Carbon fiber composites find way into new Lexus

Replacing aluminum, about 65% of the cabin on the new Lexus LFA sports cars will be made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic supplied by Toho Tenax. Weight savings compared to the metal standard is about 100kg. Some other components also will be made of the high-end composites.

When compounded properly in thermoplastics, carbon fibers can help plastics compete with metals on rigidity and strength, but at a much lower weight and, depending on the volume of parts required, for lower processing costs and at considerable weight savings. Carbon fiber has been a "next big thing" for many years, but lack of supply and high, and wildly fluctuating, prices have hampered its greater adoptance. The fluctuations have come mainly from growth spurts in the airplane manufacturing industry; carbon fibers see widespread use in planes, and when Boeing and Airbus have full order books, their demand for these fibers drives prices higher.

Toyota Motors unveiled the new Lexus LFA at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show and will begin marketing it at the end of 2010. In addition to the car’s cabin, its diffuser, speed-controlled rear wing, and some interior components also will make use of the material. Toho Tenax is not the sole supplier of materials for these but for the majority, it says.

Toho Tenax developed the components in cooperation with Toyota group companies, parts manufacturers, and the Teijin Composite Innovation Center (TCIC). The supplier intends to continue its cooperation with the TCIC to further develop carbon fiber composite materials and related technologies, with the focus on automotive applications targeted at both high-end and mass-production vehicles.

Some market observers predict carbon fiber-reinforced plastic parts have a big future in high-volume automotive parts, especially assuming the market for electric vehicles and other next-generation automobiles continues to develop. As these vehicles typically do not have the horsepower of standard diesel or gasoline engines, a car’s weight becomes even more critical. —mpweditorial@cancom.com