I.S.T Corporation – Industrial Summit Technology

Our world is undergoing great changes in our ways of life, our societies, and our global environment. We are ushering in an era where the business world, as well, must respond to these changes if it is to prevail. Regardless of the times, we must never sit back and say “this is enough”. So that these seeds we have sown can continue to grow and develop in perpetuity, we must forever challenge ourselves, and we must continue to change. I.S.T is an enterprise that constantly continues to propose that which is new and that which the world has never seen, and we keep our eyes firmly focused on the challenges of the future.

Business Units
Applying new technologies to conventional materials will create entirely new functions – that is the driving idea behind “functional materials”. With I.S.T’s proprietary technologies, “high added value” materials are transformed into “super added value” functional materials. With a focus on everything from modern devices to future devices, I.S.T’s business matrix in functional materials is constantly growing.

• Functional Resins / Composite Materials
  In the mid 1990s, I.S.T acquired the polyimide resins Pyre-MLR and SKYBONDR from the U.S. companies, DuPont, and the Monsanto Company, respectively. These functional resins were the first of their kind in the world, developed by DuPont at the research behest of NASA. These resins have since come to be used in large-scale applications throughout the world, from parts for electronic devices to aircraft. I.S.T sells various solutions of these resins for applications as heat shields and insulating coatings. We have developed composite materials such as carbon/glass fiber prepregs and honeycomb materials made from these resins. With the introduction in 2008 of acquired composite processing capabilities from Super Resin Inc., we have been expanding our business into aerospace, automotive and semiconductor manufacturing equipment fields. We have also recently developed new RTMable polyimides that have made possible resin transfer molding CFRP components that were previously not possible to produce, further expanding the scope of application of these resins.

• Imaging Devices
  I.S.T technology plays a pivotal role in today’s rapidly advancing development in office-automation and other electronic devices. One clear example is the soft roller at the heart of every photocopier that fixes toner. I.S.T pioneered the use of a three-layer rubber whose surface is treated with a fluorocarbon polymer, yielding high-speed, high-performance copying. Our company also succeeded in reducing the energy consumption of laser printers by 90% by creating a toner-fixing polyimide tube that is now standard in photocopiers the world over. We are continuously developing components that are essential for imaging applications, such as intermediate transfer belts, the large-scale lamination belts used in the printing field, and the specialized precision parts for image processing devices. In this way, we are contributing to increased office efficiency as well as energy and cost savings.

• Textiles
  Using exclusive heating and welding technologies, I.S.T synthesizes numerous materials to develop a multitude of high-performance, functionality-rich special fibers. Examples include high-strength, noncombustible materials used as communication cable covers, bag-filter material, and industrial materials used in tow ropes for laying undersea cable. We manufacture a permanent tent structure which provides 50 % light transmittance, enabling indoor plant cultivation. I.S.T also creates a unique cloth that is noncombustible yet offers excellent texture and color, and is used to provide flame resistance in tall buildings, studios, cinemas and high-speed trains. These special materials are used in a virtually endless list of applications in both consumer and industrial settings.

• Medical / Bioscience
  I.S.T’s drive to deliver the next generation materials extends even to biotechnology and medicine. I.S.T researchers are propelling the development of unique and creative approaches in biotech and medicine to the issues that urgently confront society in the 21st century. I.S.T has succeeded in developing special medical materials with unique and valuable functions. We are developing gene-manipulation and bioinformatics technologies that offer revolutionary advantages spanning drug discovery, agriculture, industrial and environmental biotechnology, and biomaterials. In other fields as well, through our vigorous pursuit of joint research with foreign researchers and universities both at home and overseas, we develop the new technologies that will accelerate the life sciences of the 21st century to breathtaking new levels.

• Electronics / Scales
  In 1988, we at I.S.T established a production factory in Kami, Hyogo Prefecture, in order to expand our business operations. Along with the factory, we acquired a scale manufacturing business. Ever since then, we have been producing scales that are utilized in a wide range of fields. We have been incorporating I.S.T’s proprietary technology in the development of production systems and various devices, as well as a new concept in weight sensors that are not influenced by temperature or humidity. We are also meeting the challenge in the field of electronics. In the rapidly progressing and expanding IT environment, we are utilizing our proprietary technologies to develop new products for a variety of electronic devices with high performance enhanced functionality, lightweight flat panel displays and miniaturized mobile telephones in order to create a better future society.

Our Website: www.istcorp.jp/en/