Britain’s Rolls-Royce yesterday said it has acquired California-based Hyper-Therm High Temperature Composites Inc., a producer of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), which are expected to become the industry standard in the coming years to improve aircraft engines.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Hyper-Therm, which also produces engineered coatings and thermal structural components, has 15 employees.
The CMCs provide important advantages over metals, including strength at high temperatures, which means reduced cooling requirements, and one-third the density of nickel super alloys, meaning reduced weight. These advantages translate into improved fuel efficiency and more environmentally friendly engines, Rolls-Royce said.
“Our customers are always seeking to make turbine engines lighter, stronger and more fuel efficient, while reducing maintenance costs,” John Gallo, executive vice president of Operations at Rolls-Royce North America, said in a statement. “The application of CMCs in the aerospace industry will help our customers improve operational performance and energy management. We expect CMCs will revolutionize the weight and performance of engines that currently rely on single-crystal super alloys found in today’s most advanced engines.”
A Rolls-Royce spokesman said that key attributes of the deal include Hyper-Therm’s technology and its expertise. The company plans to continue to grow the composites business, he said.
In addition to Rolls-Royce, some of Hyper-Therm’s customers include NASA, the Air Force and the Army