Revisions to Japan’s feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme for renewable energy are driving changes to the country’s storage battery and power conditioning system (PCS) industries. With the tariff rate expected to drop significantly from 2019, it is anticipated that the trend in solar power generation will shift from power selling to power self-consumption. The industry is...
Products
Casio Launches World’s First 2.5D Printer
Casio Computer Co. Ltd. (TYO:6952) has commercialized the world’s first 2.5D inkjet printer, capable of adding fine 3D textures to a variety of materials. The printer incorporates electromagnetic wave technology cultivated by Casio in its projectors and camera products. With the new printer able to create such tactile surfaces as bricks and leather, Casio is...
Teijin to Supply Polycarbonate Resin for GLM Electric Car Windshield
Teijin Ltd. (TYO:3401) has announced that its polycarbonate (PC) resin has been selected for use in the pillarless front windshield of the Tommykaira ZZ, a sports electric vehicle (EV) manufactured by GLM Co. Ltd., a Kyoto University-spawned automaker. This represents the world’s first production model road car windshield to be made of resin. Teijin uses...
Yaguchi Denshi Kogyo Captures Attention With “Invisible TV”
An “invisible TV” is garnering attention in the signage and medical industries. By simply delaminating polarizing film from multiple layers of optical film, the device becomes invisible to the naked eye. When a person puts on special glasses with a polarizing film, however, the television then becomes viewable. The original purpose was to create surprising...
Mitsui Kagaku Sanshi Promotes Plastic Biotope Products for Coastal, Riverbank Protection
Mitsui Kagaku Sanshi Co. Ltd. is promoting to the Japanese market plastic products that prevent erosion at costal areas and river banks. The company is showcasing Geotube, a polypropylene (PP) product for coastal areas, and Shelton, a polyolefin product for rivers. Both have low impact on the environment and promise to lead to reductions in...
Satake Chemical Equipment to Launch World’s First Industrial iPSC Mass-Production System
Satake Chemical Equipment Mfg. Ltd. will introduce to market the world’s first equipment capable of mass-producing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for industrial use in regenerative medicine. The equipment can mass-produce uniform iPS cells through a single-use iPS cell differentiation induction culture apparatus. Development of iPS cell differentiation induction equipment has been progressing in several...
Alps Electric Aims to Commercialize Resin Microchannel Device in 2018
Alps Electric Co. Ltd. (TYO:6770) aims to commercialize a resin microchannel device in 2018. The company has devised a technique for the damageless, high-precision formation of microchannels using injection molding, enabling the device to be mass-produced. Evaluation of samples with device manufacturers is under way with a view to the full-scale market launch of the...
JR East Adopts 3M Graphic Marking Film for Train Cars on Tokyo Line
The 3M Co.’s Scotchcal graphic marking film was recently adopted for use on the exterior of East Japan Railway Co.’s (TYO:9020) newly built train cars for the Yamanote Line. Scotchcal is the first transparent film in the world that can be used on stainless steel train cars. Adoption of transparent film for stainless steel train...
Nihon Shoryoku Kikai Uses Reverse Thinking to Reduce Plastic Molding Costs
Nihon Shoryoku Kikai Co. Ltd. (NSK) plans to market to the processing industry a new method for drastically reducing plastic molding processing costs. It is a system whereby the burr on molded parts is accepted in the primary processing stage and then removed with precision during the secondary processing stage to realize an unmanned line...
Hitachi Chemical to Acquire Germany’s Isolite, Expand Automotive Parts Business
Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4217) announced on April 27 its conclusion of an agreement to acquire Isolite GmbH, a German manufacturer of insulation products. Hitachi Chemical aims to expand its automotive products business through this acquisition. The high thermal insulation performance of Isolite’s glass- and silica-fiber-based components offers the prospect of improved automobile fuel efficiency....
Targeting EV Market, Asahi Kasei Microdevices Accelerates Development of High-Performance Current Sensors
Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corp. has accelerated its development of electric current sensors for engine control in electric vehicles (EVs) and other eco-friendly cars. Despite having just launched a new product at the end of 2016 that has a maximum measured electric current of 40 amperes, an effective current of 20 amperes and a drive voltage...
Mitsui Chemicals to Employ Rapid Prototyping for Auto Parts – Part 2
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) plans to employ a rapid prototyping method for the company’s automotive materials business. Utilizing computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and 3D printing technology, the method significantly improves test production speeds for automotive parts and materials. The method will be put into practice at Mitsui Chemicals’ Mobility Development Center, a facility...
Mitsui Chemicals to Employ Rapid Prototyping for Auto Parts – Part 1
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) plans to employ a rapid prototyping method for the company’s automotive materials business. Utilizing computer-aided engineering (CAE), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) and 3D printing technology, the method will significantly speed up the company’s test production of automotive parts and materials. Mitsui Chemicals plans to put the method into practice at the Mobility...
Ushio Lighting Looks to Find Broad Use for New Laser Diode System
Ushio Lighting Inc. is promoting new uses for its laser diode (LD) lighting product Laser Fiber. The product, which can be bent and rolled, was devised and tested by combining ultrafine optical fiber and a light source unit. The company expects the product to be used in a number of fields, including retail, studio production,...
Japan Polypropylene to Build New PP Facility With Annual Capacity of 150,000 Tons
Japan Polypropylene Corp. announced on April 26 that it is investing 9 billion yen ($80.91 million) for the construction of a new polypropylene (PP) facility in the company’s Goi plant in Chiba Prefecture. Scheduled to come online in October 2019, the new facility will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons with use of...
Sumitomo Chemical Considers Extra Factory to Meet OLED Panel Demand
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd. (TYO:4005) is considering a new production base in order to increase the company’s supply capacity for OLED panel components. The production increase would come as part of an effort to offer unique functionality to consumers. Sumitomo Chemical currently maintains the top market share in the touch sensor panel (TSP) sector and...
Lonseal Develops Thinnest Rigid PVC Film in the Industry
Lonseal Corp. (TYO:4224) has developed the industry’s thinnest rigid polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film, measuring only 20 micrometers thick. The film complies with such standards as REACH and RoHS because it is plasticizer-free and its stabilizers contain no cadmium or lead. The company will sell it as a construction materials solution for mounting decorative film or...
Aica Kogyo to Launch Highly Designable Calcium Silicate Panel
Aica Kogyo Co. Ltd. (TYO:4206) is developing a calcium silicate panel that comes in diverse colors and patterns, including natural stone. The company plans to bring the product to market in June of this year. Demand is expected to come from commercial and residential establishments, including hotels, department stores and housing complexes, as the panel...
Bridgestone Adapts Air Free Concept to Create Airless Bicycle Tires
Bridgestone Co. Ltd. (TYO:5108) and Bridgestone Cycle Co. Ltd. have developed a next-generation bicycle tire that does not need to be inflated with air. The product removes worries of a flat tire and features resin spokes that offer freedom in design, opening up a new approach to next-generation bicycles. Bridgestone will conduct a marketability assessment...
Sumitomo Bakelite Enters Biliary Stent Market
Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd. (TYO:4203) is entering the market for endoscopic biliary stents. The company this month has begun Japanese sales of South Korean S&G Biotech Inc.’s EGIS biliary stent, and plans to continue moving aggressively into biliary stents and other devices for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The company is looking to strengthen its business...
