Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC And NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., Ltd. Introduce Innovative Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Product To North America

Leading Companies Team up to Provide Solution for Strengthening Steel Structures

Spartanburg, S.C. (PRWEB) - Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of Milliken & Company, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., Ltd. Composites Company (NCKC) to exclusively introduce their innovative carbon fiber Strand Sheet® technology to the North American market. Inspired by Japanese bamboo blinds, Strand Sheet consists of hundreds of factory-made carbon fiber/epoxy strands woven into sheets. Strand Sheet is externally bonded to existing steel, concrete, and masonry structures to enhance their strength and stiffness. Milliken Infrastructure is the exclusive supplier of Strand Sheet in North America.

Ideal for bridges, railroad structures, pipes and marine infrastructure, Strand Sheet is installed using a non-sag paste adhesive that both encapsulates the individual carbon strands and bonds them to the surface of the structure in one easy step. Strand Sheet FRP systems have been rigorously tested to characterize their engineering properties and to validate their performance on large structures. They also have a proven record of successful installations on both concrete and steel structures.

“Strand Sheet is the most innovative fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) strengthening system to be introduced in the last 15 years,” said Gregg Blaszak, P.E., Business Development Manager for Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC. “The addition of Strand Sheet to our existing portfolio of strengthening solutions enables us to properly address the challenges associated with deteriorating and aging steel infrastructure. We are pleased to be able to work with NIPPON STEEL & SUMKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD to make these products available in North America and look forward to continuing to evolve the product in the future.”

Milliken Infrastructure will leverage its best-in-class project support, from feasibility studies and design guidance to contractor training and field support, to ensure the Strand Sheet technology is implemented properly on projects.

Milliken Infrastructure features a range of smart, practical innovations focused on exploring new materials and installation-friendly methods to make it easier and more efficient to rehabilitate, repair, and strengthen infrastructure. Strand Sheet complements the company’s existing fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) solutions including the ICC-ES certified RenewWrap™ ESR FRP system (ESR-3663). The RenewWrap ESR FRP System comprises carbon fiber reinforcing fabrics that are impregnated onsite with Milliken’s specially formulated epoxy saturating resins using wet lay-up techniques.

In 1992, NCKC introduced TOW SHEET®, the conventional carbon fiber sheets strengthening system, to the Japanese market. Since then, the company has continued to enthusiastically research and develop the advanced materials and technologies, which has enabled them to maintain a strong market position in the repairing and strengthening infrastructure market using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) in Japan.

In 2006, NCKC introduced Strand Sheet, the innovative carbon fiber strand sheet which radically improved features of TOW SHEET®, such as high capability, high reliability, high durability, and cost savings. As its superior features continue to get recognition, the usage of Strand Sheet in strengthening of concrete members has rapidly increased. Strengthening of steel structures using Strand Sheet has also rapidly increased due to the features of high performance carbon fiber GRANOC®, the pitch based carbon fiber produced by Nippon Graphite Fiber Corporation (http://www.ngfworld.com/en.html), a subsidiary of NIPPON STEEL & SUMKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD.

“We believe that partnering up with Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC brings us great synergy for creating complementary portfolio with their services and strengthening materials,” said Akira Kobayashi, General Manager at Composites Company, NIPPON STEEL & SUMKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD. “Milliken Infrastructure has innovative technologies based on solid research and development. Their focus on services for contractors and consultants in the North American market will be beneficial as we continue to grow this technology.”

*Strand Sheet® and TOW SHEET® are registered trademarks of NIPPON STEEL & SUMKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD

GRANOC® is a registered trademark of Nippon Graphite Fiber Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of NIPPON STEEL & SUMKIN MATERIALS CO., LTD.

About Milliken Infrastructure Solutions
Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, LLC offers a range of smart, practical innovations focused on exploring new materials and installation-friendly methods to make it easier and more efficient to rehabilitate, repair, and strengthen infrastructure. Headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the company’s extensive range of products – from fiber reinforced polymer and geopolymer mortar systems, to geosynthetic composite concrete mat and fabric innerduct – offer solutions for oil, gas and industrial; storm and sanitary; buildings and parking facilities; transport infrastructure; and telecom markets. Milliken Infrastructure Solutions is a subsidiary of Milliken, a global innovation leader that has over 2,200 U.S. patents - and more than 5,000 patents worldwide - since its founding in 1865. To learn more about Milliken Infrastructure Solutions, visit infrastructure.milliken.com.

About Milliken
Milliken is an innovation company that has been exploring, discovering, and creating ways to enhance people’s lives since 1865. Our community of innovators has developed one of the largest collections of patents held by a private company. With expertise across a breadth of disciplines including specialty chemicals, floor coverings, and performance materials, we work around the world to add value to people’s lives, improve health and safety, and help make the world more sustainable. For more information, visit http://www.milliken.com or infrastructure.milliken.com.

About Composites Company, NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., Ltd
Compsites Company, which drives the Basic Industrial Materials and Components operating domain of NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., LTD, is the leading composite material manufacturer based in Japan. We produce wide range of products, using high performance composite materials such as carbon fiber that are utilized in the field of construction and engineering as well as in the industrial field. Not only do we seek for the highest quality in producing carbon fiber composite products, we continuously challenge ourselves to discover newer and better construction and engineering methods that would satisfy the needs of our customers. To learn more about Composites Company, please visit http://www.nck.nsmat.co.jp/english.html.

About NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., Ltd.
NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS Co., Ltd., which drives the NIPPON STEEL SUMITOMO METAL COPORATION Group’s New materials business, provides original materials and components that are indispensable to leading-edge technology fields, based on materials expertise gained from steelmaking. Along with technologies for the design, analysis, and evaluation of molecular structures, we are exerting utmost efforts to enhance its presence in the Advanced Materials global market by providing innovative materials solutions, destined for three key operating domains: Electronics Industry Materials and Components, Basic Industrial Materials and Components, and Energy and Environmental Materials. To learn more about NIPPON STEEL & SUMIKIN MATERIALS, please visit http://www.nsmat.nssmc.com./english/.