Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc.　

Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President Takumi Ubagai) has developed the world’s longest chromed surface carbon roller (length 9.2m) using pitch-based carbon fiber “DIALEAD™”. This product achieved excellent stable rotation performance with vibration amplitude of 0.08mm or lower at the high rotating speed of 2,000m/min. Roller users such as film/paper manufacturers can significantly improve their productivity by using this product.

Industrial rollers are generally used for the production lines (winder, slitter, coater, and laminator) of film, paper, non-woven fabric, etc. This new carbon roller, using a pitch-based carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP) , has a higher rigidity than iron and smaller specific gravity than aluminum (about two-third that of aluminum); therefore, it has excellent properties such as lightweight, small diameter, less deflection, less inertia moment, higher number of critical revolutions, and vibration suppression. Mitsubishi Plastics started the carbon roller business (product name: CARBOLEADER™) in 1990 through collaboration with Sunray Co. Ltd. (Head office: Shiroi-shi, Chiba prefecture; President Hirokazu Tsuha), a leading roller manufacturer in Japan. Since then, it has been developing high-performance carbon rollers by introducing innovative design, production and analysis technologies.

The newly developed chromed carbon roller is 9.2 m in length with a relatively small diameter (350mm in outer diameter), thus achieving the light gross weight of approximately 400kg. It also achieved excellent stable rotation performance with the vibration amplitude of 0.08mm or lower at the high rotating speed of 2,000m/min. In general, the outer diameter of a roller made from iron, with the same speed and stable rotation capacities, is about one meter in diameter, having the gross weight of 4 tons or more. This is ten times heavier than the new product. Mitsubishi Plastics and Sunray have successfully developed a carbon roller that is long and lightweight and has a stable high speed rotation capacity, by using the surface metallization (cladding) and balance adjusting technologies for carbon rollers, for which the companies hold a patent jointly. As well, company has utilized the cylindrical CFRP designing and manufacturing technologies and know-how acquired over the years. With this new roller,Mitsubishi Plastics’ world-class carbon roller manufacturing technology has surpassed it’s previously longest chromed carbon roller of 6.5m. At this time, the Company has successfully developed the world’s longest chromed carbon roller.  By using the new roller, users can significantly reduce power consumption necessary for rotating rollers.

The extension of roller length in production lines for film, paper, etc. can sufficiently improve the productivity; therefore, the demand for long carbon rollers is expected to grow in the future. Mitsubishi Plastics will, as a leading manufacturer of pitch-based carbon-fibers and carbon rollers, strive to develop world-class high-performance carbon rollers that can help our customers improve their productivity, thus contributing to the development of Japan’s film/paper industries. In this way, the Company aims to attain the concept of “KAITEKI” advocated by the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group.

* Mitsubishi Plastics has participated in the Convertech JAPAN 2013 (between January 30 and February 1 at Tokyo Big Sight) to display the newly developed 9.2m carbon roller (Booth No.: 3Q-04 in the East 3 Hall)

[Product photo: 9.2m chromed carbon roller when rotating at the speed of 2,000m/min)] 

 

For further information please contact:
Public Relations and Investor Relations office,
Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation.
TEL: +81-3-6748-7140