Toray to expand polyolefin foam capacity in USA to meet growing demand from auto interiors

06-Sep-16

Toray Industries will add production capacity for polyolefin foams in the U.S. by January 2018, to meet growing demand for the material used in auto interiors, as per asia.nikkei.com. The Japanese major plans to invest US$43 mln to install equipment for 3,000 tons of additional annual capacity at its plant in Virginia. This will increase Toray's global capacity for polyolefin foams by 40% to 11,000 tons a year.

In the U.S., where drivers like interior materials with a feeling of solidity, there is a growing demand among automakers for polyolefin foams. The material now is used mainly for the door interiors of pickup trucks, but Toray anticipates a widening of demand to include instrument panels.