Shanghai-based Hengrui Corp. will establish an advanced composite technology center (ACTC) in the Changshu National New & Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone (CNZ), located in Changshu, Jiangsu Province. This new operation will be established in collaboration with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) and enable R&D for carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which contributes to...
Automotive
Henkel Opens Composite Technology Center in Yokohama
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA plans to expand its automotive composites business in Asia. As part of its strategy, the firm has opened a technical support center for composite parts made from carbon and glass fiber at its Asia Pacific Technical Center in Isogo-ku Ward, Yokohama. Henkel opened its first Composite Lab in Heidelberg, Germany,...
Nippon Paper Aims to Mass-Produce World’s First CNF-Reinforced Automotive Resins
Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. (TYO:3863) is moving forward with plans to commercialize resins reinforced with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) for automotive applications. The firm has invested a total of 300 million yen ($2.67 million) in a demonstration facility that recently went into operation in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture. The facility has the capacity to produce more...
Hitachi Chemical Develops World’s First Resin Injection Foam-Molding Technology for Automotive Exterior Parts
Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4217) has developed the world’s first resin injection foam-molding technology for automotive exterior parts. The technology enables the production of attractive, lightweight material that maintains the rigidity of conventional exterior resin parts. A number of Japanese automakers have already decided to use the technology for their new models. Hitachi Chemical was...
China’s Kangde Group, BAIC Partner to Build Local Carbon Fiber Plant
Kangde Group, a maker of optical films and carbon fiber based in China’s Jiangsu Province, has formed a strategic partnership with major automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co. Ltd. (BAIC) and the municipal government of Changzhou in Jiangsu. The three entities will work together to establish a carbon fiber production base. The partnership will see...
Teijin Targets Automotive Sector With New Heat-Resistant Polycarbonate Alloy
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) has developed an automotive polycarbonate (PC)/polyester resin alloy with heightened rigidity and heat resistance. By adjusting the molecular weight of the resin and the amount of inorganic filler loading, Teijin was able to increase the heat resistance limit by about 10 degrees Celsius while also increasing rigidity. The new plastic also features...
Teijin to Supply Polycarbonate Resin for GLM Electric Car Windshield
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) has announced that its polycarbonate (PC) resin has been selected for use in the pillarless front windshield of the Tommykaira ZZ, a sports electric vehicle (EV) manufactured by GLM Co. Ltd., a Kyoto University-spawned automaker. This represents the world’s first production model road car windshield to be made of resin. Teijin uses...
Key to the Car of Tomorrow: V2X – Part 1
The situation surrounding advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the connected car, autonomous driving and automobiles has been changing at a rapid pace. These changes concern not just in-vehicle electronics but also infrastructural aspects such as communications and electricity supply. As such, many companies are beginning to draft growth strategies that account for these changes in...
Key to the Car of Tomorrow: In-Vehicle Displays – Part 2
With the field of automotive displays showing continued growth, material and component manufacturers join display manufacturers in their hope for the future of this market, which has different requirements than that of displays for smartphones and other consumer devices. In addition to high durability and long lifespan, there is the need for high image quality...
LiB Materials Hold Key to EV Market Prospects – Part 2
China is getting on the high-capacity lithium-ion secondary battery (LiB) bandwagon as the country’s government pushes to popularize EVs. This shift makes for business opportunities for Japanese manufacturers. One executive at a Japanese maker of separators identified LiBs using ternary cathodes as one such opportunity. Why would the use of these components prove beneficial to...
LiB Materials Hold Key to EV Market Prospects – Part 1
Automakers around the world are stepping up their efforts to develop electric vehicles (EVs). In Europe, manufacturers have released plans to have EVs account for roughly 25 percent of total automobile sales by 2025. In the U.S., Tesla Inc. has exceeded General Motors Co. in terms of market value. Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203) is...
DIC Contemplates Increased PPS Compound Production at Home and Abroad
DIC Corp. (TYO:4631) is looking at ramping up its Japanese and overseas production of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) compounds, used in auto parts and other products. The plan under consideration would raise production capacity in Japan and abroad by 20–30 percent over the next few years. DIC’s global capacity is currently around 40,000 tons a year....
Toyota Boshoku Develops Lightweight Door Trim Material With Kenaf
Toyota Boshoku Corp. (TYO:3116) has developed a lightweight door trim material using kenaf. The material is a foam created by combining kenaf with thermally expandable microcapsules, thereby reducing weight by 20 percent while maintaining the same stiffness as conventional non-foam material. Toyota Boshoku plans to keep up with industry efforts to develop lighter plastic automobile...
Denka to Increase Production of Synthetic Specialty Rubber by 30%
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) aims to increase production capacity for one of the company’s synthetic specialty rubbers by 30 percent. The rubber is both heat and oil resistant and is used in items such as automotive parts. The production boost is part of an effort to meet increased global demand for hose material used in...
Asahi Kasei Heads to Silicon Valley in Search of Innovative Auto Technology
Asahi Kasei Corp. (TYO:3407) has set up an intelligence-gathering operation in Silicon Valley to focus on the automotive sector. Positioning growth in this field as its top priority, Asahi Kasei dispatched a staff member to the U.S. from its Automotive Marketing Department in April. The department was established last year to enhance functions throughout the...
Toray Executive Yasuo Suga Discusses Present and Future of Carbon Fiber Industry – Part 1
By Yusuke Sekiguchi, Editor Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) holds the world’s largest market share in both regular-tow (RT) and large-tow (LT) carbon fiber. Despite a market slowdown last year, demand for carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has increased in the automotive industry, as the material’s ability to reduce vehicle weight enables better fuel efficiency and...
Vestaro to Expand Into Japanese Market With Automotive Composite Molding
Vestaro GmbH, a German joint venture between Evonik Industries AG and Mitsui & Co. Ltd. (TYO:8031)-funded Forward Engineering GmbH, will begin full-scale development efforts in Japan’s automotive composite molding market. The JV will utilize its know-how of differentiated, market-rare products such as polyurethane prepreg and epoxy resin sheet molding compound (SMC) to process and supply...
Imerys Targets Electric Vehicle Market With New LiB Electrode Materials
Imerys Graphite & Carbon Switzerland Ltd is strengthening its efforts to provide materials used in secondary lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). The company recently obtained surface processing technology for negative electrode materials by acquiring Nippon Power Graphite Co. Ltd. (NPG) of Japan. Together with this technology, Imerys will accelerate its efforts to develop new negative electrode materials...
Toray Prepares for New Era of Automotive Carbon Fiber SMC – Part 2
Expecting demand for carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CFSMC) to increase in the automotive industry, Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) has decided to accelerate its development of the material. Development of CFSMC for mass production has primarily been led by Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. However, Toray German subsidiary Euro Advanced Carbon Fiber Composites GmbH (EACC) also owns...
Toray Prepares for New Era of Automotive Carbon Fiber SMC – Part 1
Toray Industries Inc. (TYO:3402) plans to accelerate its development of carbon fiber sheet molding compound (CFSMC), as the company expects demand for the material to increase in the automotive field. Although carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is gaining in popularity in vehicle mass production in the 5–10 million yen ($44,010–$88,020) class, Toray is backing the...
