Tapyrus Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells meltblown nonwovens, and has been accumulating manufacturing technology as a specialized manufacturer. Tapyrus President Kazutoshi Takatsuna says, “Technological capabilities that respond to customization needs are our life line. What is most important for us is strengthening our development capabilities and quality to earn trust.”
The company’s line-up of meltblown products is extensive, starting with filter media and extending with primary battery separators and household masks.
Tapyrus offers meltblown nonwovens for liquid filters, of which the fiber diameter is less than 500 nanometers and the difference in the diameter of these fine fibers is small. What is indispensable for a specialized manufacturer is having a filter media that are as fine as possible. At ANEX 2018, however, the company will intentionally exhibit liquid and gas filter media of which the fiber diameters are different for a longer lifespan, high-viscosity liquid filter media made with high-denier yarns similar to spunbonded nonwovens, mask materials with which a static processing is combined for high collection and low pressure loss, and battery separators that are made with yarns of high fineness for high uniformity.
In fiscal 2017 (ending in December 2017), Tapyrus achieved record-breaking sales for the second consecutive year. The company has been responding to domestic capital investment trends and local mask demand that has been moving stably in recent years with its technology base. In light of a number of applications, many new projects have been brought to the company. In addition to using the main materials of polypropylene and polyester, the company wants to make challenges in using new types of resins in meltblow production.
Tapyrus launched its first overseas production base, Tapyrus (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in the autumn of 2013. Its sales in fiscal 2017 increased by about 10% over the previous fiscal year. In addition to sales in the local market and ASEAN region, exports to Japan are expanding, and this has brought production to full capacity.
Tapyrus expects that demand for major applications is likely to remain strong in the current fiscal year. In Japan, the Isehara Factory is operating at almost full capacity, but in regard to future capital investments, priority will be given to the Thai factory as it has space left for expansion. The production ratio of general-purpose goods is high for Tapyrus (Thailand), and a task for the future is increasing value-added meltblown products. Another major issue is increasing overseas earnings by developing the Southeast Asian market, which is attracting more attention as a manufacturing base and where the industries are becoming more advanced.