OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2015. Akita Epson Corporation, a group company of Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, "Epson"), will invest a total of approximately 3.4 billion yen on the construction of a new factory to increase production capacity of printheads for inkjet printers. Construction will begin in November 2015. The new factory, which will begin operations in the autumn of 2016, will triple Akita Epson's current printhead production capacity.

Epson's printing solutions business provides products and services based on original Micro Piezo inkjet technology to customers in the consumer, office, commercial, and industrial markets. The new factory at Akita Epson will manufacture and assemble inkjet printheads, the core devices used in Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers and business inkjet printers.

Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers are new concept products that meet customer needs for low printing costs while providing genuine Epson print quality. Sales of these printers were strong in the 2014 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2015), with annual unit shipment growth topping 40% and future growth in demand expected. The office market is also seeing annual growth in demand for high-speed business inkjet printers that produce outstanding image quality at a lower cost per print and lower energy consumption than laser printers.

"Akita Epson is an important domestic production site with advanced technological capability and a close working relationship with Epson's corporate R&D function," said Takashi Mitsui, president of Akita Epson. "We make a significant contribution to the manufacturing capability of the entire Epson Group, sharing with Epson's overseas manufacturing plants the technical expertise we have gained from manufacturing core devices. By using Epson's original production equipment and automating and rationalizing production lines, the new plant will further raise our production capability."

Epson is committed to advancing its original technologies and to delighting customers by exceeding their expectations with products and services based on original core devices.

Profile of the New Akita Epson factory

Address 1 Dannoue, Iwasaki, Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, Japan 012-0801
Operations Manufacture and assembly of printheads for inkjet printers
(printheads for high-capacity ink tank printers and business inkjet printers)
Floor area Building area: 4,614m? Total floor area: 10,528m?
Employees 30 or more (new regular employees)

Akita Epson corporate profile (as of Oct. 1, 2015)

Company name Akita Epson Corporation
Address 1 Dannoue, Iwasaki, Yuzawa, Akita Prefecture, Japan 012-0801
President Takashi Mitsui
Beginning of operations June 20, 1986
Employees 572
Capital 80,000,000 yen
(Akita Epson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seiko Epson Corporation)
Operations
  • Manufacture and assembly of printheads for inkjet printers
  • Manufacture and processing of precision parts, molds, and tooling
  • Manufacture and assembly of wearable products
  • Manufacture and assembly of watch movements
About Epson

Epson is a global technology leader dedicated to driving innovations and exceeding customer expectations in printing, visual communications, quality of life and manufacturing. Epson's lineup ranges from inkjet printers, printing systems and 3LCD projectors to industrial robots, smart glasses and sensing systems and is based on original compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises nearly 70,000 employees in 94 companies around the world, and is proud of its contributions to the communities in which it operates and its ongoing efforts to reduce environmental burdens.
http://global.epson.com/