Tokyo—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced today that it has earned a certification from Airbus for prepreg for A380 fairings. Yokohama thus becomes the first Japanese manufacturer to be eligible to supply prepreg for Airbus aircraft.

Prepreg consists of plastic sheets that contain reinforcement of glass or carbon fiber. Manufacturers laminate and mold the sheets to produce strong, light components. Yokohama's prepreg for the A380 is epoxy resin reinforced with carbon fiber. It is for fairings—streamlined trim for reducing drag—installed under the wings where the wings meet the fuselage. The wing fairings on the A380 comprise honeycomb cores sandwiched between panels of fiber-reinforced plastic.

Reduced environmental impact and simplified molding heighten the appeal of the prepreg developed by Yokohama for the A380. Yokohama has eliminated the need for using environmentally troublesome solvents to melt the prepreg for molding. Simply heating the material is sufficient.

Similarly, Yokohama has eliminated the need for adhesives to affix the fiber-reinforced plastic panels to the honeycomb cores. Merely heating the panels causes them to adhere solidly to the cores. That eliminates a step in fairing assembly and thus raises productivity.

A leading manufacturer of tires, Yokohama also supplies an extensive range of components and materials for aircraft. It is the sole supplier of drinking-water tanks and lavatory waste-water tanks for the A380. And the company is working to secure certifications for prepreg for A380 components besides fairings.