GM embraces carbon fibre

General Motors has entered a development partnership with carbon fibre and composites specialists Teijin Limited.

The two companies have signed a co-development pact which will involve the use of Teijin’s carbon fibre reinforced composite thermoplastic (CFRTP) technology which the company says it a faster, more efficient way to mass produce carbon fiber for mainstream vehicles.  

"Our relationship with Teijin provides the opportunity to revolutionize the way carbon fibre is used in the automotive industry," said GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky. "This technology holds the potential to be an industry game changer and demonstrates GM’s long-standing commitment to innovation."

To support the relationship, Teijin will establish the Teijin Composites Application Center, a technical center in the northern part of the United States early next year. Teijin's proprietary breakthrough is its ability to mass-produce carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic components with cycle times of under a minute. Conventional carbon fibre-reinforced composites use thermosetting resins and require a much longer timeframe for molding.  This time factor has limited the use of carbon fiber in high-volume vehicles.