Sharp Kameyama Plant No. 2 to Begin Production Operations

Sharp Corporation’s Kameyama Plant No. 2 will begin processing glass substrates for LCD panels in August of this year. Production of large-screen LCD TV models equipped with these LCD panels will start this September for markets around the world.

Sharp’s Kameyama Plant No. 2 will use eighth-generation (8G) glass substrates (2,160 x 2,460 mm), the world’s largest, with about double the surface area of the sixth-generation glass substrates (1,500 x 1,800) produced in Kameyama Plant No. 1, a facility designed for production of LCD panels used in 30-inch class LCD TVs. These mammoth 8G glass substrates provide optimal production efficiency for LCD panels used in 40-inch and 50-inch class LCD TVs, and the introduction of unprecedented new production processes and compact, high-density layout designs for production equipment have made it possible to cut production lead times in half. Such proprietary one-of-a-kind production technology innovations will enable Kameyama Plant No. 2 to reach a level of investment productivity (in 45-inch panel equivalents) approximately double that of Plant No. 1. Also, to improve performance and strengthen cost competitiveness, Sharp has been working with material suppliers since the initial design phase to develop new parts and materials for the key components that go into making up the LCD modules.

In addition, Sharp has built a production system designed to minimize the effects of natural disasters and ensure uninterrupted round-the-clock operations, including installing a “seismic damper” system to absorb the shaking and vibration from major earthquakes, and a system to prevent damage to production equipment from momentary voltage sags caused by lightning strikes.
Sharp is also aiming to make its Kameyama plant a Factory of the Future befitting the environment in the 21st century, including building an energy supply system that will cover about one-third of total electrical power used in the plant by integrating heterogeneous power sources, such as a large-scale photovoltaic power generating system installed on all roof surfaces, fuel cells, and cogeneration systems, and implementing systems to recycle water used in the plant, including water used for general non-industrial purposes.


Overview of Kameyama Plant No. 2
• Location: 464 Kougawa, Shiraki-cho, Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, Japan
• Start of operations: August 2006 (begins processing glass substrates)
• Building area: Approx. 82,300 m2
• Total floor area: Approx. 279,100 m2
• Construction: Steel-frame construction; 3 stories
(Some structures at the plant are 7 stories tall)
• Total investment: Approx. 150 billion yen (including buildings and production equipment)
• Substrate size: 2,160 x 2,460 mm (8G glass substrates)
(eight 40-inch class panels or six 50-inch class panels per substrate)
• Substrate input: 15,000 panels per month
(30,000 panels per month with start-up of second production line in March 2007)

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The following information is true and accurate at the time of publication. Manufacture, sale, price and specifications of products may be subjected to change.

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