Teijin and Hayashi Telempu Corporation have announced that Hayashi Telempu’s V-Wave soundproof material made with Teijin’s V-Lap nonwoven polyester fabric has been selected as soundproof material for the 2016 Toyota Prius, which launched in Japan in December 2015.

Nonwoven structure with vertically oriented fibres of V-Lap is said to enable V-Wave to perform every bit, as well as conventional soundproof material, yet it weighs only half as much. V-Lap is also an environmentally friendly because it is made with recycled polyester, the company reports.

Teijin and Hayashi Telempu are also using V-Lap and V-Wave to develop other lightweight sound-absorption auto parts, such as for ceilings and doors. V-Lap and V-Wave are mutually produced in contiguous factories located in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

V-Lap

V-Lap is a nonwoven fabric comprising fibres that are oriented vertically. It is made with a unique manufacturing method to produce a structure that is bulky, lightweight and easy to mould, according to the manufacturer.

V-Lap was first utilized as a cushioning material for items such as bedding, and now its superior sound-absorbing property has led to its use as a soundproofing material for vehicles. Teijin is also developing V-Lap as a heat-insulating material for next-generation houses and as a super-lightweight ceiling material. As a nonwoven product, V-Lap can be bonded to other films through composite fabrication.

V-Wave

V-Wave, a lightweight, high-performance soundproof material manufactured and supplied by Hayashi Telempu, is made with Teijin’s V-Lap nonwoven fabric fibre to reduce weight to only half that of conventional soundproofing materials.

It was first introduced as a sound-absorbing material for vehicle floors in 2012 and is currently used in automobiles.

V-Lap and V-Wave plants

Teijin’s Nonwoven Fabric Plant, which is located on the premises of Toho Tenax’s Ibigawa Plant in Gifu Prefecture, began operating in January 2015.

Hayashi Telempu’s Oogaki Plant, also located on the premises of Toho Tenax’s Ibigawa Plant in Gifu Prefecture, began operating in November 2015.

Teijin Group

Teijin is a technology-driven group offering advanced solutions in the areas of sustainable transportation, information and electronics, safety and protection, environment and energy, and healthcare.

Its main fields of operation are high-performance fibres such as aramid, carbon fibres and composites, healthcare, films, resin and plastic processing, polyester fibres, products converting and IT. The group has some 150 companies and around 16,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide.

www.teijin.com