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August 1, 2008
Using the ultimate fabric: a Tetra-axial® fabric “Tetras®”,
The most powerful golf club shafts come to America |
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| Golf club shafts using Tetra-axial® fabric supplied by NI Teijin Shoji (Chuo-ku, Osaka; President: Junji Morita) are going to be sold in the United States, the largest market in the world for golf supplies. Details are as follows. |
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| 1. Events behind the development and sales of tetra-axial fabric |
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Conventional carbon shafts using unidirectional sheets, biaxial and triaxial fabrics are prone to excessive deformation caused by weaknesses in torsional and compressive rigidity.
In 2004, Meidai Co. (Kurashiki, Okayama) added two sets of fibers crossed at 45 degree angles to a biaxial fabric of warp and weft. This marked the successful development of the Tetra-axial® fabric “Tetras®”, which aligns yarn in all cardinal directions, thereby adding torsional and compressive rigidity.
NI Teijin Shoji began incorporating the Teijin Group-developed carbon fiber Tenax® and para-aramid fiber Technora® products into Tetra-axial® fabric “Tetras®”, and in 2004 started to sell them for use in golf shafts, tennis racket frames, and other sporting goods. |
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| 2. Development of the American market |
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Using high elasticity carbon fibers and aramid fibers, Tetra-axial® fabric “Tetras®” achieves superior strength in terms of torsion and compression, hence minimizing energy loss. The resulting golf club shafts have gained a solid reputation for distance and directional accuracy, which has led to consistently strong sales to major domestic shaft manufactures.
Due in part to our solid sales record in the Japanese market, we have partnered with Mamiya-OP, one of our biggest clients, to begin exporting and selling to the United States, the largest market in the world for golf supplies.
NI Teijin Shoji is responsible for conversion functions ranging from yarn to fabric to resin processing (prepregging). United Sports Technologies, which is Mamiya-OP’s affiliate in the United States, is to sell shafts to major club manufacturers and golf shops in the American golf market. |
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| 3. Sales plan |
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In April of 2008, the company began sending Tetra-axial® fabric “Tetras®” to the Bangladesh factory. In August, shafts made of the material will be loaded onto cargo ships headed to the United States for the first time. Shaft sales are to begin in November of 2008 at shops throughout the U.S.
Sales for the use of Tetra-axial® fabrics to all markets are projected at ¥330 million. |
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| 4. Development for new uses |
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The Meidai-designed Tetra-axial® fabric has two distinguishing features: dimensional stability in multiple directions, and strength with respect to bending, torsion, pressure, and other forces. In addition to using the material’s strengths to develop new uses in the sports and leisure areas, we plan to develop uses in all industrial material fields possible.
The Teijin Group has been experimenting with combinations of Tetra-axial® fabric with all sorts of functional materials, which has led to its adoption as an earthquake proofing material for residential housing. In addition, the company is exploring uses for the material in a broad range of applications, from the aeronautics and space industry to everyday household items. |
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| ■ Tetras® and Tetra-axial® are registered trademarks of Meidai Co. |
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For details, contact:
Mr. Gotoh, Industrial Fabrics Dept.Ⅱ, NI Teijin Shoji, (Tel: 06-6266-8264) |
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| Reference: |
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| ■ Overview of Meidai Co. |
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| 1. Headquarters |
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484-1 Kaihara, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama |
| 2. Established |
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July 1968 |
| 3. Representative |
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Michihiro Ogahara |
| 4. Capitalization |
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¥10 million (as of March 31, 2008) |
| 5. No. of employees |
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30 (as of March 31, 2008) |
| 6. Businesses |
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Different kinds of belt slings, broad width cloth and narrow cloth, Tetra-axial® fabric, and the production and sales of other special fabrics |
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| ■ Overview of Mamiya-OP Co., Ltd. |
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| 1. Headquarters |
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3-23-10 Negishi, Minami-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama |
| 2. Established |
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February 23, 1948 (founded September, 1931) |
| 3. Representative |
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Mitsunori Takizawa |
| 4. Capitalization |
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¥3,958,740,000 (as of March 31, 2007) |
| 5. Sales volume |
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¥16,336,000,000 (as of the year ending March, 2007) |
| 6. No. of employees |
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125 (as of March 31, 2007) |
| 7. Businesses |
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Electronic devices, sporting goods |
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| ■ Photo |
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| Conceptual illustration of Tetra-axial® fabric |
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