Fujifilm Imaging Colorants Inc. is spending $28m on a new facility for the production of aqueous inkjet dispersions at its Delaware facility. The investment will double Fujifilm’s production capacity of pigment dispersions in the US to cater to a fast-growing demand for inkjet printing globally.
Construction of the new facility - which adds more than 1020m2 to the Delaware plant - began this month and is expected to be operational by the summer of 2023. To support the increase in manufacturing output across the site, Fujifilm is adding 30 positions in quality, engineering, production, and administrative roles by the end of next year.
Fujifilm supplies aqueous inks to digital printer OEMs and RxD pigment dispersions to ink formulators. The RxD pigment dispersion use a proprietary cross-linking technology to lock each pigment particle in a secure polymer cage for a highly stable dispersion that enables the design of ink formulations that can meet demanding performance requirements.
Ian Wilkinson, president and chief operating officer, Fujifilm Imaging Colorants Inc., said: “We believe that developments in aqueous ink technology will contribute to the transformation of new markets for inkjet.
“With this investment, we are further strengthening our position as a major manufacturer of both aqueous ink and core pigment dispersion technologies. Our mission is to ensure that we can support our growing North America and global customer base, to contribute to their success in inkjet.”
Last year, Fujifilm announced the construction of its first dispersion manufacturing facility in the US, which is on schedule to be commissioned by spring 2022, to supplement its existing Europe-based production. The second facility brings Fujifilm’s total investment to more than $47m in new production capacity at the Delaware site.