Fujifilm Imaging Colorants, an experienced inkjet ink technology partner to equipment manufacturers, integrators and ink formulators, today announced that it will invest US$ 28 million to add a new facility in New Castle, Delaware for the production of aqueous inkjet dispersions. The investment will double Fujifilm’s production capacity of pigment dispersions in the US to cater to the fast-growing demand for inkjet printing globally.
Construction of the new facility, which adds 11,000 square feet of plant to the Delaware site, began in March 2022 and is expected to be operational by summer 2023. To support the increase in manufacturing output across the site, Fujifilm Imaging Colorants is adding 30 positions in quality, engineering, production, and administrative roles by the end of 2023.
Fujifilm’s high purity R&D pigment dispersion products are important to the development of aqueous inkjet inks for a variety of fast-growing inkjet markets, including packaging, textile and commercial printing. They use a proprietary cross-linking technology to lock each pigment particle in a secure polymer cage, resulting in a highly stable dispersion that enables the design of ink formulations that can meet demanding performance requirements. Fujifilm supplies aqueous inks to digital printer OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and R&D pigment dispersions to ink formulators.
Ian Wilkinson, president and chief operating officer, Fujifilm Imaging Colorants, comments, “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 US$ 47 million in new production capacity at the Delaware site.
