BASF (Ludwigshafen / Germany; www.basf.com) and Toray Advanced Composites (Morgan Hill, California / USA; www.toraytac.com), a subsidiary of the Japanese Toray group (Tokyo; www.toray.com), have signed a manufacturing and supply agreement focused on production of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes for automotive and industrial markets. Under the terms, the Toray offshoot, formerly TenCate Advanced Composites, will produce the tapes from BASF’s “Ultramid” PA 6 reinforced with either glass or carbon fibre.

In addition to manufacturing, the pact aims to provide wider commercial availability of continuous fibre-reinforced materials, which the companies said will encourage the adoption of advanced materials for lightweight, structural components in a wide range of industrial markets.