Tohoku Epson Corporation, a Group company of Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, “Epson”), will invest approximately 5.1-billion yen on the construction of a new factory for inkjet printheads.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held for the new factory, which will be built on the premises of Tohoku Epson. Construction began on June 15, 2024, and completion in September 2025. The investment in the new facility is projected to approximately quadruple Tohoku 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 office, home, commercial and industrial markets. The company expects to see sustained global demand for inkjet printers based on current growth in high-speed units for the office and on continued demand for high-capacity ink tank printers for the home and office in emerging markets and North America.
Demand for commercial and industrial inkjet printers is increasing along with a technology shift from analog to digital in sectors where the printing media is not paper, such as digital textile printing. Moreover, many commercial and industrial inkjet printers use PrecisionCore MicroTFP printheads* (“PrecisionCore printheads”). These printheads can be flexibly adapted for different applications by assembling MicroTFP print chips in various combinations.
Epson expects further growth in the use of PrecisionCore printheads in commercial and industrial printers as well as in inkjet multifunction printers with high-speed lineheads.
Tohoku Epson began manufacturing printheads (CHIPS heads) in 1995 and launched volume production of PrecisionCore printheads in June 2013 on a fully automated assembly line that makes extensive use of Epson robots. It has been accumulating expertise in printhead production and building a solid base of production technology, increasing its competitive advantage as a domestic production site.
The new factory building will employ a newly engineered process that will save manpower and space, with minimizing in-process inventory, automated transfer robots, and efficient layout reducing the workload on personnel. We will respond to the challenges faced by the manufacturing industry, and realize a factory of the future that is both more efficient and easier to work in.
This is the first new building at Tohoku Epson since the construction of a semiconductor fabrication facility in 1997. To limit noise and ensure safety in the vicinity of the site, the company will shorten the construction period by pouring the concrete floor in winter instead of stopping work. As a corporate citizen rooted in the local community, Tohoku Epson aims to have this factory contribute to the development and harmony of the local community.
