Accommodating All Carbon Types and CFRP Prototyping

Contents

Commercializing CFRP
- Fields Where CFRP is being Leveraged
Uchida’s Strengths
- 55 Years since Our Founding
Our Equipment at Uchida
Lead Time

Commercializing CFRP

Uchida carries 55 years of well-honed experience in manufacturing carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) and other composite components. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), also known as carbon or dry carbon, requires composite curing autoclaves and a specialized environment, tools, and equipment.

At Uchida, we house industrial-sized autoclaves (Φ3m × L6m), high-pressure systems (max. 2.0MPa), and various molding tools including RTM, Va-RTM, press machines, and FDM 3D printers capable of molding carbon fiber. Our proposals for products that meet market demand for shape, cost, and production volume are set to expand the mass-market availability (commercialization) of CFRPs.

EQUIPMENT

Fields Where CFRP is being Leveraged

Motorbikes: Exterior components, structural components, helmets

Automobile: Exterior components (hood, roof, trunk, doors, fenders, bumpers), IP components, Structural Components (chassis, frame, wheels), hydrogen tanks

Aircraft: Exterior structural components, interior components

Space: Rockets, satellites

Defense: Structural components

Medical: X-ray CT beds

Welfare: Orthotics, wheelchairs, crutches

Art: Artistic productions

Sports: Golf club shafts, fishing rods, tennis rackets, bicycles, baseball bats

Construction: Concrete reinforcement, seismic reinforcement

Wind power generation: Large blades

Robots: Robot arms for transporting products

CFRP is applied in diverse fields.

Uchida’s Strengths

55 Years since Our Founding

Uchida Co. Ltd started out as a mannequin manufacturer in 1968. We have since grown to become a recognized CFRP molding and processing manufacturer using FRP and CFRPs, providing one-stop services from design to manufacturing, coating, quality assurance, and testing.

Our Equipment at Uchida

Autoclave

Prepregs are layered in a mold, vacuum-bagged, and then heated and pressurized inside an autoclave to cure the resin, producing an advanced high-performing CFRP product known as dry carbon.

Autoclave

(1)φ3m × 6m (depth), temperature MAX 200°C : pressure MAX 1.0MPa

(2) φ1.15m × 1m (depth), temperature MAX 400℃ : pressure MAX 2.0MPa

Press Machine　

1.2m D × 1.5m W × 1.7m H, MAX: 630 ton

Resin Injection Machine

Enables HP-RTM (High Pressure Resin Transfer Molding), Wet-RTM, and Gap-RTM fabrication in conjunction with press machine processes. This fabrication method offers greater capacity for high-cycle molding compared to conventional RTM.

Size: Resin 60ℓ (epoxy resin), Hardener 25ℓ (amine based)

3D Printer

3D printer capable of layering and molding carbon fibers with a nylon resin base.

Size: 132mm D × 320mm W × 154mm H

Lead Time

3D data preparation + fabrication: Approx. 1 month

Fabrication from supplied data: Approx. 2–3 weeks

Fabrication + creation of an inverted mold from an existing item: Approx. 1–1.5 months

3D printed fabrication: Minimum of 2 days

Actual lead time may vary depending on size, quantity, specifications, and production conditions.

We also offer hand lay-up and Va-RTM fabrication processes that do not require extensive molding equipment.

Our extensive facilities and technical know-how accumulated over the decades offers added production and design freedom, allowing us to accommodate diverse CFRP prototyping and development requests.

ABOUT UCHIDA - 55 years since our founding

We leverage a wealth of technical expertise as a CFRP molding and processing manufacturer using FRP, GFRP, and CFRP materials. We offer a one-stop solution, encompassing design, analysis, manufacturing, secondary processing, assembly, painting, quality assurance, and testing.

See Details

UCHIDA's equipment

We have cutting-edge equipment to ensure that we can address even the most advanced challenges of our customers.

DMG森精機 - VS1000/40/2050
X軸：2,050mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：1,000mm ／ Z軸：600mm ／テーブル作業面：2,250×1,000mm

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 2
Size : Ø1,150x1,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 400℃ / Design pressure : 2.0Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 5

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 3
Size : Ø3,000x6,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 200℃ / Distribution accuracy : ±2.5℃less / Heating rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Cooling rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Design pressure : 0.99Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Working pressure : 0.7Mpa less (if no specification from the manufacuturer 0.3Mpa around) / Pressure accuracy : ±0.02Mpa（for pressure setting of ０ - 0.99Mpa/cm²） / Boost pressure accuracy : 0 - 0.03Mpa/min / Pressure source : compressed air (regular use) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

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Oven
Size : W1,000xH1,000xD1,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 45min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

ESPEC CORP.
Temperature & Humidity Chamber

INSTRON
Static Universal Testing Machine 5985

Oven
Size : W7,000xH3,000xD2,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ (Max) / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 60min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

NEO
X axis : 4,000mm (stroke) / Y axis : 2,000mm / Z axis : 1,200mm / C axis : 0° - ±270° / B axis : 0° - ±110° / Table working place : 4,000x2,000mm

【開発】
3Dプリンター | Markforged

Painting booth
Various painting, and clear finish is done in dedicated painting booth

Adhesion, Finishing, Coating Room
Finishing process, such as trimming, drilling, and bonding, surface treatment of the molded product type and is done in a private booth

Toshiba Matrixeye EX (Ultrasonic flaw detector)
Matrix-Arrey : 32

AMETEK CREAFORM Metra
SCAN750 Elite (3D scan)

Olympus Corp.
Inverted Microscopes

Oven
Size : W450xH450xD450mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 650℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature+50 - 650℃/120min less

Cutting Plotter Table working place : W1,500xL3,500mm

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD
Cutting Plotter

KUKA
Robot

Krauss Maffei
Epoxy resin injection machine Resin 60L ／ Hardener 25L

Krauss Maffei
630t Press machine Height total 5,200mm ／ Length max 1,500mm ／ Width max 1,200mm ／ Whole cycle time per component part 240sec

DMG森精機 - NV5000B/40
X軸：1,020mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：510mm ／ Z軸：510mm ／テーブル作業面：1,320×600mm

Big sized clean room
JIS B 9920 cleanliness class maximum concentration (Pcs/m³） / Class 5 : 100,000m³ / Capacity : m² (16,000x16,000mm) 760m² (16,000x16,000x3,000mm) / Temperature and humidity condition : Temperature : 23℃±3℃, Humidity 65% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Temperature -5℃ during winter, Humidity 40% less