Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) has been attracting attention from the automotive industry as eco-friendly automotive components to realize energy saving and lower CO2 emissions. Teijin developed a technology that allows carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) to be molded with a production interval time – or takt-time- of just one minute, and in 2012, the Matsuyama Factory saw the launch of the world’s first pilot plant to achieve continuous and comprehensive production of CFRTP. The improved production efficiency makes mass production feasible and will contribute a lot to the adoption of CFRTP in mass-produced vehicles.
In addition to stepping up joint-developments with domestic and international automakers, Teijin is also looking beyond the automotive field aiming to establish new markets for CFRP. We are working in various areas to encourage its use in general industry such as machine tools and robots, that are increasingly required to be lightweight. By making full use of this facility, we will be moving aggressively to expand markets for both automotive and general industrial applications. In short, we will be ensuring that our new material spreads its wings and fly “from Matsuyama to the world.”