Toray to expand production capacity in Ehime Plant

22 Feb '08

3 min read

The worldwide demand in 2007 for PAN-based carbon fibers is estimated to have been about 35,000 tons, and the demand is expected to expand at an annual rate of 15% or more in the years ahead and to reach close to 53,000 tons per annual in 2010. As a quick response to the full-scale expansion of the carbon fiber market, Toray will continue to expand its production capacity, so as to create an optimum supply system in order to meet further expansion of demand from such business segments as aerospace, sports, and general industry.

Toray, while aiming to transform the company into a highly profitable company under its medium-term business objective “Project Innovation TORAY 2010” (IT-2010), is making proactive investments to increase its production of carbon-fiber composite materials, which is one of its strategically expanding businesses.

In addition to expanding the Toray group's production capacity of carbon fibers to 25,000 tons a year by the end of 2010, the company will promote and strengthen the deployment of a vertically integrated business structure covering carbon fibers, prepregs (intermediate base materials), and composites.

Given the superiority in technology and product quality of TORAYCA, which is the de facto industry standard, Toray, as the world's number-one manufacturer of carbon-fiber composite materials, will strive to expand its business to achieve its goals for 2010 of a 38% share of the global market in terms of sales (34% in 2007) and ¥170 billion in consolidated sales.

Toray Industries Inc

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