HexWeb® Acousti-Cap®

Noise-reducing honeycomb for aircraft engines
HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® JEC Innovative Award winning HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® enables aircraft engine designers to achieve superior acoustical performance, including dramatic noise reduction during takeoff and landing without a structural weight penalty. This marks an improvement on current technology which requires tradeoffs between weight and noise reduction.

HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® Non-Metallic consists of permeable cap material embedded into a honeycomb core to create an acoustic septum. Customers specify the flow resistance characteristics, overall core thickness, and number of caps in a cell and insertion depth. The result is a product tuned to their acoustic requirements.

HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® is used by GE and Rolls-Royce to save weight and reduce engine noise by up to 30%. The GENX-2B powered the first flight of the new Boeing 747-8 on February 8, 2010.

HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® Benefits of Acousti-Cap®
The use of HexWeb Acousti-Cap in airplane engines results in marked noise reduction. This reduction has several benefits:

  • Lower landing fees at airports – a recurring cost saving
  • Increased fleet flexibility
  • Improved cabin comfort
  • Reduction in other acoustic treatments, resulting in lower weight and costs
    • “The use of Hexcel’s AcoustiCap® and HexPly® carbon fiber prepreg in combination with the AleniaAermacchi patented process has resulted in the design and manufacture of a state-of-the-art acoustic panel.” AleniaAermacchi Senior Design Engineer
    HexWeb® Acousti-Cap®
    Aluminum HexWeb® Acousti-Cap®
    HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® New for 2010 – An Aluminum version of Acousti-Cap® that provides comparable broadband noise reducing performance, with added cost-savings benefits.

    Aluminum Acousti-Cap® can withstand temperatures of up to 350°F/175°C during fabrication of the nacelle core blanket and is processable using industry-standard techniques for forming, joining, cutting and machining.
    Contact
    For more information, please contact: Random.Kiser@Hexcel.com 
    Resources
  • HexWeb® Acousti-Cap® Brochure