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Kuraray to expand production capacity for optical films in Japan

| By Mary Bailey

Kuraray Co. (Tokyo) announced plans to expand production facilities for optical-use poval film, a base material for polarizing films used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), at its Saijo Plant located in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.  With this expansion, the current annual production capacity of 296 million square meters will increase to 334 million square meters.  The start of operations at the expanded site is expected in December 2027.

The LCD market is expected to continue expanding in terms of panel size, driven by the trend toward larger television screens. In response to this market environment, demand for wider optical-use poval film, which serves as the base for polarizing films—key components of LCDs—is on the rise. Kuraray has thus decide to expand production facilities to ensure stable supply to the market.

The new production line to be added will be capable of producing wider optical-use poval film, including compatibility with 3-meter-wide polarizing films. As a leading company producing optical-use poval film, Kuraray will continue to strengthen its stable supply system and focus on developing new products and improving quality to meet the increasingly diverse needs of its customers.