1) Hard coating property
Transparent foil with hard coating property
Now that hot stamping foils are widely used to decorate mobile phone lenses, personal computers, home appliances and cosmetic containers such as compacts, there is greater demand for a hard coating treatment on the surface layer of foil to improve abrasion resistance. At present, hard coating foil treated with anti-ultraviolet resin is used. The hardness obtained is the pencil hardness of H to 2H, and depends on the type of stamped material. Generally, the greatest degree of hardness is obtained using an acrylic resin called PMMA. Hard coating foil is now widely used, although due to its thickness of only 5 × 10-6m, it has limitations with regard to hardness.

2) Alloy foil
Alloy foil without aluminum or chrome
We have developed stamping foil made of austenitic SUS310 stainless steel. This foil offers advantages such as excellent weather resistance, a lighter color than chrome foil, and adaptability to hairline processing. It is now under development to be adapted to the bending process, taking advantage of its thickness of only 4.0 × 10-8m (400A).

3) Conductive foil
Conductive foil for RFID tags and for the prevention of EMS waves
We are developing conductive foil made of copper (thickness: 3.0 × 10-7m). We are trying to apply the foil to RFID tags of antennas; however, there are problems with regard to reception distance and dependability, compared with rolled and electrolytic copper foil (1.8 × 10-5m), and rolled aluminum foil (3.0 × 10-5m). There are also more problems to be solved with regard to using the foil to prevent electromagnetic waves.

4) Weather resistance property
Light-resistant and weather-resistant foil for automobiles and exterior decoration for buildings
It is difficult to make stamping foil that can resist abrasion when used for exterior materials, since it is as thin as some 10-5m. Even if weather-resistant stamping foil could be made, it would be necessary to prevent the foil from being peeled off along with the base film in the hot stamping process. It is necessary to discuss the requirements for foil quality with users, and strike a balance between weather resistance and surface evenness.

5) Optical property
Hot stamping foil with optical properties
In the production of liquid crystal displays and optical lenses, hot stamping foil is expected to have the function of changing optical properties such as diffusion, diffuse reflection and diffraction. Foil withoptical properties is mainly used for the purpose of changing total reflection to diffuse reflection on the lens surface, or diffusing light from the light source.
In fields in which physically processed, biaxially stretched film is currently used, the use of hot stamping foil with optical properties would bring about labor saving, mass production and cost saving.

6) Prevention of counterfeit products
Technology for preventing counterfeit products
The production of counterfeit brand-name products and character goods in China and other countries, and their international marketing has become a serious problem. Various countermeasures have been taken, but none have proved completely effective. Hot stamping decoration using special metallic foil or hologram foil can be used as a measure against counterfeiting, and some leading companies have already adopted it in places where no decoration was used before. Even original 3D hologram decoration can be copied, so it is difficult to completely prevent counterfeiting. Hot stamping film with an identification function would be effective in preventing counterfeiting, especially when products are sold to multiple countries. Our technology will solve the problem in certain cases.