Teijin have announced that it has begun operating a pilot plant for the fully integrated production of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic components on the premises of its Matsuyama Factory in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.
The plant features Teijin’s proprietary mass-production technology for CFRTP components, which significantly reduces cycle times required for moulding composite products to under a minute, enabling rapid production of prototypes and performance evaluation tests, including complex-shaped moulded products and large components.
The mass-production technology facilitates the integrated manufacturing process from carbon fibre to moulded composite products in under a minute, the ideal cycle time required by automotive manufacturers for vehicle mass production. CFRTP components, which have the potential to realise unprecedented weight reductions, are expected to find wide-ranging applications for automobiles and other industrial uses. They also are highly recyclable, since used thermoplastic resins can be reheated and remoulded into new shapes.
With its new pilot plant, Teijin aims to accelerate collaboration with automotive makers worldwide, as well as create markets for other applications. Continued developments are being spearheaded through a collaborative effort involving the Japan-based Teijin Composites Innovation Center, Teijin’s R&D hub for carbon fibre composites business, and Michigan, USA-based Teijin Composites Application Center, a technical center opened in April 2012.
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