Two Teijin Group companies, Toho Tenax Co Ltd And GH Craft Ltd have supported Japan’s Kogakuin University in developing a car made with carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the World Solar Challenge, the world’s biggest solar car race, which will take place in Australia from 6-13 October.

The Teijin Group supplied ultra-lightweight fabric made with Tenax carbon fibre, which was used to design and fabricate the CFRP car body and GH Craft has been involved from the concept design stage to develop the innovative solar car’s all-carbon composite body.

In 2010, Toho Tenax, together with Sakai Ovex Co Ltd developed an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre fabric measuring just 0.06 mm in thickness. The CFRP produced with this material has made it possible to fabricate an ultra-lightweight car body with the stiffness and strength needed to withstand race conditions while reducing bodyweight to an absolute minimum.

GH Craft, founded in 1972, is engaged in all stages of composite structure fabrication, including design, moulding and structural evaluation, for ultra-lightweight vehicles. It is a leader in developing CFRP composite structures for the automotive, rail and aerospace industries.

In addition to thermoset CFRP developed by Toho Tenax and GH Craft, the Teijin Group is also researching and developing thermoplastic CFRP at its Teijin Composites Innovation Center. Such efforts are among other ways that the group is utilizing its all-round capabilities to develop advanced CFRP solutions and become a leader in the global industry for carbon fibre and composites.

Teijin is a technology-driven global 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 150 companies and around 17,000 employees spread out over 20 countries worldwide. It posted consolidated sales of JPY745.7 billion (USD 7.4 billion) and total assets of JPY 762.4 billion (USD7.6 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.

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