Japan’s Teijin will raise production of Technora para-aramid fiber by 10% at its Matsuyama plant in order to meet growing global demand. The company did not disclose actual capacity figures.

Construction on the expansion will start in June 2016 with the additional capacity available from October 2017. The project will cost 1.5 billion Japanese yen, or $13.7 million.

The company said that by boosting capacity, it was putting a higher priority on leveraging its high-performance materials.

Technora fibers have high tensile strength and resistance to impact, fatigue, chemicals, moisture and heat. Applications include reinforcement materials for automotive rubber parts and composites to ropes, cables and protective garments such as bulletproof and stab-resistant clothes.