MaruHachi – Thermoplastic Composite Material Systems

Thermoplastic Composite

Material Systems

Who are we?

MaruHachi Group with its headquarters in Fukui, Japan, founded in 1936, is a family-owned developer and manufacturer of composite materials with approximately 80 employees, who was traditionally active in textiles. Some 10 years ago, MaruHachi decided to diversify into the fascinating sector of advanced materials, namely into the thermoplastic composites sector, in form of tapes, sheets and near-net shaped preforms.

This business is being expanded into the European market since most of the innovations are coming from that region. The offering includes products based on unidirectional reinforcement glass, carbon and aramid fibers with matrices ranging from PE, PP, TPU, PA6, PA/L, PPS, PEI, PES, LCP to PEEK. In 2014, MaruHachi has won the JEC Innovation Awards for their high-pressure vessels Type IV.

In Europe, MaruHachi is member of the AVK. As a business partner of the AZL, MaruHachi actively participates in the business platforms „Composite pipes and vessels“ and „Thermoplastic composites“ where some 20 partner companies along the entire value chain establish together with relevant research institutes common research and development projects, technology comparisons as well as market overviews and their development.

In Japan, MaruHachi is networking with these universities and institutes: Kyoto Institute of Technology, Tokyo University, Nihon University, Osaka University, Doshisha University, Fukui University, Innovative Composites Center.

Our offering

MaruHachi offers various products which are based on thermoplastic composite material like UD tapes, organo sheets, multilayer sheets, near-net shaped 2 D and 3 D preforms. These materials are used in dynamic structural applications in various market segments like Transportation (Automotive), Electric and Electronics, Sports, Construction and civil engineering or Consumer goods. Applications in the field of aerospace and high-speed transportation are in development.

MaruHachi offers the following services
along the value chain:

One-stop prototyping process in thermoplastic prepregs & preforms with flexible and independent operation style
Prepreg prototyping & production : high correspondency for raw materials such as continuous and discontinuous fibers and various matrix resins
Preform prototyping & production : independent and separate business operation from the prepreg material unit
Engineering services : concept creation, design, simulation, analyzes, evaluations etc.
Commercial production transfer from prototyping
Tailored material properties (strength and modulus, etc.) by fiber processing & interface arrangements
Tailored material functions (heat resistance, flame retardancy, incombustibility, conductivity, etc.) by matrix resin arrangements

Benefits of using thermoplastics:

Weight reduction
Nice appearance/good surface quality
Impact energy absorption, good fatigue properties
Environmental benefits
High volume mass production capabilities
Easy combination with other processes (integrative manufacturing technologies such as injection moulding, compression moulding, tape winding and tape placement)
Short cycle times

Thermoplastic process technologies

For high-volume production series with more than 100,000 units p.a., tailored material functions and a constant product quality, MaruHachi uses three different technologies: thermoforming, insert moulding (hybrid moulding) and tape winding (tape lay-up). These technologies allow to produce large complex lightweight volumes in short cycle times, while being cost efficient and environmentally friendly.

With this technology, composite parts and composite inserts are produced. MaruHachi can supply parts from 1 cm² up to 1 m² in size with a tolerance of ± 0.05 mm. Component thicknesses may vary from 50 µm to 1 cm.

Complex high performance parts are manufactured with this technology, where CFRTP is combined in an injection moulding process with engineered thermoplastic resins.

MaruHachi tapes can be used for laser-based filament winding of pipes and vessels or in a laser-based tape placement process for the manufacture of 2 D and 3 D preforms, laminates and parts.