Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC; Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masayuki Waga) today announced that its carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) Prepreg has been adopted for the “CFRP ROOF” developed, produced, and marketed by Yachiyo Industry Co., Ltd. (Yachiyo; Head office: Sayama-shi, Saitama; President: Jiro Yamaguchi) for the Honda S660.
Yachiyo Industry has adopted the Prepreg — sheet form of carbon fiber intermediate material impregnated with epoxy resin—for its Prepreg Compression Molding (PCM). PCM is a molding technology in which materials are placed in heated matched metal mold and press cured for five minutes at 140℃. This is suitable for high volume production, such as automotive parts. The finished product weighs about 22% less than the vehicle’s factory canvas top. This not only helps lower the body’s center of gravity, but also achieves a superior design highlighting the carbon fiber’s weaving patterns.
In line with the wider adoption of electric vehicles and tightening of fuel efficiency regulations and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission standards, interest in vehicle weight reduction has been growing in today’s automobile market. To meet these needs, MCC continues to accelerate research and development on cutting-edge materials including carbon fiber and CFRP, and proactively expands the business to offer optimal solutions in the mobility field, which shows remarkable technological innovation.
Source: Mitsubishi Chemical
Photo: Yachiyo Industry Co., Ltd.