsubstantial investments in the last few years, particularly in theNetherlands. The TenCate Cetex ® material now occupies a strongposition. Among other products, the leading edge of the wing (J-nose)and the engine intakes are manufactured from this material. TenCateCetex ® is also being used in the Boeing 787. In many cases it is notpossible to provide specific information on these componentsmanufactured with TenCate materials, for reasons of confidentiality.Where permitted by the defence authorities, TenCate operates as asingle group for the exchange of knowledge and solutions. TenCateoccupies an important position as a (fibre-) independent producer ofcomposites. The company processes a range of fibres including aramid,glass, carbon and HPPE for third parties. TenCate offers a wide rangeof products in this market. It is nevertheless an advantage to havedesign capacities, which enable specific solutions to be developedfor certain projects.In the aviation market, the material is used in interior and structuralcomponents. The scope of application of aerospace composites is stillfairly limited overall. The new generations of aircraft, however, will beable to provide a substantial impetus for growth. As a result of theeconomic situation and delays in programmes, the current productionlevel is lower than planned. This was mostly related to deliveries forthe Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787. This market has enormouspotential for TenCate.In the United States, TenCate Space Composites has a leading role incomposites for satellite programmes. In the aviation industry, TenCateAerospace Composites operates in the field of civil aviation andbusiness jets, as well as in military aviation. The main civil aviationcustomers are Airbus and Boeing and their direct suppliers. These twoproducers have defined the basis on which the market is being furtherTenCate was involved as a technology partner in the development ofmaterials and their application in the design of new aircraft. TenCatehas taken an important step with the development of unidirectional(UD) tape technology for the aerospace sector. This UD technology iscomplementary to existing production processes for composites.This has further strengthened the position as a development partnerand supplier for the entire aviation sector.GENERAL PERFORMANCE OF TENCATE ADVANCED ARMOUR2008 was an exceptionally good year, dominated by substantial ‘urgentrequirement’ orders. Developments for armour composites in the USmarket fell short of expectations in 2009. Large orders which hadbeen expected failed to materialise. One of the reasons was thepostponement or delay in projects, in both the US and Europe.The European armour market developed well in 2009 in general.Expectations for the US market remain positive, partly due to majorprojects that are planned. TenCate is maintaining close relationshipswith various OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) of militaryvehicles. The company is involved in protection solutions for highprofilevehicle programmes, such as the Humvee, the Stryker,the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAP), the MediumTactical Vehicle (FMTV) series and the Joint Light Tactical VehicleFourth dimension in professional wearClothing company Bierbaum-Proenen (BP) in Cologne (Germany) has developed a new collection of professional wear on the basisof the Denim Look weave, which is part of the TenCate Tecastyle ® range. The name Workfashion4 stands for a combination ofrobust quality, comfort and trendy style. With the brand-new Workfashion4, BP is presenting a ‘fresh outfit’ that targets fashionawareworkers in particular. The clothes can be combined according to one’s taste, work location and purpose. The TenCateTecastyle ® Denim Look is an innovative dyeing treatment. Its structure and appearance differ tangibly from traditional fabrics.Annual Report 2009 37