Editorial: Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) - a new technical textile business belonging to an old company

Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) provides the aerospace and defence industries with custom-design advanced composite structures based on proprietary technology. The business is only nine years old, but belongs to a company which was founded in 1895-Albany International, a producer of paper machine clothing (PMC). In recent years, Albany International has reduced its PMC operations in response to a contracting market. A major breakthrough in Albany International's efforts to reduce its reliance on sales of PMC occurred in 2006 when a joint venture, called CFM International, was formed between AEC and Safran. As part of the joint venture, the companies developed a family of three-dimensional (3D) composite parts for the Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion (LEAP) engine for commercial jets. Demand for the LEAP engine is expected to be the highest that the aerospace industry has ever experienced-reaching 1,700 engines per annum by 2020. In this report, Robin Anson provides insight into the evolution of Albany International and its future business prospects. Also, he discusses the significance of the LEAP engine and its impact on the operations of AEC.

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