- Teijin Automotive Technologies (formerly Continental Structural Plastics) is building the pickup box for the new Tundra at its Seguin, Texas, facility
- Three box sizes are one-piece compression molded.
- Seguin facility home to the largest compression molding press west of the Mississippi.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Teijin Automotive Technologies (formerly Continental Structural Plastics) today announced it is manufacturing the pickup boxes for the next generation 2022 Toyota Tundra Pickup truck. These boxes are being produced at the company’s new facility in Seguin, Texas.
The Tundra pickup box is molded in one piece using one of Teijin Automotive Technologies’ proprietary composite formulations. The box is available in three lengths – 5.5 feet, 6.5 feet and 8 feet 1 inch – and available with optional lighting features. Teijin Automotive Technologies is also producing the tailgate covers out of composites, which will be assembled on to the boxes along with the D-pillar prior to shipment to Toyota’s manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas. Full production on the pickup box began in November 2021.
The molding and assembly process used by the team at Seguin closely mimics that used by Teijin Automotive Technologies at its facility in Tijuana, Mexico, where it has been manufacturing the pickup boxes for the Toyota Tacoma since 2004. Since the start of production, Teijin Automotive Technologies has produced more than 2 million composite pickup boxes for the Tacoma program.
“The opportunity to produce the pickup box for the highly-anticipated next generation Tundra is something we were honored and excited to get,” explains Steve Rooney, CEO of Teijin Automotive Technologies and general manager of Teijin’s Composites Business Unit. “We have been providing exceptional quality and on-time delivery to Toyota out of our Tijuana facility for more than 17 years. This new program will enable us to further solidify our relationship with this important customer and at the same time showcase the incredible qualities composites offer for pickup boxes and other applications.”
Composite pickup boxes offer consumers superior durability. They don’t dent or ding, won’t rust, and eliminate the need for a bedliner, thus saving weight.
Teijin Automotive Technologies broke ground on the new Seguin facility in 2019. The now completed 200,000 square-foot facility includes fully-automated production cells and several large compression molding presses – including a 5,200-ton press – the largest such press west of the Mississippi River in the United States. The facility also features a topcoat paint line, and automated bonding and trimming cells. It employs approximately 200 people in engineering, administrative and production positions.
About Teijin Automotive Technologies
Teijin Automotive Technologies specializes in the development and production of advanced composite components – including carbon and glass fiber – for the global automotive and transportation industries and is an integral part of the Teijin Group of companies. The company is a worldwide leader in composite formulations with a focus on providing automakers with lightweight, durable products that enable design and packaging flexibility. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., USA, Teijin Automotive Technologies has 29 operations in 8 countries and employs more than 5,000 people. For more information, visit teijinautomotive.com.
About the Teijin Group
Teijin (TSE: 3401) is a technology-driven global group offering advanced solutions in the fields of environmental value; safety, security and disaster mitigation; and demographic change and increased health consciousness. Originally established as Japan’s first rayon manufacturer in 1918, Teijin has evolved into a unique enterprise encompassing three core business domains: high-performance materials including aramid, carbon fibers and composites, and also resin and plastic processing, films, polyester fibers and products converting; healthcare including pharmaceuticals and home healthcare equipment for bone/joint, respiratory and cardiovascular/ metabolic diseases, nursing care and pre-symptomatic healthcare; and IT including B2B solutions for medical, corporate and public systems as well as packaged software and B2C online services for digital entertainment. Deeply committed to its stakeholders, as expressed in the brand statement “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions”, Teijin aims to be a company that supports the society of the future. The group comprises some 170 companies and employs some 20,000 people across 20 countries worldwide. Teijin posted consolidated sales of JPY 926.1 billion (USD 7.2 billion) and total assets of JPY 1,207.6 billion (USD 9.4 billion) in the fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2022. Please visit www.teijin.com.
Contacts
Kim Zitny
+1 248.535.6944
kim.zitny@teijinautomotive.com
