Toyoda Gosei has produced lightweight product transport containers made of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) reinforced plastic, which was developed for use in vehicle interior and exterior parts. The material is five times stronger than steel but only one-fifth the weight. The company will accumulate actual results in the field with a view to adopting the technology for automotive parts. CNF reinforced...
Sumitomo Rubber has used the SPring-8 synchrotron radiation facility in a joint project to create what it is calling a Tender X-Ray Nanoscope, the world’s first technology able to analyze a substance’s structure and chemical bonds at the nano level. This has then been used to successfully visualize the sulfur compounds employed in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries. The project comes as...
Toyoda Gosei has opened the Energy Saving Dojo, an educational facility at its Miwa Technical Center, to share energy-saving examples of production processes within the company and eliminate energy waste. The objective is to share good practices with suppliers and others to promote initiatives to reduce carbon emissions throughout the supply chain. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality in...
Sabic has introduced G3430X and G3440X short glass fiber reinforced polypropylene (PP) compounds that offer superior performance and processability for automotive engine and exterior and interior components with stringent performance requirements. The two PP compounds outperform standard short glass fiber reinforced materials in terms of flowability, tensile strength, flexural strength, and flexural modulus. The material is suitable for molding automotive...
Yokohama Rubber has worked with Hamagomu Aicom – a subsidiary focused on developing information systems – to create a proprietary compound design system that incorporates AI-based compound creation technology. The system has then come into practical use starting this July. By suggesting compounds that would be able to match a set of designated rubber properties, the AI here will let...
Chemical company Nagase Chemtex has developed the RS-IAG series, a special resin that can be used to reproduce detailed 3D printed data, and will market it for applications such as 3D printer-made mid soles for shoes. While the manufacturing of shoes using a 3D printer has the advantages of increased design freedom of the sole, small-quantity, high-mix production, and reduced...
