Carbon fibre manufacturer Toray says that it plans to introduce new production and after processing facilities such as autoclave moulding, machining, and painting, which will become operational from the second half of 2014 through 2016.
In April 2013, Toray acquired a 100% stake in Dome Carbon Magic Co., Ltd. (currently TCM) from Dome Group, as well as a 75% stake in Dome Composites (Thailand) Co., Ltd., its production base in Thailand, to make them its subsidiaries.
Toray Group says that TCM has seen a rapid increase in the demand for designs, creation of prototypes and mass production, not only for premium cars and motorbikes in which TCM has a competitive edge, but also for aircraft and trains as well as medical and nursing care devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetic legs.
In order to respond to increasing demand, TCM will construct a new building within its Maibara plant site and enhance the prototype and small-lot production functions. Furthermore, CMTH will newly rent a 22,000 m2 plot in the Sriracha Saha Group Industrial Park, where the current plant is located, to build an integrated mass production plant covering moulding to painting with a view to future expansion.
Business expansion
Toray adds that it is continuing to develop the CFRP parts market and find new applications in the automotive sector and elsewhere. TCM has a role as the core base of its advanced composite business in collaboration with the operations of Euro Advanced Carbon Fiber Composites GmbH (EACC) in Germany and Plasan Carbon Composites, Inc. (PCC) in the U.S.
In addition, the Group has been enhancing its supply chain starting from upstream carbon fibres, including the large tow carbon fibres from Zoltek Companies Inc., which it acquired in February 2014, to middle stream intermediate materials and downstream CFRP composites. Through these strategic measures, Toray says that it aims to achieve significant expansion of its carbon fibre composite material business.
