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Teijin & Kawasaki to make CFRP spring for railcar truck

22 Dec '15

2 min read

Toho Tenax, the core company of the Teijin Group's carbon fibres and composites business, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., are set to develop a carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) leaf spring that can be mass-produced for railcar trucks.

The leaf spring was initially developed in 2013 and is already used in Kawasaki's new-generation railcar truck, the efWING.

Toho Tenax will help establish an integrated system encompassing everything from the carbon fibre's original yarn to the actual CFRP leaf springs. The new mass-production system will enable the efWING to be marketed on a global scale, according to a press release.

Conventional railcar trucks use side frames and independent coil springs made of steel, but the efWING is the world's first to combine these components in a simplified solution made of CFRP. The lighter materials and simplified design help to reduce the truck frame's weight by some 900kg per railcar. It also provides benefits like more efficient running costs and lower CO2 emissions, as well as the reduction in the risk of wheel derailment.

Teijin Group executive officer, Takashi Yoshino, who is also general manager of the group's Carbon Fibres & Composites Business Unit and president of Toho Tenax said, “Teijin Group is accelerating its downstream strategy by leveraging its high-performance carbon fibre, with one such result being this joint development with Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Teijin Group aims to expand its carbon fibre and composite businesses by increasingly focusing on innovative transportation solutions, a key element focus of our downstream strategy.”

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. (GK)

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