High-end screen ink manufacturer Seiko advance to lead innovations

Country Business Reports interviews and articles by Discovery Reports www.discoveryreports.com

The first industry player to formulate high-quality screen printing ink in a clean room factory, Japan’s Seiko advance is dedicated to innovation as it provides customised printing solutions primarily for mobile phones, automobiles, home appliances and apparel. The company focuses on research and development (R&D), employing a specialised team of chemical specialists and veteran engineers.

Established in 1950, Seiko advance produces solvent-based and ultraviolet-based screen printing inks for various industries. It also manufactures solvent recycling equipment to reduce its environmental impact. It has cultivated its expertise in the sector, creating a myriad of colour combinations and utilising local and imported resins, pigments and additives.

The company is planning to subsequently achieve the same level of production, R&D and inspection for its other facilities abroad. While maintaining its main factory and control centre in Saitama, Seiko advance has another branch in Iida city, Nagano prefecture and a larger one in the same region slated for completion by 2020. It has three factories in mainland China – in Tianjin, Guangzhou and Hangzhou – and one each in Thailand and India.

The company began expanding outside Japan when some of its local clients shifted their operations to China and other Asian countries about 15 to 20 years ago. “We want to optimise the delivery costs and time with our overseas factories, which are still using the same raw materials and following our standard production,” says Seiko advance president Tetsuo Hiraguri.

“We project to further increase our market share for mobile phones,” Hiraguri says. “When new applications emerge, we want to develop and quickly deliver products that are easy to use – and satisfy our customers’ demands.”

www.seikoadvance.co.jp