Apr 19 2008
FUJIFILM Corporation (President Shigetaka Komori; hereafter “Fujifilm”) is set to launch the operation of the No.4 plant in the Ashigara Site of the Kanagawa Factory at the end of this month to start prodution of the ultra-wide FUJITAC, a material suitable for efficient manufacturing*1 of 40-inch and larger LCD TVs.
Ever larger screens and improved performance are driving the expansion of demand for LCD TVs worldwide, with global shipment speculated to reach approximately 100 million units in CY2008. Above all, calls for large LCD TVs with screens of 40-inch and larger are expected to rise roughly 60% year on year, raising the demand of materials suited to these larger sizes.
FUJITAC*2 boasts superior transparency, flatness, smoothness and optical properties, and is an essential material for LCDs, acting as protective film for the polarizers. In November 2006, Fujifilm decided to build a new plant for ultra-wide FUJITAC, suitable for the efficient manufacturing*1 of large LCD TVs, which are currently experiencing surging demands, and has since explored the development of such ultra-wide FUJITAC. The new plant is scheduled to produce FUJITAC measuring 1960 to 2300mm wide. Fujifilm will continue to work on achieving stable supply of ultra-wide FUJITAC, and accelerate the development and production of functional film which use FUJITAC as their base.
Fujifilm’s Flat Panel Display Materials Business will expand its business through its unique products which feature Fujifilm’s proprietary technologies. These products include FUJITAC, enabling a massive increase of production capacity, WV Film*3, effective for expanding viewing angles, CV Film*4 which has strong antireflective effects for panel surfaces, and the color filter materials, Transer*5 and Color Mosaic*6.
Fujifilm will continue to aggressively pursue research and development of new technologies, contribute to stable supply of flat panel display materials, and fulfill its role as a leading company in flat panel display materials to further contribute to the advancement of industry.
*1 Conventional sized FUJITAC (1330mm and 1490mm) was only wide enough for producing the polarizer of a single 40-inch LCD. The ultra-wide FUJITAC, on the other hand, can cover the area equivalent to two polarizers, thereby eliminating waste and enhancing efficient production.
*2 FUJITAC: Made from cellulose triacetate (TAC), FUJITAC has superior optical qualities and is used as a protective film for polarizers used in LCDs.
*3 WV Film: A film that significantly widens the viewing angles of LCDs. It is a product unique to Fujifilm.
*4 CV Film: An antireflective film for LCD panel surfaces. Its characteristics include low reflectivity, high precision, and high resistance to dust and dirt.
*5 Transer: A film used to produce color filters for LCDs. A color LCD panel is created by transferring red, green, blue, and black color layers from this film to the glass board using the dry lamination technique. It is optimal to use when manufacturing large LCD panels.
*6 Color Mosaic: Color resists for LCD color filters. It is suitable for every type of LCD including transparent, trans-flective, and reflective. The wide range of functional materials includes primary colors, complementary colors, and photo spacers to control LC cell gaps.
Posted April 19th,2008