#Composites

2023-01-26

Toray becomes joint winner in Japan’s Sixth Infrastructure Maintenance Awards

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it was one of three joint recipients of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award in the Electricity category of the Sixth Infrastructure Maintenance Awards. This is in recognition of the development of a carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) technique employing in-situ vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM) technology. Toray, Tokyo Electric Power Grid, Inc., and Yasuda Seisakusho Co., Ltd. deployed that technique to repair steel pipe corrosion on transmission towers.

This technology eliminates the need for special jigs and methods in replacement work by reinforcing pitted and corroded pipes. It can thus reduce lead times for strength assessments and cut construction costs. Another key factor in receiving this award was the broad social benefits that could accrue from applying this technology to steel-framed buildings and other structures.

The Infrastructure Maintenance Awards recognize outstanding initiatives and technology developments related to social infrastructure maintenance in Japan at facilities under the jurisdiction of a range of government bodies. These are the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Defense. Experts from a range of fields screen candidates for the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, the Special Award, and the Award for Excellence.

The awards debuted in 2016 to foster Japan’s maintenance sector and recognize best practices among businesses, organizations, researchers in that field.

Award details are as follows.

1. Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award

For the development of a CFRP technique employing in-situ VaRTM technology to repair steel pipe corrosion on transmission towers

2. Joint recipients

Tokyo Electric Power Grid, Yasuda Seisakusho, and Toray

3. Award-winning technology

This patented in situ VaRTM technology entails placing CF sheet “TORAYCA® CF fabric” on a steel structure requiring repair, applying a film over the sheets, using a pump to create a vacuum, and injecting and curing epoxy resin. Over time, internal corrosion causes pitting and wall thinning on the steep piping of transmission towers. The conventional repair process is very labor-intensive and expensive, as it entails replacing these pipes. The three companies jointly developed a CFRP repair technique that applies in-situ VaRTM technology to corroded steel pipes that normally need replacing. This setup eliminates the need for special jigs and methods in replacement work, and can reduce lead times for strength assessments and cut construction costs.

(Photos courtesy of Tokyo Electric Power Grid, Inc.)

4. Progress and potential

Applications to date for in situ VaRTM to repair steel infrastructure have included transmission towers in Japan and floating production storage and offloading facilities overseas. Work is under way extend applications to repair and reinforce steel bridges, steel-framed buildings, and other structures. Toray will keep striving to create technologies and build a value chain in which TORAYCA cloth can significantly extend the service lives and resiliency of domestic and overseas infrastructure.

Toray develops recycling technology that retains carbon fiber strength and surface quality

Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has developed a recycling technology that can decompose diverse carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) made from thermosetting resins while retaining the strength and surface quality of those fibers. The company drew on this technology to create a nonwoven fabric employing recycled carbon fibers.

HEAD launches more sustainable(1) BOOM RAW racquet on Earth Day by using Toray’s bio-circular carbon fibers

HEAD continues to innovate with the launch of the BOOM RAW tennis racquet, an encouraging development in the search for a more sustainable future for racquet sports. All of the carbon fibers are bio-circular carbon fibers in the limited-edition and highly innovative BOOM RAW racquet, which offers the same explosive power - along with the same fun, feel and easy playability - as the regular, in-line BOOM racquet. The bio-circular carbon fibers are manufactured by Toray and its subsidiary Toray Carbon Fibers Europe.

JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 highlights Taiwan as a strategic hub for the global composites industry

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MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

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DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

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JEC World 2026 confirms its standing as the unmissable event for composites and their applications

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Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

Itema reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian textile industry at NasTex 2026

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KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.