Daimler AG and Toray Industries announced yesterday they’ll be teaming up to jointly develop carbon fiber composite materials, starting with the next-generation Mercedes SL-Class in 2012. When effectuated, the collaboration will mark the first time carbon fiber has been extensively implemented in mass-produced auto bodies, and it will hopefully help the SL regain its original meaning of “sport light”.
As Japan’s largest synthetic fiber maker, Toray currently holds (by their estimate) a 34 percent market share of carbon fiber products. The company has a molding technology that cuts the time it takes to make carbon fiber composites to under five minutes, and through the new partnership with Daimler, seeks to improve the molding process further to scale down costs. While details of the collaboration are still being finalized, A Toray spokesman said that through joint research and development, the two companies will work out whether to expand the use of carbon fiber to other auto parts or models, and that at present, the two companies haven’t decided what form any R&D operations, joint ventures or other arrangements they’ll undertake together. A monetary value of the deal is still pending as well.
We’ll keep you posted as new details of the Daimler and Toray deal materialize; in the meantime, you can find more details at WSJ.com.
