Toray Industries Inc, Japan, says it is increasing the production capacity of its carbon fibre and prepreg facilities in the USA. The company says that the expansion is in response to growing demand for carbon fibre-based composites. Under the plans, production capacity at Toray Carbon Fibers America Inc's (CFA's) plant in Decatur, Alabama, will be increased by a further 1.63 kt a year (1800 tons a year) of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibre and approximately 3.26 kt a year (3600 tons a year) of precursor fibre.
The prepreg production capacity expansion of 6.2 million [m.sup.2] will take place at Toray Composites (America) Inc, which is located in Tacoma, Washington.
These increases are scheduled to come on stream in early 2006. Total investment amounts to about [yen] 16 billion.
Meanwhile, Toray reports that it is to supply [yen] 330 billion ($2.9 billion) of carbon fibre prepregs in a 17-year contract with the US aircraft maker Boeing. The prepreg, a combination of carbon fibres and toughened epoxy resin, will be used in major sections of Boeing's 7E7 Dreamliner passenger aircraft, including the wing and fuselage. It has already been used in composites for Boeing's 777 passenger aircraft, such as the empennage and floor beams.
Toray will supply the PAN-based prepregs from its plant in Tacoma, Washington, USA.
Editor's comment: Toray's PAN carbon fibres business is part of the company's New Products and Other Businesses division. The turnover (consolidated, including internal transfers) of the division in 2003 was [yen] 58.7 billion ($489 million), down from [yen] 70 billion ($583 million) in 2002, the decrease being mainly due to a fall in aerospace sales.
Toray Industries has three manufacturing plants for carbon fibres: at Ehime, Japan; Decatur, Alberta, USA; and Abidos, France. The French plant is run by Societe des Fibres de Carbone (Soficar SA), a subsidiary company. Following expansion programmes announced in January 2003 and due to be complete in mid-2004, the total global nameplate capacity will be 9.1 kt.
Toray products are widely qualified for aerospace and defence programmes in Europe. In addition to Boeing, Airbus Industrie, British Aerospace Systems, Bombardier/Shorts, EADS, Urenco and others approve production at Soficar's Abidos plant.
For further information, contact: Toray Industries Inc, 6-20 Dojima, 1-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8222, Japan; tel: 6-6452-7525; fax: 6-6452-7458; Internet: www.toray.co.jp/english; or: Soficar SA, 3 avenue du Chemin de Presles, Les Ellipses-Bat A, F-94410 Saint Maurice, France; tel: 1-4511-1280; fax: 1-4885-6292; E-mail: info@soficar-carbon.com; Internet: www.soficar-carbon.com
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