Five core technologies

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Five Core Technologies Unlock the Possibilities of Functional Materials

Since our foundation, UEXC has been continuing research and development to expand the possibilities of functional materials based on UEXC's five core technologies in areas from agriculture and fishery to electronic, information, and telecommunications.

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Five core technologies

A half-century ago, our researchers’ passion for creating products from their unique ideas bore fruit in the establishment of olefin resin extrusion molding technology which leads to the completion of the world’s first packing polypropylene band and brought revolution to the logistics industry when paper bands and band irons were major.
The extrusion molding technology further evolved while adding such technical elements as various forms of cross section, precision, and rotation. It applies to spacers with spiral grooves to accommodate optical fibers, a means for optical communication networks running through every corner in Japan, thus supporting the IT infrastructure. The five core technologies introduced here are all unique to UEXC. We will continue to excel our technology and to shape “nice to have” for the next generation.

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photoHollow Structure Board "TWINCONE"

Extrusion Molding
TWINCONE
Our extrusion molding technology is UEXC’s base technology, which leads to our wide range of functional products, continues to be evolved from packaging banding bands and textile manufacturing at the beginning of our company.
We mold many shapes by melting and kneading various thermoplastic resins (polypropylene, nylon, ABS, polyethylene terephthalate, fluororesin, elastomer etc.) with extruder through, extruding from a die, cooling and solidifying. And in recent years we are developing further evolution by adding unique molding technology to this process.
TWINCONE is a unique cone shaped honeycomb structure board. The inside is a pair of extruded resin sheets, which have cone-shaped protrusions formed by upper and lower rollers, then the tip of each cone-shaped protrusion was welded, and those two layers are sandwiched by two more extruded plain sheets.
TWINCONE has a cone shape suitable for dispersion of stress that boasts extremely high rigidity while being lightweight. The demand is increasing in various fields including "logistics", "civil engineering / building materials", and "automobile".

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photoStaple fiber of SIMTEX

Spinning and Drawing
SIMTEX
By extruding resin from a small hole and stretching it finely while cooling it down, the orientation and crystal structure is controlled, allowing us to obtain undrawn yarn suitable for drawing.
The spinning technology is most important to obtain a structure suitable for drawing (undrawn yarn). The process that thermoplastic resins are melt-kneaded with the extruding machine is same to that of common process. Following step that extrusion from a comparatively small hole and shaping (XX cross-section or modified cross-section) form at the same time allows the resin to be stretched while being cooled down controlling orientation and crystal structure to give fine undrawn yarn suitable for drawing.
Further drawing is applied for the progress of crystallization of the inner crystal structure to increase yarn strength. The heat sources are normally hot water at 90, normal pressure steam at 100℃, and a heat roller. But UEXC has developed a high-pressure steam (130-150℃) drawing method and has launched excellent products, such as SIMTEX (Olefin fiber with high strength) and SIMTEX mesh, etc. those are differentiated from competing products.

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photoThree-layer structure by special resin adhesive

Pultrusion
FRP THREE-LAYER STRUCTURE
UEXC uses its original pultrusion technology where thermoplastic resin is coated first over uncured FRP. When the resin becomes a bit harder as the resin lose heat and can be deemed as a kind of mold, the uncured FRP is heated and cured.
Our technology enables the inner core molding, FRP layer molding, and outside coating layer molding simultaneously, and then heat and cure the FRP layer to ensure that all the layers fit well. This method keeps the fiber content rate consistent with the longitudinal direction and minimizes pulling resistance, bringing benefit to raise production speed. This technology allows to produce uncured COMPOSE, taking out the product from a mold when FRP layer is still uncured. Originally, a conventional FRP cannot be processed to complicated shapes like a net, and the uncured COMPOSE permits to be processed first and to be hardened later for products such as gabions.

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photoElectron microscope image of HIPRESICA (diameter particle:40μm)

Sol-gel Method
HIPRESICA
UEXC has established an incredible particle diameter control technology that realizes 0.1μm in diameter, which had been considered to be impossible. The particle is used as a gap material for liquid crystal display panels.
We sent our staff member to Kyoto University for research and learned about sol-gel method ? performing hydrolytic polycondensation of metallic alkoxide in the presence of an acid or alkali catalyst. When searching product application on the market, we found there was a need for monodispersed particles as a gap material for LCD panels, which were then expected to launch. Publicly known that particles generate with comparatively uniformed diameters in the existence of an alkali catalyst, but it was not easy to accurately control particle diameter to meet the needs. Through various investigations, we established the seemingly impossible particle diameter control technology of 0.1μm and accomplished launching HIPRESICA. Further, by combining hybridization technology of metallic alkoxide and organic materials, it became possible to manufacture monodispersed particles that have particular properties regarding flexibility, color (black), and controlled refractive index, complying with the request from our LCD panel manufacturing customers.

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photoPhotograph of CFRTP cross-section

Reel to Reel Laminating Process
EXSYLAM
By applying pressure of the heating medium evenly over the press surface, reel to reel laminating process becomes possible to give products with high peel strength and without forming wrinkles even adopting different materials whose linear expansion coefficient greatly differ.
The major feature of the double belt press machine we have installed is its ability to provide a pressure of the heating medium evenly over the press surface. This feature enables the reel-to-reel laminating process to give products with high peel strength and without forming wrinkles even adopting different materials whose linear expansion coefficient greatly differ, thus achieving a versatile manufacturing process, which is difficult by roll laminators of other manufacturers. Our process allows us to laminate organic materials with metals in various types and thicknesses. Since this particular process is executed by a continuous press device working under high temperature and high pressure, it has also become possible to continuously produce FRTP sheets fully impregnated deep inside fabrics through crimping thermoplastic resin and reinforced fiber such as carbon fiber.

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