Production of PAN-based carbon fibers and carbon fiber-based semi-finished products under the Tenax™ brand
Teijin Carbon Europe GmbH
Wuppertal · Heinsberg (Oberbruch)New on Amplifa
About Teijin Carbon Europe
Teijin Carbon Europe GmbH is the European arm of the Teijin Group's carbon fiber business and produces PAN-based carbon fibers as well as carbon fiber-based semi-finished products under the Tenax™ brand. The product portfolio includes filament yarns with 1000 to 48,000 filaments, chopped and milled short fibers, thermoset prepregs, thermoplastic materials such as TPUD tapes, TPWF fabrics and PEEK-based laminates, as well as dry reinforcement textiles. Processing includes prepreg manufacturing, weaving, braiding, winding, pultrusion, compounding for injection molding, and non-crimp fabric and SMC production. The production site in the Oberbruch Industrial Park in Heinsberg operates four carbon fiber production lines with an annual capacity of 5,100 tonnes; quality assurance and administration are also located there. The European headquarters in Wuppertal consolidates sales, marketing, development and laboratory. The products are used in aerospace, automotive, construction, renewable energies, industry, marine, medical technology, oil and gas, and sporting goods. The company originated from Toho Rayon respectively Toho Tenax and has operated under its current name since 2018.
- Site
- Wuppertal
- Processes
- Prepreg, Weaving, Braiding, Winding, Pultrusion, Compounding/Injection Molding, Non-Crimp Fabric, SMC
- Materials
- Tenax™ Carbon Fiber Filament Yarn (PAN-based, 1,000-48,000 filaments), Tenax™ Short Fibers (chopped/milled, with sizings), Tenax™ ThermoPlastics (TPUD tapes, TPWF fabrics, TPLC laminates, PEEK matrix), Tenax™ ThermoSets (prepreg), Tenax™ Dry Reinforcements (dry reinforcement textiles), Pyromex™ (oxidized PAN fiber, heat-resistant/flame-retardant), Tenax Next™ (sustainable carbon fiber line), Rapid cure prepregs / fast-curing resin systems
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, EN 9100:2018, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, ISO 50001:2018, Nadcap (NMMT, NMMM), ISCC Plus, Nadcap (NMMT/NMMM)
- Founded
- 1950 (Toho
- Employees
- approx. 470 in
- Industries
- Aerospace, Automotive, Construction/Civil Engineering, Renewable Energies, Industry, Marine
- 01
PAN precursor production (Mishima)
- 02
Carbon fiber spinning (Heinsberg, Mishima, Greenwood)
- 03
Short fibers / filament yarn
- 04
Semi-finished product manufacturing: prepreg, weaving, braiding, winding,
- 05
Quality assurance and laboratory (Wuppertal/Heinsberg)
- 06
Sales and technical support
Products and Processes
Tenax™ Carbon Fiber Filament Yarn
PAN-based filament yarns with 1000 to 48,000 filaments, classified by tensile strength and tensile modulus.
Tenax™ Short Fibers
Chopped and milled fibers with various sizings to improve the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of thermoplastics.
Tenax™ ThermoPlastics (TPUD, TPWF, TPLC)
Unidirectional tapes, fabrics and consolidated laminates with thermoplastic matrix, including PEEK.
Tenax™ ThermoSets (Prepreg)
Thermoset prepregs, including rapid-cure systems for high-volume aerospace programs.
Tenax™ Dry Reinforcements
Dry, non-preimpregnated reinforcement textiles for subsequent resin infusion or preform manufacturing.
Pyromex™ oxidized PAN fiber
Heat-resistant, flame-retardant fiber based on oxidized PAN for technical applications.
Tenax Next™
Product line with a reduced CO2 footprint and approaches for circular material cycles.
Locations
Wuppertal
DEEuropean headquarters with sales, marketing, development and laboratory
- Materials
- Tenax™ carbon fiber product portfolio
- Development and testing laboratory
Heinsberg (Oberbruch)
DEProduction of Tenax™ Carbon Fibers, ThermoPlastics and Dry Reinforcements; quality assurance and administration
- Materials
- Tenax™ filament yarns, short fibers, ThermoPlastics, Dry Reinforcements
- 4 carbon fiber production lines (5,100 t/year)
Mishima
JPProduction of carbon fibers (6,400 t/year), prepreg and PAN precursor for all Teijin lines worldwide
- Materials
- Tenax™ carbon fibers, prepreg, precursor
- Carbon fiber production lines
- Sakura line
- Prepreg production
Ibigawa
JPProduction of Pyromex™ and carbon components
- Materials
- Pyromex™, carbon parts
- Pyromex™ production
Ha Nam
VNProduction of carbon fiber products including prepreg (since 2021)
- Materials
- Carbon fiber products, prepreg
- Prepreg production
Greenwood, SC
USHeadquarters of Teijin Carbon America; carbon fiber production on the world's largest line (3,000 t/year).
- Materials
- Tenax™ carbon fibers
- Carbon fiber production line (3,000 t/year)
Rockwood, TN
USProduction of Pyromex™ and Tenax™ short fibers; customer service center Americas
- Materials
- Pyromex™, Tenax™ short fibers
- Pyromex™ and short fiber production
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics Processing/Composites | – | – | – | – | – |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon fiber production line | – | – | 4 lines, 5,100 t/year | – | Heinsberg-Oberbruch, Germany |
| Carbon fiber production line (world's largest line) | – | – | 3,000 t/year | 2018 (Bau) | Greenwood, SC, USA |
| Carbon fiber production lines | – | – | 6,400 t/year | – | Mishima, Japan |
| Prepreg production | – | – | – | – | Mishima, Japan / Ha Nam, Vietnam |
| Pyromex™/short fiber production | – | – | – | – | Rockwood, TN, USA / Ibigawa, Japan |
Additional services
Quality and Certification
Teijin Carbon manufactures according to international quality standards; several sites are certified to aerospace standards (EN/AS/JIS Q 9100, Nadcap). In addition, management systems according to ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 as well as ISCC Plus are in place.
| Evidence | Wuppertal | Heinsberg (Oberbruch) |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | ||
| EN 9100:2018 | ||
| Nadcap (NMMT/NMMM) | ||
| ISO 14001:2015 | ||
| ISO 45001:2018 | ||
| ISO 50001:2018 | ||
| ISCC Plus |
Company History
- 1950
Foundation of Toho Rayon Co., Ltd. as predecessor of the carbon fiber business.
- 1969
Start of carbon fiber research.
- 1975
Start of commercial carbon fiber production (Besfight) and of the first Pyromex™ mass production line in Mishima.
- 1977
Start of prepreg manufacturing.
- 1986
Production start of the Heinsberg-Oberbruch carbon fiber plant (by Enka, Tenax brand).
- 1993
Foundation of Tenax Fibers in Germany and Toho Carbon Fibers in the USA.
- 2000
Teijin becomes majority shareholder of Toho Rayon.
- 2001
Renaming to Toho Tenax.
- 2004
Acquisition of Fortafil Fibers (Rockwood, TN, USA).
- 2006
Start of production line #3 in Oberbruch; Tenax™ becomes the uniform brand name worldwide.
- 2010
Full commissioning of production line #4 in Oberbruch.
- 2011
EN 9100 certification of Toho Tenax Europe.
- 2018
Integration of Toho Tenax into Teijin Limited; renaming to Teijin Carbon Europe GmbH.
- 2021
Teijin Carbon Vietnam (Ha Nam) starts commercial production.