The newly added 8,100ft² of space features advanced production and process control equipment, and it complements the site's present 40,000ft² of occupied manufacturing space
FUJIFILM opens new ink inkjet dispersion plant in Delaware, US. (Credit: Gino Crescoli from Pixabay)
Inkjet ink technology company FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants has opened the first of two new facilities in New Castle, Delaware for the production of aqueous ink inkjet dispersions.
With an investment of $19m, the plant will create more than 21 new professional, managerial, engineering, and skilled labour jobs.
The newly added 8,100ft² of space features advanced production and process control equipment, and it complements the site’s present 40,000ft² of occupied manufacturing space, which employs 90 people.
According to the firm, the New Castle facility is Fujifilm’s first dispersion manufacturing facility in the US.
FUJIFILM Imaging Colorants president and chief operating officer Ian Wilkinson said: “I am proud that we have been able to deliver this brand-new production facility according to our original plan, despite the challenges that the pandemic presented us with, and we’re here to celebrate that today.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who were a part of this project, from our own teams to our vendors and local and state dignitaries.
“I have no doubt that this expansion will continue to create significant growth opportunities for both Fujifilm and the customers we serve.”
The firm said that its reactive dispersant pigment dispersion chemicals are critical in the creation of aqueous inkjet inks for sectors, including packaging, textiles, and commercial printing.
The chemicals use a patented cross-linking process to hold each pigment particle in a polymer cage, for a stable dispersion that allows the creation of ink formulations as per stringent performance standards.
Fujifilm provides aqueous inks to digital printer original equipment manufacturers and RxD pigment dispersions to ink formulators.
In addition to the new facility, the company has started construction on the second facility this spring. The second plant, which will add 11,000ft² of new operational space to the overall site, will be completed by the summer of 2023.
Once completed, the two plants will double Fujifilm’s pigment dispersion manufacturing capacity in the US to meet the expanding demand for inkjet printing around the world.