Toyobo, a specialty chemical company, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, has airbag fabric weaving operations in Asia and the technology is currently used in the USA at PHP Fibers.

The German weaving operation will have 47 water jet weaving machines and will use polyamide 6.6 yarn from its own spinning facility. “This strategic investment will drive PHP Fibers closer to the automotive producers in Germany and Europe,” said Jochen Boos, Managing Director of PHP Fibers. “This investment is a clear commitment on the part of our owners to the site in Germany.”

“PHP Fibers was the pioneer in the development and production of airbag yarns. With this investment, PHP will be able to complete its portfolio and can offer yarns and fabrics for airbag application which our customers need. By this we will continue to be successful and we can strengthen the position of PHP Fibers as a market leader in the Airbag segment,” said Business Director Volker Siejak.

PHP Fibers is a joint venture of Indorama Ventures (IVL) and Toyobo since 2014. PHP Fibers is one of the leading suppliers of high performance yarns in the automobile sector. The high-quality industrial polyamide and polyester filament yarns, produced at manufacturing locations in Europe, the USA and China, are used in a variety of areas such as airbags, safety belts, reinforcements in tire design or even in drive belts and hoses.

The portfolio also includes special types for other challenging technical areas of application such as roofing and sealing membranes, textile construction, sail cloth or sewing threads. The brand names include Diolen (PET), Enka Nylon (PA 6.6), Enkalon (PA 6) and Stanylenka (PA 4.6).

www.php-fibers.com