ALPINE ADVANCED MATERIALS INTRODUCES HX5® BILLETS FOR FASTER AND MORE EXACT PROTOTYPING As Manufacturers Convert from Metal, Alpine Hones Prototyping of Advanced Materials to More Quickly and Affordably Deliver Accurate Samples for Testing and Analysis DALLAS (July 2021) – Alpine Advanced Materials has introduced billet manufacturing to significantly reduce the costs of and time needed to produce exact prototypes. With more clients converting from metal to advanced materials, Alpine has answered the call with HX5® billets in various sizes that can be machined just like metal without the expensive outlay of creating an injection mold. Traditionally, designers wanting to convert from metal have been hesitant to pursue new material options, especially when injection molding is involved. While cost effective for production, injection molds aren’t efficient for prototyping and are only viable after a design is finalized. And because manufacturers lack the experience of converting from metal to advanced materials like Alpine’s flagship HX5, they may not fully understand the opportunities for design improvement, such as part consolidation. Alpine expects billet manufacturing will cut costs, timelines, and uncertainties, inspiring more clients to embrace the environmental and operational benefits of lightweight parts and components by using advanced materials. “Converting parts from metal creates weight savings that presents one of the greatest opportunities to make actual cuts in emissions, we’re not talking carbon credit offsets here,” said Roger Raley, president of Alpine Advanced Materials. “The great majority of emissions are generated through the ongoing operation of heavy industries like aerospace that can be easily addressed by cutting weight. Further, the beauty of lightweighting is that it also increases performance, meaning the costs of conversion are quickly recuperated, whether it be through reduced fuel usage, increased payloads, or extended range. Using our new billet manufacturing to prototype means we can affordably and accurately help our clients realistically pursue conversion from metals.” With shortages becoming more apparent in supply chains due to global interruptions in shipping and demand supply, the discussion about converting to more reliably sourced materials is also timelier than ever. HX5, a lightweight aviation-grade thermoplastic nanocomposite, was engineered to replace machined aerospace-grade aluminum at half the weight. With a high strength-to-weight ratio, thermal stability, environmental resistance, and manufacturing flexibility, it can be injection molded, formed, extruded, or machined like aluminum. When price and availability of materials proves unreliable and unstable, it is imperative for manufacturers to ensure that the materials parts are made of are both readily available and can be affordably sourced. Domestically produced advanced materials like HX5 are not only predictable and advantageous for supply chains, but also allow for more complex but strong shapes. These more carefully thought out components can be readily manufactured and mass-produced in weeks versus the months typically needed for machined metal parts. “We cut our teeth working with advanced materials like HX5, a material developed by Lockheed Martin Skunks Works® to be the highest performing, most versatile thermoplastic out there,” added Raley. “With over a decade of test data to support it, HX5 is one of the most highly characterized materials available. We know how HX5 performs through moldflow and finite elemental analysis, and have become unparalleled experts in designing better parts, and better parts start with better prototypes.” # # # About Alpine Advanced Materials Alpine Advanced Materials is a leading expert in the design and manufacture of custom-engineered parts and products for the world’s most demanding aerospace, defense, energy, space, and outdoor applications. The company commercializes high-performance materials originally developed and qualified by top defense contractors, including its flagship HX5™ military aviation-grade thermoplastic nanocomposite. Engineered to replace machined aluminum, HX5 is half the weight and has been both tested and proven against the harshest environments in the world. HX5 is currently in use on jet fighters, high-speed helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, amphibious transport vehicles, rockets, and satellites, and is highly adaptable without sacrificing strength or performance. Its customization and unrivaled manufacturability here in the U.S. combined with its high tolerance and dimensional stability make it an ideal alternative to the cost and production challenges associated with aluminum. For more information, visit www.alpineadvancedmaterials.com.