Oxford 3-D printing parts for Boeing's 'next generation' space capsule

Oxford Performance Materials is reaching for the stars.

The specialty materials firm in South Windsor, Conn., will make almost 600 3-D printed parts for the Starliner space taxi vehicles being produced by Boeing Co.

Hexcel Corp. — which invested $15 million in Oxford in May — will invest another $10 million in the firm to advance work on the Starliner and other projects, CEO Scott DeFelice told Plastics News Feb. 3.

The new investment will allow Oxford to add a third manufacturing site and create around 20 new jobs, DeFelice said. The new site will cover 15,000 square feet and should be operational within six months, he added.

“We've been growing really quickly, and this is another big step for us,” DeFelice said.

Oxford already has shipped some parts to Boeing for the Starliner. The parts are made of polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), a high-strength specialty resin that can handle temperatures ranging from 300° to -300° F.

Oxford was founded in 2000 and started 3-D printing in 2006. The firm has done aerospace and defense work since 2012.

The Starliner will make its first launch in June 2018 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. It's set to carry its first crew two months later. The vehicle is intended to transport crew to the International Space Station and to future space stations as well.