Japan’s Toray plans extra investment to meet growing demand

Japan based Toray Industries Inc. recently revealed its intention to spend an extra sum towards boosting its manufacturing capacity for nonwoven textiles in China, so as to be able to fulfil the rising demand of materials greatly required to produce disposable diapers and sanitary napkins.

The company is to invest another five million yen that is US $60.12 million, in addition to the five million worth of investment already underway for expansion of the its production lines for high-performance polypropylene spunbond. This expansion is believed to enhance the company’s overall capacity for producing this elastic, breathable material by 60 percent to 108,000 tons by July 2012.

Currently, the firm annually manufactures 50,000 tons of the nonwoven textile at its plant in South Korea, and 18,000 tons in its China based facility. In view of the excess demand for material in Chinese markets against low supply, the firm in January 2010 decided to raise the production capacity of its facility in China to 20,000 tons by March, next year. But now, it has decided to further boost its capacity by another 20,000 tons by July 2012.

The firm foresees the sanitary item’s market in China to advance by 170 percent to 198,000 tons by 2015. The firm with aggressive investment intends to raise its capacity to beat the competition in the market.