Epson will convert waste into metal powder in the new factory it will establish

Epson Atmix announced that it will build a sustainable metal refinery by investing 5.5 billion Yen. In the factory, which will be opened in 2025, metal waste will be recycled to produce raw materials for the production of metal powder.

Epson Atmix Corporation, one of Epson’s group companies, announced that it has started the construction of a sustainable metal refinery to recycle waste metals. The factory, in which a total investment of 5.5 billion Yen will be made, will make waste metals reusable as powder with special technologies starting from 2025. In July 2022, Atmix signed an agreement with the city of Hachinohe in Aomori, Japan, to purchase the factory site in the Hachinohe Kita Inter Industrial Park. Atmix recently held a groundbreaking ceremony and announced that the factory will be operational in June 2025.

Carbon negative

Epson aims to be a carbon negative and groundwater-free company by 2050, as stated in its 2050 Environmental Vision. As part of its strategy, Epson aims to develop environmental technologies to recycle materials such as metal and paper and to use the resulting technologies and solutions to create new business areas.

Metal supply will become difficult

Atmix predicts that the supply of natural materials will become difficult due to the decrease in underground resources and the increase in metal prices. The new factory aims to reduce risk by recycling metal to produce metal powders from recycled metal sources. Designed to recycle metal used in the production of metal powders, the new factory will be equipped with equipment such as a high-frequency induction furnace to melt metals, an AOD refinery furnace to remove impurities from metals, and a casting machine to create ingots.

It is aimed to protect underground resources

Atmix will use this new factory to recycle unwanted metals from a variety of sources, such as non-standard metal powders generated in the production processes, metal waste generated within Atmix, and metal residues and used molds discarded by the Epson Group. These waste metals will be reused as raw materials for Atmix’s metal powders. Natural materials such as high-purity iron will be replaced with recycled metal materials, preserving underground resources and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Applying a new refining process allows Atmix to develop the next generation of high-performance powders, improving their magnetic properties and increasing amorphous forming capabilities. The new factory will be an important step towards achieving the goal of becoming a company free of underground resources by 2050.