Dai Nippon Print Achieves World First 6th Generation Line Inkjet Production Method.

Tokyo, Japan, Sept 12, 2005 - (JCNN) - Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. (DNP) will augment its LCD color filter line in order to respond to the sharp expansion in demand for LCD televisions. This new line will also achieve a world first by adopting an inkjet production method.

The company has operated a sixth generation LCD color filter plant in Kurosaki, Kita Kysuhu City since May 2005, and now aims to invest approximately 25 billion yen and introduce a second sixth generation LCD color filter line. The new factory housing will be built on land adjacent to the existing first line, and will have a building area of 13,500m2 and floor space of 16,150m2.

This second line is scheduled to come on line from the second quarter (Jul. - Sep.) of 2006. The addition of the new line will boost monthly production capability to 100,000 sheets when combined with the output of the first line, which at present produces approximately 40,000 sheets per month.

LCD panel makers are continuing to beef up production facilities for sixth generation LCD panels in order to respond to the sharp expansion in demand for LCD televisions.

This in turn has led to increased demands from LCD panel makers on the makers of LCD color filters to boost production facilities for sixth generation LCD color filters.

In addition, DNP is also picking up more requests to implement further cost cutting measures on order to respond to the ongoing shift to lower priced LCD televisions.

The inkjet production method to be adopted in the new line has been developed as part of DNP's process technology activities, following the decision to put this production method into operation following successful completion of commercial viability tests.

With the adoption of this inkjet production method, DNP aims to forge ahead with the expansion of more efficient production capabilities, and cost cutting solutions, while also achieving the kind of highly pure colors that were not previously available with photolithographic techniques.

A comparison of the inkjet production method with photolithographic techniques reveals a lowering in total initial costs, a reduction in the amount of coloring materials, and a lowering in component costs as it is no longer necessary to use photomasks, which contribute to a 40% reduction in costs in the coloring process.

On the quality front, too, it is possible to achieve color reproductions with higher purity, by improving the purity of the coloring materials as the exposure and development processes are no longer necessary.

In addition, DNP has also managed to achieve a reduction in shipping costs via the use of high density packaging.

DNP hopes to apply this inkjet production method to eighth generation color filters in the future, with the aim of bringing an eighth generation color filter line on-line in the latter half of 2006.

Source: JCN http://www.japancorp.net

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