Invista Speciality Fibers Shanghai Co. currently produces 11,000 tons of nylon yarn annually. By 2013, production at the plant will double to 22,000 tons, says Jeffery Brown, global vice president, Invista Surfaces & Materials.

Invista is a privately held company with headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. In China, customers include Autoliv Inc., TRW Automotive, Hyundai Mobis and Jinzhou Jinheng Automotive Safety System Co.

The company's existing plant in Shanghai's Qingpu district is currently running at full capacity as demand for airbags rises across Asia.

The expansion will include an extension to the existing Invista Speciality Fibers Shanghai Co. plant in Qingpu. The $50 million facility opened in November 2008. The plant is a wholly owned foreign enterprise.

Brown declined to estimate how much the expansion will cost.

The Qingpu plant exports two-thirds of its yarn to South Korea, says Brown. To meet growing demand in Asia, Invista also ships nylon yarn from plants in Canada and Great Britain, he says.

A dramatic rise in demand for airbags among South Korean automakers has resulted in soaring use of the nylon fibre.

"Consumers in Korea seem to be demanding the same amount of airbags as in developed markets, historically Korean did not have that demand," says Brown. "In developed markets 6 to 8 airbags per vehicle is common."

As consumers in China demand safer cars, the number of airbags per car will increase, he says. "This is a trend we expect," says Brown.