New Production Facilities for GLORE VALCANA™Synthetic Suede | 2006 | News

September 15, 2006

Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.

New Production Facilities for GLORE VALCANA™
Synthetic Suede

Mitsubishi Rayon has decided to install additional production facilities for its GLORE VALCANA synthetic suede at the Company’s Otake Production Center in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Background to Decision:

Mitsubishi Rayon is the only company in the world engaged in the manufacture of synthetic suede using ultra-fine acrylic fibers as the raw material. Our synthetic suede exhibit the excellent colorability and softness to the touch for which acrylic fibers are renowned, and thanks to our unique manufacturing process, they also score high marks for stretchability. Moreover, they are ecologically sound products as the manufacturing process - which we have employed for a considerable period - involves no organic solvents. Our synthetic suede are ideal for use in apparel, footwear, furniture, and a wide range of miscellaneous goods.
Competition has been intensifying in the apparel-use synthetic suede market. This is partially attributable to the recent improvement in the quality and popularity of raised fabrics, both woven and knitted. Users of synthetic suede, in both the Japanese and overseas markets, are now demanding greater differentiation and even higher quality. In addition, the scope of application of synthetic suede has been expanding rapidly into non-clothing areas such as vehicle upholstery and industrial-use materials. To enable manufacturers to meet this growth in demand, they are faced with the urgent issue of producing materials that can meet even more advanced user specifications.
To enable Mitsubishi Rayon to meet these market needs, it has been decided to increase the Company’s production capacity in synthetic suede through investment in upgraded production lines specializing in our GLORE VALCANA brand of artificial suede products for apparel and industrial uses. This lineup of new products is expected to meet a wider range of user needs.

New facilities for production of synthetic suede:

Plant: Otake Production Center (Otake, Hiroshima) Annual production capacity: 2.65 million square meters Scheduled start-up: January 2007 Details of facilities:

Details of facilities:

(1) Installation of high-pressure water-jet equipment

(2) Retooling of production lines to handle larger product widths

New range of products to be manufactured by new facilities

(1) Nubuck-type synthetic suede products
・The birth of a new, high-quality material for the clothing fashion field
	Made from ultra-fine acrylic flock which itself has been made from a modified polymer. (Additionally, thanks to the development of larger production facilities, all apparel-use material can be produced in widths of at least 140cm, as compared with the conventional standard width of 115cm.)

(2) Products made to exacting specifications for furniture and other industrial applications
・Notable for excellent durability
	The high-pressure water-jet equipment is expected to create a considerable improvement in durability. (The products are ecologically sound as the manufacturing process involves no organic solvents.)

For further inquiries, please contact:

Public and Investor Relations Office

The contents shown herein are accurate as of the time of posting.

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