UACJ’s High-Strength Aluminum Material for IT Equipment Housings to Be Used in “ arrows NX F-01J,” a Fujitsu Connected Technologies Smartphone

ZK75, a high-strength type 7000 aluminum alloy for IT equipment housings developed by UACJ Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Mitsuru Okada) and manufactured by UACJ Extrusion Corporation (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President: Keizo Shoji) is being used in the “arrows NX F-01J” smartphone produced by Fujitsu Connected Technologies Limited (Headquarters: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture; President: Katsumi Takada). This usage by Fujitsu Connected Technologies marks the first time UACJ’s type 7000 aluminum alloy has been used by a Japanese smartphone manufacturer.

To date, a type 6000 aluminum alloy, A6063, has been widely used in IT equipment housings and smartphones, but concern has grown about A6063’s lack of strength as smartphones have become thinner and adopted larger screens. The new ZK75 type 7000 aluminum alloy UACJ developed for use in IT equipment housings is approximately twice as strong (proof stress of 400MPa) as the A6063. Furthermore, by appropriately controlling the ZK75’s new alloy design and material structure, UACJ has succeeded in overcoming certain past issues such as color spotting and poor color tone that tended to arise during the alumite processing of type 7000 aluminum alloy. The result is an attractive alumite product that is well suited to the attractive coloring and designs products need.

The body of Fujitsu Connected Technologies’ “arrows NX F-01J,” launched in December 2016, employs a unique SOLID SHIELD configuration*, which augments durability and helps protect the phone from shocks, such as being dropped or subjected to pressure during everyday use. As a result, the technology helps prevent the smartphone’s screen from shattering.

In addition to ZK75, UACJ’s Research & Development Division is also moving forward with the development of other high-strength aluminum materials for use in IT equipment housings. The Company expects these materials to contribute to the enhanced rigidity of smartphone and other IT equipment housings.

*A proprietary technology of Fujitsu Connected Technologies, in this configuration the body of the “arrows NX F-01J” uses an internal stainless steel frame on both sides of the case to enhance torsional resistance. Also, the rounded corners help dissipate shocks, preventing the screen from shattering if the phone is dropped.