At NAKAJIMA METAL LEAF, POWDER Co., we see product development as a joint process undertaken in conjunction with the client. We use trial and error to test and review technological issues and challenges with the ultimate aim of enhancing our products and improving product quality.
For instance, a customer asked for a package with tactile contrast between front and back, suitable for a blind person or someone working at night. We suggested embossing one side of the package, so that the front feels different to the back. The embossed surface also adds an attractive design element to the packaging, and it reduces wear and tear on the slitter blade, making it more durable.
Another example concerns cold foil printing, a specially developed process that produces a shiny metallic finish. The client had installed a dedicated cold foil printer, and we provided comprehensive assistance and support in areas such as boosting print to foil bonding strength and enhancing post-printing compatibility. In addition to foil issues, we worked with a printing company to test printer parameters such as adhesive coating rates and printing speeds. We were able to achieve significant improvements in quality and productivity levels for cold foil printing.
Our trial and error approach is evident also in the field of electronic components. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors have a larger capacitance than others yet are relatively small and inexpensive. A client asked us to make longer aluminum roll windings for aluminum electrolytic capacitors. We increased the roll size from 300 kg to 450 kg, but the client wanted more. After six months of trials, we managed to produce a 600 kg roll, the first in Japan, free of misalignment and blocking.
No matter how difficult the challenge, we are committed to working together with the client to develop the best solution through trial and error. This commitment is part of our founding ethos.

Once we had a client who wanted to achieve a bright mirror finish through printing. Although mirror printing inks were available in Japan at the time, the quality was poor. In 2000, we identified a suitable mirror printing ink aluminum pigment overseas, and arranged to have it brought to Japan. However the solvent was too unstable to use with domestic inks. So we changed the solvent in the paste and experimented with parameters such as particle thickness and aluminum pigment quantity. Through trial and error, including regular feedback from the client, we produced a high-quality product that has since been embraced throughout the ink manufacturing sector in Japan. Today, mirror printing inks are featured in a wide range of products including electrical appliances, mobile phones and digital devices.
NAKAJIMA METAL LEAF, POWDER Co. has led the industry in introducing imported gold and silver powder and aluminum foil products to Japan. We will continue to source the finest products and materials overseas for our Japanese clients, adapting them to suit the local industry as appropriate.