Epson Atmix Corporation, a group company of Seiko Epson Corporation, will invest 5.5 billion Yen in plant and equipment. Particularly, the funding will be used for the construction of the new factory.

The sustainable metal refinery will recycle waste metal to produce the raw material for metal powder.

Epson Atmix held a groundbreaking ceremony on the site. Moreover, the company expects to finish the construction in June 2025.

In July 2022, Atmix concluded an agreement with Hachinohe City in Aomori, Japan, to purchase the site for the factory. Specifically, the new factory will rise in lot No. 16, in the Hachinohe Kita Inter Industrial Park.

Aims for Sustainable Manufacturing

As stated in its Environmental Vision 2050, Epson seeks to become carbon-negative and underground resource-free by 2050. Furthermore, it aims to achieve sustainability and enrich communities.

Part of Epson’s environmental strategy, outlined in the Epson 25 Renewed corporate vision, is to develop environmental technologies for recycling materials. Particularly, metal and paper, and to use the resulting technologies and solutions to create new businesses.

Atmix recognizes that sourcing virgin materials will likely become more challenging due to underground resource scarcity and soaring metal prices. The new factory aims to mitigate risk by manufacturing metal powders from recycled metal resources.

As a facility for recycling metal for use in producing metal powders, the new factory will be outfitted with a high-frequency induction furnace for melting metals. Moreover, it will also have an AOD refining furnace for removing impurities from metals and a casting machine for forming ingots.

Sustainable Recycle Process

Atmix will use the new factory to recycle unwanted metals from various sources, including out-of-specification metal powders in manufacturing processes at Atmix. Also, metal scraps generated within Atmix and metal end cuts and used molds discarded by the Epson Group.

These unwanted metals will be reused as raw materials for Atmix’s metal powders. Virgin materials such as high-purity iron from blast furnaces will be replaced with recycled metal materials. Thus, conserving underground resources and reducing CO₂ emissions.

Introducing a new refining process will enable Atmix to develop next-generation high-performance powders. Furthermore, it aims to improve their magnetic properties and enhance their amorphous forming capability. Thereby, contributing to the realization of a new generation of compact and energy-efficient devices.