Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Sumitomo Rubber"), headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and Toray Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Toray"), headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, have recently signed a joint development contract for the joint development of the next-generation portable wheelchair ramp. ("Toray"), headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, to jointly develop next-generation portable wheelchair ramps. Under the contract, the two companies will contribute to solving problems in caregiving environments by combining their technical capabilities and expertise to improve safer, more comfortable performance and maintainability.
In an increasingly aging society, the number of cases of elderly people aged 65 or older providing care for their parents, spouses, etc. is increasing year by year, and reducing the burden of care has become a top priority. Sumitomo Rubber's "Danthrop Air 2" uses Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) developed by Toray. While ensuring rigidity and strength, this is the first time in the industry that a portable wheelchair ramp has adopted a hollow structure, making it the industry's lightest class of JIS-certified portable wheelchair ramp, which is not only easy to carry and use, but also reduces the impact of a wheelchair traveling on a slope.
Wheelchair Portable Ramp "Dan Slope Air 2"
With the signing of this joint development agreement, the two companies will share design and development goals from the early stages of conceptual planning to rapidly develop and deliver high-performance ramps made of CFRP to customers by selecting the most suitable material, conducting shape and design simulation analysis, and producing and evaluating prototypes.
Sumitomo Rubber has utilized its knowledge and know-how accumulated over approximately 15 years of ramp development to develop GREAT CARE Technology, which takes into account not only wheelchair users, but also caregivers, and incorporates customer needs at the same time in order to further improve the lightweight and durability performance of its products.
At the same time, Toray, a pioneer in the carbon fiber field, has been working on technological innovations in carbon fiber "Torayka®" for half a century. In addition, the company continues to expand the market for carbon fiber products through the development of CAE analysis technology and molding technology. In this joint development project, Toray will support the development of Sumitomo Rubber's products by performing optimal material selection, shape and design simulation, and prototyping and evaluation. The two companies will utilize their respective technologies, knowledge and strengths with the goal of developing better products.
In addition, utilizing the technologies and know-how accumulated by both companies in the development of wheelchair portable ramps, the two companies will also work on the development of logistics cart ramps to meet the growing demand for efficient and fast loading and unloading operations in the workforce.
Sumitomo Rubber and Toray Sign Joint Development Agreement
About Sumitomo Rubber Corporation
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is the world's fifth largest tire company, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Kobe, Japan. It has production bases in Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, and its main production products include automotive, sporting goods, and industrial goods.
In 2002, Sumitomo Rubber invested in Changshu, Jiangsu Province, and set up the first tire factory in China. With the popularity of the automobile society, the tire performance has been developing rapidly, and then in 2010, it chose Changsha, Hunan Province, and set up the second tire factory in China. Sumitomo Rubber (China) Co., Ltd. was established in 2010 to unify the management of the tire business in China.
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