#Composites

2021-07-15

SGL Carbon SE publishes preliminary sales and earnings figures for the first half of the year and raises forecast for 2021

Based on the encouraging business performance in the first half of 2021 and the transformation successes, SGL Carbon expects strong Group results for the first six months of 2021 and raises its guidance for fiscal year 2021. The company expects to exceed the upper end of the stated range of its Group EBITDA pre1 guidance (earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation adjusted by non-recurring items and one-time effects) for fiscal year 2021 of EUR 100 to 120 million and raises the EBITDA pre guidance for 2021 to EUR 130 –140 million.

SGL Carbon's sales forecast is also increased slightly to approximately EUR 1.0 billion for the current fiscal year, up from EUR 920 – 970 million originally. The company expects free cash flow for the full year to be correspondingly above the forecast of EUR 20 million given at the beginning of the year. A slightly positive consolidated net result is also predicted for 2021. Previously, the company had assumed a consolidated net result of between EUR -20 million and EUR 0.

According to preliminary figures, SGL Carbon expects Group sales for H1 2021 of around EUR 496 million (H1 2020: EUR 456.5 million). This corresponds to an

increase of around 9% compared to the same period of the previous year. Based on the sales increase and the cost effects achieved from the transformation, EBITDA pre (EBITDA before non-recurring items and one-time effects) increased to around EUR 72 million in the first six months of 2021 (H1 2020: EUR 42.0 million).

The updated forecast for fiscal 2021 has been prepared on the basis of the prevailing market environment and assumes no deterioration in conditions due to the corona pandemic. In particular, it is based on the assumption that purchasing prices and logistics chains remain stable and production lines remain in operation. The communicated medium-term targets up to 2025 remain unaffected by the forecast adjustment.

SGL Carbon will release its 2021 half-year figures as planned on August 12, 2021.

1The definition of key figures used in this release is aligned to the Annual Report 2020. There were no changes in the scope of consolidation or accounting methods compared with the previous guidance.

SGL Carbon decides to restructure its Carbon Fibers business unit

The Board of Management of SGL Carbon SE today decided, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to restructure the loss-making Carbon Fibers business unit. SGL Carbon will significantly reduce the business activities of Carbon Fibers and focus on a profitable core. Individual solutions are being developed for all Carbon Fibers sites, including the closure of unprofitable sites.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

Fewer pores, greater impact tolerance: Peter Dornier Foundation Prize 2026 honours material research on fibre-reinforced composite components for aerospace industry

Microscopically small pores that form during manufacture, or barely visible impact damage, can severely impair the load-bearing capacity and service life of fibre-reinforced composite components. Two young researchers have presented groundbreaking work in this field and will both be awarded the 2026 Peter Dornier Foundation Prize: Dr.-Ing. Benedikt Neitzel from the Technical University of Ilmenau for his doctoral thesis on pore minimisation in the RTM process, and Johanna Buschmann, M.Sc., for her master’s thesis, completed at the German Aerospace Centre, on the improved impact tolerance of 3D fabrics compared to 2D laminates.

HeiQ & Archroma and Lenzing & Armedangels win ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has named two industry partnerships as winners of the ITMF International Collaboration Awards 2026. The awards go to collaborations between HeiQ and Archroma as well as Lenzing and Armedangels, highlighting joint approaches to innovation and sustainability across different parts of the textile value chain.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.