Business News
Fuji Xerox Invests 10 Billion Yen to Transform Ebina Center Into Manufacturing R&D Site
Monday 04. February 2008 - Consolidates All Manufacturing Functions From Technological and Product Development to Mass-Production Assessment
As part of its plan to reinforce R&D and manufacturing capabilities in Japan, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. will innovate the factory wing of Ebina Center to make it into a “manufacturing technology plant.”
Fuji Xerox will invest around 10 billion yen in the project by fiscal 2011 to consolidate new technologies/manufacturing technologies development functions, and mass-production pilot lines at Ebina Center. The company aims to create an integrated structure that can handle from manufacturing related technological and product development to manufacturing pilot lines and mass-production assessment in order to further enhance quality, cost and product competitiveness in the global market.
In line with the transfer of assembly and manufacturing lines to China, Ebina Center ceased product production at the end of 2005. The new “manufacturing technology plant,” which consists of “manufacturing technology center” and “mass-production pilot,” will closely work with the R&D site that Fuji Xerox will start constructing at “Minato Mirai 21” of Yokohama City in spring 2008 (planned to be completed in spring 2010). Fuji Xerox will accelerate technological/manufacturing development as well as manufacturing preparations, boost cost efficiency in R&D, and strengthen ties between customers and R&D/development departments, ultimately to swiftly meet market needs and deliver better products to customers.
The “manufacturing technology center” has already introduced a digital integrated system that directly links digital design using 3D CAD and trial manufacturing of components to accelerate product commercialization. The “mass-production pilot” also started its operation: It checked and assessed manufacturing operations of the ApeosPort-III C3300/C2200, which were released on November 21, 2007, targeting the office market, before mass production in China.
The new “manufacturing technology plant” and the future R&D site at Minato Mirai 21 will be key locations to strengthen Fuji Xeroxs technological development and product development prowess in order to supply excellent products to customers in a speedy manner.