"JFC Materials" Starts Operations
as a New Production Base
for the Japan Fine Ceramics Group
Japan Fine Ceramics Co., Ltd. ("JFC"), a functional material manufacturer in the JGC Group, closed a business transfer today (July 1, 2022) based on an agreement signed with Showa Denko Materials Co., Ltd. ("SDMC"), in December of last year (2021) concerning the transfer of SDMC's ceramics business and started doing business as JFC Materials Co., Ltd. ("JFC Materials"), a wholly owned subsidiary of JFC.
For the time being, the sales activities of JFC Materials will be handled by JFC. The company will dedicate itself to manufacturing by streamlining production and installing new equipment in order to contribute to the improvement of the JFC Group's production capacity and the enhancement of its business performance.
SDMC's ceramics business has been providing high-density silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, alumina ceramics, and zirconia-toughened alumina ceramics for applications such as automobiles, semiconductors, and industrial equipment. Thanks to their respective properties, these ceramics have been adopted in components including cooling water pump seals for automotive engines and precise positioning components for equipment used in the semiconductor manufacturing process.
In addition to continuing the manufacture and sale of these products, JFC Materials will expand its product lineup of ceramics for semiconductor manufacturing equipment by combining its material technologies for silicon carbide and oxide ceramics, manufacturing technologies for large-scale components, and mass-production technologies for seal components with the manufacturing technologies for non-oxide ceramics such as silicon carbide and silicon nitride (Si3N4) as well as precision processing technologies in which JFC excels. JFC Materials will also aim to expand its lineup of cooling seal components for electric-vehicle power modules and other mass-produced components in the market for power semiconductors, which achieve power-saving for electric vehicles, high-speed rail, and industrial equipment.
Through the business transfer, the JFC Group's production capacity of ceramics for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and other structural (engineering) ceramics will be expanded to about twice its capacity prior to the transfer.
One of the key strategies in "BSP2025," the JGC Group's medium-term business plan for the five years from FY2021 to FY2025, is "expansion of manufacturing business for high-performance functional materials" such as catalysts, fine chemicals, and fine ceramics. Going forward, the Group will continue to proactively work toward the expansion of manufacturing business for high-performance functional materials, including ceramics for semiconductors.
Outline of JFC Materials Co., Ltd.
| NAME | JFC Materials Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Address of Head Office | 1380-1 Tarazaki, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki Pref., Japan |
| Name and Title of Representative |
Hiroshi Tanaka, Representative Director and President |
| Lines of Business | Manufacture and processing of ceramics |
| Date of Founding | July 1, 2022 |
| Main Shareholders and Shareholding Ratio |
Japan Fine Ceramics Co., Ltd., 100% |
| Number of Employees | 56 (as of July 1, 2022) |