News

Kuraray Co. Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Fumio Ito) has increased production capacity of its Kashima Plant (Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture; General Manager: Ichiro Matsuzaki) in response to increased global demand for GENESTAR heat-resistant polyamide resin.

Background for the Capacity Expansion

GENESTAR is currently used in auto parts, including fuel lines and intercooler tanks, as well as electrical and electronic components that include LED backlighting components. To accommodate our expansion into the field of LED lighting and serve these growing markets, we have expanded our GENESTAR production capacity.

Overview of the Capacity Expansion

1.Production Capacity (tons/year)

Location Current Capacity Capacity after Completion
(August 2013)
Kashima Plant 6,000 9,000
Saijo Plant 4,000 4,000
Total 10,000 13,000

2.Capital Investment: Around ¥1 billion

Features of GENESTAR

  1. Superior heat resistance: It is able to withstand high temperatures for long periods due to its high melting point of 306℃. The solder resistance temperature is 270℃.
  2. Low water absorbency: It has the lowest water absorbency among all polyamides, with almost no distortion or degradation in physical properties due to water absorption.
    *Features 1 and 2 also ensure that blisters do not form during surface mounting.
  3. Superior sliding: It holds up well against friction and is wear-resistant.
  4. Superior moldability: Its high fluidity allows for thin wall molding and its quick rate of crystallization allows for high-cycle molding.
  5. Superior light stability: Its color does not fade even with long exposure to light, nor does its reflectivity degrade.
  • This year, Kuraray received the 2012 “Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (Technology)” from the Society of Polymer Science, Japan for GENESTAR heat-resistant polyamide 9T.

Electronic Components (Connectors)

LED Components

Auto Parts (Intercooler Tank)

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