Münsterländische Volkszeitung 10-08-2011: ...With the factory in Lathen/Emsland new ground was broken. The magic word now was non-crimp fabrics and carbon technology for the technical lightweight construction – a market with a great potential for growth. The name of the new modern department:  “High Performance Textiles”.

1996 the Kümpers-group invests in the first machine for non crimp fabrics. For FAK the wind-energy-sector was a significant market segment: Rotor blades have a length of 40-60 meter and half of the weight between 7 and 28 tons are made of non-crimp fabrics. In 1998 FAK was qualified as supplier by the wind engine manufacturer ENERCON. But non-crimp fabrics are not only materials for rotor blades but also for sports equipment and boat building.

In 2002 a brand new production process was started with a 3D-braiding-machine: The braiding of reinforced textiles as basic materials for the lightweight construction. These carbon fibre composites economize 50% weight in comparison to steel and up to 20% compared with aluminium.

SGL as a sophisticated partner and F.A. Kümpers completed one another perfectly and so in early 2007 the joint venture SGL Kümpers GmbH & Co. KG was founded. 
A successful cooperation with BMW followed with the development of carbon fiber composites in the area of car frames and the production of carbon-based bumpers for the BMW M6.
One of the current projects are braided frames for aircraft application made of carbon fibres.

For the future the FAK-group sets priorities on two future proof and developable trends: “renewable energy” and “lightweight construction in the automotive industry”. These two fields will offer a great growth potential on which SGL Kümpers will have a superior part thanks to their excellent and committed employee.
Andeas Oehlke