Fuji Xerox Imaging Materials to
Double Manufacturing Capacity

In an attempt to further reduce environmental burden while enhancing image quality, Fuji Xerox will use EA (Emulsion Aggregation) toner in all office copy machines and multifunction machines sold from now on. To achieve this requires the construction of a new state-of-the-art plant specifically for the manufacture of EA toner. Total cost of investment is approximately 8.0 billion yen and will result in a two-fold increase in the annual manufacturing capacity at Fuji Xerox Imaging Materials Co., Ltd. to nearly 5,000 tons in comparison with fiscal 2004. Work will begin on the new factory wing in December, with operations set to commence between September and November 2005.

Establishing molding and automated assembly lines for toner cartridges at the new factory wing will help realize an all-encompassing manufacturing system from toner to cartridge production.

EA toner is produced with reduced CO₂ emission in the manufacturing process, while achieving higher print quality. Fuji Xerox first used EA toner in the digital color multifunction series DocuCentre Color 500 / 500 CP released in September 2001. Its use has since been systematically expanded to include Fuji Xerox's mainstay digital color multifunction series DocuCentre Color f450 / f360 / f250, the new digital color multifunction machines DocuCentre C6550 I / C5540 I and information systems ApeosPort C6550 I / C5540 I launched on November 25, the black and white digital multifunction series DocuCentre 185 / 155 / a285 / a235 and the desktop color laser printers DocuPrint C3530 and DocuPrint C2425 / 2426.

With plans to incorporate EA toner in all new office copy machines and multifunction machines in addition to the models it is currently used in, demand for the toner was projected to exceed manufacturing capacity in fiscal 2005. Accordingly, Fuji Xerox concluded that it was necessary to double its present capacity.

As part of its manufacturing strategy, Fuji Xerox has been pushing ahead with the transfer of assembly lines to China. A second factory has been built in Shanghai in accordance with plans to handle roughly 90 percent of total manufacturing volume in China in fiscal 2005. An opening ceremony for the new facility took place on November 1, 2004.

Japan, on the other hand, manufactures such products as publishing systems, copy machines for technical drawings and high-speed printers for mission-critical systems, as well as the production of highly advanced toner equipment. The basic manufacturing strategy in Japan is to flexibly respond to customer's daily demands.

 

In contrast to conventional powder-based toners, EA toner is formed through a chemical process by mixing, coalescing and then heating pigment and latex particles in a solution. With this method, uniform particles with a size of 5.8 micrometers each (average particle diameter) can be manufactured.

The manufacturing process differs from ordinary powder-based toners in that the size of the pigment and latex particles is increased rather than minimized, making it possible to cut CO₂ emissions by 35 percent. The shape of the particles can be controlled with precision by employing this method, thus enabling images to be more efficiently transferred to paper. The amount of toner used is also reduced by 37 percent.

As the toner is oil-less, it applies evenly and thinly. As a result, it is easier to annotate and use self-adhesive notes, while also enhancing the clarity of fine lines. In addition, photos and graphics appear much more natural as glossiness is reduced.

Fuji Xerox won the Technology Award for fiscal 2003 from The Imaging Society of Japan for its development of EA toner.