A multi-million dollar plant expansion will significantly enlarge photoreceptor drum production.
According to Nikkei Asian Review Kyocera are hoping to capture the growing demand in emerging Asian economies for copiers, with a ¥2.5bn ($22.3m / €18.8m) expansion of a Chinese plant forecast to increase production capacity of photoreceptor drums by 150 percent.
Photoreceptor drums are a consumable product that require replacement, and which can affect the lifespan of the printer itself. Instead of the typical three layers of photoreceptors, Kyocera’s drums use only one layer, which gives the product greater durability than its rivals, it is claimed.
The drums produced at the new plant will be used in slower models that are capable of printing 20 to 35 sheets a minute. As more and more businesses across China – and other developing economies – are now using copiers in their offices, Kyocera’s aim is to boost their sales of these slower models in these emerging markets. They are also in the process of developing “more sophisticated products for mature economies”, Nikkei Asian Review reports.
Mass production at the new facility is currently slated to begin in May 2018. The entire production process will be automated, meaning the company will employ 90% fewer workers at the plant, allowing them to offset the rising cost of labour in China.
NAR also reports that the Japanese electronics maker’s subsidiary, Kyocera Document Solutions, will construct a new building for a plant in Guangdong Province, China, that currently assembles finished copiers.