Japanese companies will put in new carbon fibre material to cut cost of aircraft

It is reported that in the field of lightweight carbon fibers, Toray and Emperor will launch new materials for aircraft to the market one after another.

Strive to increase the supply of existing models from around 2021, and supply new generation models from around 2025. New products are easy to mass produce, and the cost of aircraft parts is expected to be reduced by about half in the future. The weight of carbon fibers is only 1/4 of that of iron, and the strength of carbon fibers is more than 10 times that of iron. Toray, Diren and Mitsubishi Chemicals have 60% of the global market share in this field, which has attracted worldwide attention. Three Japanese companies produce composite materials that combine carbon fibers with resins for aircraft parts manufacturers and other suppliers.

Toray mainly produces heat-hardening composites which harden after heating. By adjusting the proportion of resin, a new product which can shorten the production period by 2-30% has been developed. Previous products have been used in the main wing and fuselage of Boeing 787, but the production cycle is long, and the monthly supply can only produce 10 aircraft. In addition, Toray is also committed to the production of "thermoplastic" composites that become soft after heating and easily processed into parts. The company has established a large number of supply channels through the acquisition of Dutch counterparts.

In terms of thermal hardening products, Emperor has also developed new products to increase productivity, which will be delivered to large European airlines as early as 2020. In addition, Diren will supply thermoplastic products to Boeing's new generation of aircraft by 2021, aiming to triple sales of aviation-related carbon fibers to about 100 billion yen, or 6.4 billion yuan, by 2030.

If a series of new products are popularized, the production cost of aviation spare parts is expected to decrease dramatically.