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September
12, 2000
Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd. |
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Gradess Image-Processing Design Steel Sheet's Production Equipment System
to Go on Sale |
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In 1999,
Nisshin Steel became the first company in the steel industry to develop
a technology that transfers computer-graphic images onto the surface of
steel sheet. The resulting steel sheet - Gradess image-processing design
steel sheet - has enjoyed a favorable reception since its launch on April
8, 1999. The name Gradess is a combination of the "gra" from "graphic," the "de" from "design," and the initial letters from "steel" and "sheet." In conjunction with Marking Magic Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Minato-ku, President Motoki Toyama), Nisshin Steel has successfully improved Gradess's image quality. With this improvement in performance, there has been heightened interest in Gradess particularly for signs used in indoor and outdoor advertising signboards. To respond to the increased demand for production equipment for Gradess and with the aim of exploiting potential demand, Nisshin Steel and Marking Magic will begin marketing Gradess production equipment systems. Nisshin Steel and Marking Magic will make a joint announcement and explain the details concerning system sales at the 42nd Sign and Display Show at Tokyo Big Site on September 13-15, 2000. 1. System Sales Overview Marking Magic's Gradess Business Department will be responsible for system sales. System sales will cover production equipment sets that include a computer, RIP software, an ink-jet printer, and a thermal transfer machine. Such items necessary for Gradess production as transfer materials, which include clear coated steel sheet, film, and cloth; consumables, which include ink and transfer paper; and technology support services will also be sold. At present, the sales goal for Gradess production equipment sets is 50-100 sets per year at a market price of about 8 million yen each. Nisshin Steel will provide Gradess backup sales support through such activities as supplying clear-coated steel sheet for image processing. 2. About Gradess Image-Processing Design Steel Sheet Gladess uses stainless steel sheet or white precoated metal sheet (galvanized steel sheet or aluminum sheet) as its substrate and is coated with a special clear coating independently developed by Nisshin Steel, after which ink is transferred using the thermal sublimation transfer method, resulting in design steel sheet that bears the desired image. At present there are 14 patents pending for this process. A special characteristic of Gradess, aside from the fact that it boasts high-quality images produced with ink-jet printers and durability that makes it ideal for outdoor applications, is that, out of consideration for the environment, the organic solvent used in the production and waste treatment processes does not contain polyvinyl chloride, which can be harmful. Moreover, because the computer-graphics are used, any customer-designated design can be transferred onto design of their choice onto the steel sheet, the Company will be able make fine-tuned responses to their demands through a combination of steel sheet of different varieties and qualities and clear-coat finishing. Gradess is already used in Konami's beatmania 2 DX video game, advertisement boards at the Izumino Branch of Daiei department store, and for boards displaying photographs at the Tokyo Shimbun-sponsored Tamagawa Waterworks Exhibit. As these varied applications demonstrate, the product has a number of uses, and the Company expects that further interest in Gradess will stem from its potential for use in signs, store decorations, and various kinds of machinery. |
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