The Wirral-based advanced composites manufacturer Teledyne CML Composites (www.teledynecml.com) is celebrating the installation of a new autoclave — named Elsa.

The purchase of this equipment was driven by a possible contract from Airbus (Europe’s leading aircraft manufacturer), to supply composite component parts for the new A350-series airliner. Elsa is the third autoclave to be commissioned since CML opened the facility in 2011.

General manager John Toner said: “We are proud of the efforts of all those involved in commissioning Elsa and thrilled that her entry into service coincides so well with the contract award on this new aircraft programme.

"This is our first award on this aircraft programme, and we believed early on that we needed to demonstrate our commitment with this investment in autoclave capacity. It would seem that we sent all the right signals.”

Teledyne is currently enjoying a period of significant growth, with sales expected to double in the next two years. The company’s composites facility was purpose-built to support the high-volume manufacture of composite component parts.