Development Policy
Our aim is to realize a sustainable society by developing original materials
based on ESG management and research themes that will lead to achieving the SDGs
We are accelerating research and development centered on ESG management and research themes aimed at achieving the SDGs, with the goal of deepening our textiles strategy by developing original materials and processing technologies. We are actively engaged in the development of technologies that support health and safety in peoples’ everyday lives, providing products and materials that take advantage of environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials, and developing products and materials that contribute to environmental conservation through water and air purification, energy-saving materials, and more. We will contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through our research and development.
Harima R&D Center
Integrating the R&D framework for each field at the Harima R&D Center
to engage in future-oriented basic research and product development
R&D functions, which had been scattered across the synthetic fibers, industrial materials, and products/textiles businesses, were integrated into the Harima R&D Center, which will serve as the base for research and development. Through cross-sectional research and development that transcends the boundaries of individual fields, we have put in place a structure that allows us to not only develop products using our unique raw materials and processing, but also to advance research into basic technologies with an eye on the future of the market.
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Harima R&D Center
We will integrate the basic technologies developed through our fiber business across fields and applications, expand into unknown areas, and promote technological development that will open up new markets in the future. We will aim to expand our fields of research without being restricted to areas directly linked to our business.
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Synthetic Fibers and Rayon
We are focusing on the development of differentiating materials by providing functionality in response to customer requests, centered on our own textiles, synthetic fibers, and rayon. We are expanding into a wide range of research and development, including sanitary materials such as diapers and napkins, disinfectant wipes, cosmetic masks, battery separators, and high-strength fibers used in the fields of building and industrial materials.
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Industrial Materials
In response to the growing demand for electronic components and semiconductors, we will further enhance the functionality of our high-performance cartridge filters and develop technology for the production process. We are also focusing on the development of 3D civil engineering mats, which has intricately entangled three-dimensional networks of fibers for stabilizing soil, controlling river erosion, and draining soil and tunnels.
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Products and Textiles
We create fabrics using a wide range of materials, including our own original synthetic fibers, rayon, and organic cotton, and add a variety of functionality to differentiate our products into clothing, bedding, etc., using our unique processing technology. We are also focusing on the research and development of chemicals and their processing technologies in order to achieve the performance that our customers require, including those with deodorizing, antibacterial, antiviral, and skin-friendly characteristics.
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Industry-government-academia Collaboration
One of the hallmarks of our research and development is that we utilize the research infrastructure of the Shinshu University Faculty of Textile Science and Technology’s Fiber Innovation Incubator (Fii). This gives us the benefit of incorporating the diverse range of knowledge possessed by university teachers into our product development, and we are working to quantify comfort and wearability through sensibility engineering and connect it to development.
Core Technologies and Technical Fields
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Resin processing
We have a wide range of resin processing technologies, including melt spinning, melt blowing, sheet molding, compounding, and resin coating.
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Textile processing
We mainly process our own fiber materials into woven and knitted fabrics. To enhance their functionality, we have various processing technologies for fabrics, including surface treatments using chemicals and resins, impregnation, and coatings.
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Nonwoven fabric
We have nonwoven fabric processing technology centered on hydroentangled and through-air nonwoven fabrics, as well as extensive experience in using our own materials and improving functionality by combining them with other materials.
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Cellulose
Rayon is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from wet-spun viscose, which is primarily made from wood. As an eco-friendly fiber, it is widely used in everything from sanitary materials to industrial materials. Furthermore, in order to meet the various needs of our customers, we are actively working to enhance the functionality of rayon by adding functional agents.
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Filtration
We propose the best filtration media and product forms based on our knowledge of a wide range of filtration methods, from gas filtration such as masks and home appliance filters to cartridge filters and mesh belts used for liquid filtration such as water purification.
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Rubber
It is used as a packing material in the fields of automobiles, home appliances, and construction and civil engineering materials, taking advantage of the characteristics of closed-cell foam rubber sponges, which are lightweight, flexible, airtight, and resilient. We are also working on the development of rubber products such as bicycle tires.
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Analysis and evaluation
In addition to chemical composition analyses and physical property evaluations, we also apply the comfort evaluation techniques we have cultivated in the development of clothing materials to the development of products in various other fields, such as sanitary materials and daily necessities. These also serve as a core analysis center for our own factory products.