Toray Increases Activity in Automotive and Aircraft Industry

Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan) announced its decision to enhance the production facility for carbon fiber TORAYCA® prepreg (resin-impregnated carbon fiber sheets) at its U.S. subsidiary Toray Composites America, Inc. (Washington state, USA). The high-performance facility, expected to start production early 2016 will be suitable for producing high-value added prepreg for aircraft and automobile applications.

Toray Composites America’s existing production facilities have been operating at full capacity, following the monthly assembly rate of Boeing 787 reaching 10 s/s in November 2013. The production facility enhancement is a response to Boeing Company’s decision in October 2013 to raise the number of monthly assembly rate of 787 aircraft to 12 in 2016 from the current 10 .

The Toray Group is currently building its 2nd production line at the Ishikawa Plant in Japan for high value added TORAYCA® prepreg for industrial applications such as chassis for IT devices and automobile outer panels (hood, roof, etc.) that require high quality stability. The additional capacity is expected to on line in February 2015.

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Torayca® Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics can be used in a wide range of applications in the automotive industry: See picture above

Toray quotes:

“Under its management program – Project AP-G 2013 – Toray is fully drawing on the Power of Chemistry and driving forward the group’s Green Innovation Business Expansion (GR) Project.

Its objective is to contribute to solve the global environmental problems as well as energy and resource issues. Carbon fiber composite materials are materials that not only promote energy savings by reducing the weight of automobiles and aircrafts but also that contribute to the spread of new energy through its use in windmill blades and pressure vessels for storing and transporting shale gas, etc.

The Toray Group is planning to actively expand the carbon fiber composite materials business in the next medium-term management program, currently under consideration, as a business that would drive the profit expansion for the company.”