Company-Wide Sports Festival 2002

The "Company-Wide Sports Festival" was held in the Fuji area on November 2^nd(Saturday) for the first time in five years. While the event was held in an indoor gymnasium, it was a fine fall day outside. In an autumn environment highly suited to sports, a total of 150 people from their respective business units took part.

After a declaration to officially open the event by Mr. Komura, President and Mr. Fujio, head of the human resources department, participants were split up into the Red, White, and Blue Teams amidst heightening tension, and after donning headbands of their respective team colors, the competition started. Events included a throwing-ball game, tug-of-war, dodge ball, and "long rope jumping," thus centering on traditional games common at Japanese athletic meetings. During the games, the rare occurrence of the Blue Team's ball being thrown into the Red Team's container was seen, and participants not only fought with those in other teams, but also with their own bodies, which didn't always move as they wanted them to. All teams strived to compete for victory as they "happily, enjoyably, competitively, and newly" grappled with their games. Participants ran around and jumped up and down, using muscles that they were unaccustomed to using, and although they didn't get exactly exhausted through their activities, all participants had a favorable sense of accomplishment, no one was injured, and the event finished without mishap. The overall winner by a long stretch was the Blue Team,which succeeded in jumping the long rope 35times, compared with zero for both the Red and White teams!

In addition, at the get-together after the conclusion of the sports festival, conversations blossomed among employees from different offices who had not seen each other for a long time, while others who had spoken on the telephone before to colleagues, but had not actually met them in the flesh got to know each other better. Overall employees were able to¡¡deepen their relationships across different offices, and the day came to a close amid a spirited atmosphere helped along by a bingo game and the strength of a few drops of alcohol!

Garbage separation

The Fuji Plant has been engaged in resource conservation and recycling up to now. As part of this, the incinerator at the Fuji Plant is to be scrapped.

On this account, separate collection of all types of office waste generated at the Fuji site will now be promoted in addition to the separate collection of industrial waste that has been thoroughly implemented already.

Even in the research and development headquarter, waste material that had been classified into five different types will now be classified into over 20 types, and these will include research reagents. What needs to be taken note of hear is the disposal of garbage brought in from the outside. Maximum weight control for input and output is undertaken on a departmental basis. Juice cans, PET bottles and the like that are not counted as input should be taken home by the persons who brought them in.

In the past, all paper waste was incinerated, but now, it is separated into six types and recycled. The reuse of various paper types, which to date have constituted the majority of combustable waste, can now be anticipated.

Pre-marketing of the amorphous polyolefin resin "TOPAS" in Japan

Polyplastics has started pre-marketing of the amorphous polyolefin resin "TOPAS" in Japan.

Polyplastics has started pre-marketing of the amorphous polyolefin resin "TOPAS" in Japan. Market development for the colorless, transparent engineering plastics "TOPAS" has been conducted by Ticona and Mitsui Chemicals, and the material possesses optical properties and rigidity on a par with acrylic, combined with heat resistance that is superior to polycarbonate. Moreover, the resin boasts a water absorption ratio of close to zero, meaning it also possesses superior moisture resistance properties.

Through leveraging these advantages, various market applications are envisaged as suitable for "TOPAS," including optical applications such as liquid crystal displays and lenses, glass substitutes in medical and diagnostic equipment applications. In addition, pharmaceutical and food packaging applications are also envisaged that will exploit the resin's exceedingly low levels of extractable residual impurities and volatiles.

Polyplastics is focusing on the superior properties of "TOPAS" as part of its expansion into amorphous transparent materials, and with expectations for its potential use in the opto-electronic and bio-genome technology sectors, the company is considering its commercialization.

The Topas Development Team was inaugurated in PCC as of October 1st, 2002. It is the section that will implement and coordinate "TOPAS" pre-marketing.

Mr.Shimomura Mr.Hijikata Mr.Maishima

Current activities are primarily centered on such tasks as surveying the potential market scales of various sectors, investigating the property requirements of various applications, and accumulating technical data, as well as building the necessary promotional tools for market development.

Fuji Plant( TOPAS members )

Photo only Scene depicting selection of specialized TOPAS injection molding machine. Left to right, Kanei Chief Researcher, Serizawa Manager Takashima Staff Member.

Trainee from MTEC

Polyplastics reached an agreement in principle with Thailand's National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) to establish a mutual cooperation relationship in the field of engineering plastics technology, and they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on February 25th. MTEC is a national technical center affiliated with the National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MOSTE). Its primary roles are to supply technical information to materials R & D organizations in the public and private sectors, and provide various services to the manufacturing industry, such as material property analyses.

While exchanging research staff, the two parties will furnish engineering plastics technology such as molding technology, and molded product design and evaluation analysis, as well as application development for the same areas through technical exchange meetings. MTEC will provide the necessary information in Thailand.

In addition, the two parties have agreed to share their research facilities and equipment. Through this, Polyplastics anticipates that it will enhance the convenience of its technical service to local customers in Thailand. MTEC forecasts increased demand for engineering plastics within Thailand centered on automotive components, and it plans to promote development of the plastics industry through engineering plastics technical service technologies.

Both parties now plan to develop and implement a more concrete cooperation program. As part of this, Dr. Wuttipong MTEC Plastics Engineering Group Researcher is conducting training at the technical center from October through December 2002. Dr. Wuttipong has a sub leader-like role in the Plastics Engineering Group, and he is responsible for technical development and technical support of molding (including CAE). As he is already an expert in this field, his primary objective is to understand the status of Polyplastics' technical support.