Fujifilm announces the opening of its new state-of-the-art plate production line at Tilburg, The Netherlands

Fujifilm today announces the opening of the third production line (PS-10) for the manufacture of offset printing plates at its Tilburg plant in The Netherlands.  The opening ceremony held today at the site was attended by the Prince of Orange, H.R.H. Prince Willem-Alexander, accompanied by Mr S. Komori, President and CEO of FUJIFILM Corporation, Tokyo. The theme of the opening ceremony was based entirely around sustainability and innovation. In order to emphasise the sustainable nature of the new PS-10 production line, the ceremony involved H.R.H. Prince Willem-Alexander and Mr Komori making literal ‘green footprints’ in green clay to open the factory. Fujifilm has invested in the construction of a new plate production line in Tilburg to meet the growing demand for its ‘lo-chem’ and processless printing plates in Europe, Africa and Middle East markets, together with a desire to reduce the carbon footprint of its plate manufacturing and supply operations.  As the new PS-10 line is able to manufacture all Fujifilm plates, including the company’s most advanced printing plate to date, the recently launched Brillia HD PRO-T3, this will cut down the carbon footprint associated with transporting such products from further afield. Alongside other significant sustainable investments, Fujifilm also installed a balanced Co-generative Thermal Oxidiser (CTO) as part of the construction of the PS-10 line.  The CTO incinerates waste solvents and is used as an efficient way of generating electricity, steam, cold and hot water.  All of the energy generated by the CTO will help power the new PS-10 plate production line, helping to further reduce CO2 emissions by a further 5,500 tonnes per year. During the opening ceremony, Mr Komori stressed the importance of the Tilburg factory to Fujifilm - the first and largest production facility outside of Japan. Minister Verhagen of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation praised Fujifilm for being a company operating in the top economic sector which is helping to solve social issues. The Queen’s Commissioner for Brabant, Mr Van de Donk and the Mayor of Tilburg, Mr Noordanus also attended the opening. The new PS-10 plate production line is 330 metres long, with an average width of 35 metres and a maximum height of 22 metres. It was constructed using 850 tonnes of steel and 5500 m3 of concrete.

About FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V.

FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe B.V. in Tilburg, the Netherlands, is one of the largest FUJIFILM production companies outside of Japan. The company was founded in 1982, and employs around 900 people on a 63 hectare site. FUJIFILM Tilburg produces both offset plates and photographic paper, as well as having its own Research and Development team. FUJIFILM Tilburg has been producing offset plates for the graphics industry since 1991. Printers use these plates to print newspapers, magazines and packaging materials (in the offset process), for example.

About FUJIFILM Corporation

FUJIFILM Corporation is one of the major operating companies of FUJIFILM Holdings. Since its founding in 1934, the company has built up a wealth of advanced technologies in the field of photo imaging, and in line with its efforts to become a comprehensive healthcare company, Fujifilm is now applying these technologies to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the Medical and Life Science fields. Fujifilm is also expanding growth in the highly functional materials business, including flat panel display materials, and in the graphic systems and optical devices businesses.

About Fujifilm Graphic Systems

Fujifilm Graphic Systems is a stable, long term partner focussed on delivering high quality, technically advanced print solutions that help printers develop competitive advantage and grow their businesses. The company’s financial stability and unprecedented investment in R&D enable it to develop proprietary technologies for best-in-class printing.  These include pre-press and pressroom solutions for offset, wide-format and digital print, as well as workflow software for print production management. Fujifilm is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its products and operations, proactively working to preserve the environment, and strives to educate printers about environmental best practice. For more information, visit www.fujifilm.eu/eu/products/business-products/graphic-systems/