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Toyota Concept Car Equipped with 3D-printed Components, Carbon-fiber PP CompositesToyota Concept Car Equipped with 3D-printed Components, Carbon-fiber PP Composites

Mitsui Chemicals and subsidiary Arrk supply materials for the high-performance concept car.

Stephen Moore

July 12, 2024

2 Min Read
Toyota Hyper-F concept car
Businesswire

Materials developed by Mitsui Chemicals and subsidiary Arrk Corp. have been employed in a high-performance concept car based on the Toyota Fortuner. Direct pellet-fed 3D-printed components, jointly developed by Mitsui Chemicals and Arrk, and Tafnex CF/PP unidirectional carbon-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) sheet developed by Mitsui Chemicals have found application in the Toyota Hyper-F Concept designed by Bangkok-based TCD Asia.

Tafnex CF/PP has been used for decorative components on part of the front bumper and the hood air vents, while the direct pellet-fed 3D-printed components are fitted to the hood air duct bezels.

Materials enable lightweighting.

The Toyota Hyper-F Concept is a high-performance model with a styling design that incorporates the road handling and aerodynamic performance cultivated in the racing field by TCD Asia’s motorsport business. The new materials have enabled the company to further reduce the concept car’s weight. In addition, the fitting of four sport seats instead of two provides a unique user experience.

The road to direct pellet-fed 3D-printing.

In 2020, Mitsui Chemicals launched an investment and business alliance with Dreams Design Corp., an engineering services provider focused on automobile development. Subsequently, in 2023, Mitsui Chemicals embarked on a similar investment and business alliance with ExtraBold Inc., a Tokyo-based supplier of direct pellet-fed 3D printers.

Related:Mitsui Chemicals Targets Next-generation Elastomers by 2030

The 3D-printed components fitted to the concept car bring together:

  • the auto part design technology of Dreams Design;

  • ExtraBold’s EXF-12 3D printer, which delivers high-speed printing of large parts;

  • the 3D printing and post-processing technologies of Arrk, one of Japan’s largest product development support companies in this industry;

  • the polyolefin-based composite technology being developed by Mitsui Chemicals for use in 3D printing.

Applying injection molding techniques, direct pellet-fed 3D printers form structures directly from plastic pellets. The advantage of this approach over conventional 3D printers is a stable increase in the quantity of plastic discharged, thereby enabling large structures to be formed quickly.

When used in the high product mix, low-volume mass production of 3D-printed items, this mold-less technique helps to reduce both development lead times and the initial investment required, including tooling costs. In addition, the technology is expected to contribute to the circular economy, as the 3D-printed items can be returned to pellet form and recycled as raw materials for further 3D printing.

Tafnex toughness for lightweight parts.

Tafnex CF/PP is a lightweight unidirectional tape made from a carbon-fiber and polypropylene composite using Mitsui Chemicals’ proprietary technologies. As well as being lightweight and highly rigid with good processability, the material boasts features that can be altered to suit a diverse range of designs, such as marble-like patterns. Tafnex is designed to be adapted for use in automobiles and drones, along with a range of other applications in the industrial and consumer sectors. Such applications include local reinforcement of injection-molded or press-molded parts. The material can also be processed into parts in the form of tubes or laminated sheets.

About the Author

Stephen Moore

Stephen has been with PlasticsToday and its preceding publications Modern Plastics and Injection Molding since 1992, throughout this time based in the Asia Pacific region, including stints in Japan, Australia, and his current location Singapore. His current beat focuses on automotive. Stephen is an avid folding bicycle rider, often taking his bike on overseas business trips, and a proud dachshund owner.

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