R&D Center
ShareConcentrating our R&D strength to develop innovative next-generation products and technologies
Aiming to promote innovation, the R&D Division carries out basic research with a long-term outlook for the purpose of discovering new possibilities for aluminum, and pursues product development with the goal of responding to the needs of customers, which manufacture a wide range of products spanning from everyday items like beverage cans to highly advanced rockets.
Leveraging more than 100 years of expertise, the UACJ Group is striving to create new value by adding more value to materials and helping manufacturers develop better products.
- Fundamental technologies and core technologies
- Providing technology support to the entire group with cutting-edge expertise in fundamental technologies
- Promoting manufacturing in harmony with the environment to realize a recycling-oriented society
- Promoting co-creation internally and externally Creating new value and contributing to the development of society
- Promoting DX to maximize the potential of aluminum
- Technology and Research Journal
Fundamental technologies and core technologies
UACJ boasts diverse processing capabilities, including casting, rolling (thick plates, thin plates, foil), extrusion (rods, tubes, shapes), forging, and processed products. Our tri-polar plate production bases and global supply capability are key strengths.
Providing technology support to the entire group with cutting-edge expertise in fundamental technologies
In addition to the basic technologies we have accumulated in academic fields such as metallurgy, plasticity processing and electrochemistry, we promote product quality enhancement and new product development by making full use of evaluation, analysis and manufacturing technologies. We are also working to establish manufacturing processes by evaluating optimal manufacturing conditions and advanced control technologies using a variety of prototype facilities, ranging from casting to rolling and extrusion.
Promoting manufacturing in harmony with the environment to realize a recycling-oriented society
Aluminum is a lightweight, highly recyclable material with the potential to reduce CO2 emissions. To this end, we aim to expand the use of recycled aluminum. One instance of these efforts is our work with NEDO* on research into upgrade recycling, in which low-purity recycled ingots are enhanced to purity close to that of virgin metal.
- New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Promoting co-creation internally and externally Creating new value and contributing to the development of society
Reflecting our policy of pursuing co-creation, we are creating new value by strengthening collaboration with customers and advanced external research institutions, with internal manufacturing and sales divisions, and with researchers within the Research & Development Division. In February 2019, we established U-AI Lab., a hands-on exhibition facility. We will invite a wide range of visitors, undertake to synergize different types of knowledge, and promote technology and product development.
Promoting DX to maximize the potential of aluminum
We are promoting DX (Digital Transformation) to encourage utilization of knowledge accumulated to date, enhance chances for new discoveries, and dramatically accelerate and upgrade manufacturing and R&D. This is an important initiative that will contribute significantly to the creation of new businesses and the resolution of social issues, and will also lead to corporate transformation.
Technology and Research Journal
Technology and Research Journals section introduces the UACJ's research achievements.
You can also view back issues of UACJ publications, as well as technical and research journals published by the former Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp. and the former Sumitomo Light Metal Industries, Ltd.