About GUNZE

Reseach & Development Production Activities

Research & Development

Gunze’s R&D traces the company’s ongoing efforts to provide high-quality products by focusing on the latest technologies and using core technologies nurtured over the past 114 years.

Since its beginning, Gunze has consistently introduced advanced products to the marketplace while maintaining a “quality first” policy. Its R&D efforts to create its own technologies have been supported by its stance as a “technology-oriented company.” Presently, our Shiga and Kyoto Research Laboratories are the centers of Gunze’s efforts to develop powerful products and technologies that meet the needs of our times. Gunze also strives to develop new markets by promoting project team activities with sharply focused targets.

Milestones in Gunze's Technology Development
The new Development Department was set up in April 2010 with the aim of quickly nurturing new businesses. This department consists of the Optical Film Center serving as a profit center, and the Business Development Section in charge of formulating strategies for new business commercialization. The Optical Film Center has already launched a low-resistivity transparent conductive film (DPT1 film) created with fine-pattern printing technology, and a substitute film for glass, combining high hardness and high heat resistance (HD2 film). The Business Development Section is also working together with the Research & Development Department on a highly functional optical film with high heat resistance (F3 film) as well as Gunze red yeast made from the biotechnology that the company has accumulated through silk production, with a focus on future commercialization.

1 DPT standards for “Direct Printing Technology.”
2 HD stands for “High Durability.”
3 F stands for “Flexible.”
Low-resistivity fine metal line circuit (DPT film)　
HD film with resistance to scratch even with the hardest pencil available
Heat-resistant transparent optical film (F film) featuring a thin and lightweight configuration plus high dimensional stability

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Production Activities
Customer focus in production and a commitment to quality

Gunze’s business operations aim to contribute to society through quality products. Production, which is the key to business practices, emphasizes a commitment to quality supported by Gunze’s stance of “technology-oriented management.” In production activities, Gunze conducts exacting quality and process control in order to ensure safety and security for customers. Ongoing activities include TQC1 and TPM2 initiatives, as well as acquisition of ISO certification. Gunze also makes sure production activities anywhere in the world conform to its “quality first” policy.

1 TQC (Total Quality Control) is a quality initiative promoted by the manufacturing, design, purchase, sales, marketing and after-sales service sectors in collaboration.

2 TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) is a production innovation aimed to enhance production efficiency.

Technology-centered management

Since its founding, Gunze has maintained an emphasis on technology. This continues today across all sectors of its apparel and functional solutions businesses, driving the development of products and production technologies. Recently, Gunze’s apparel business faces the challenging requirements of high-mix low-volume production and quick delivery in order to meet the trend toward high-fashion, high-performance products. In functional solutions, Gunze seeks a combination of various characteristic technologies and improvement of functionality.

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