Technology Microcosm

What motivated the development team amidst the mounting problems? It was the belief that "One day, electronic materials will become Fujikura's core business!"

Fujikura's first order for FPCs was from a major camera manufacturer. It was an FPC to be built into a printer head. First, they received the design drawings, and after much trial and error, they completed a prototype. However, it was something that astonished the client's engineers. They delivered a prototype that was completely different from the client's design. It was a huge misunderstanding, they delivered a "single-sided fine FPC" when the client requested a "double-sided exposed FPC." They started from such a level that they couldn't even read the design drawings. In the subsequent prototyping approach, there were many legendary episodes of failure. What motivated the development team during those days of mounting problems? It was the belief that "One day, electronic materials will become Fujikura's core business!"

The FPC project was based in a corner of the Sakura factory, and although the working environment was not ideal, the project steadily achieved technological results. However, it continued to struggle in terms of profitability. For every 100 million yen in sales, the company was in the red by the same amount. With low yields and rising costs, the vicious cycle gradually led to growing criticism within the company. The group was ridiculed as the "Flutter-Flutter-Flutter Club," a play on the name FPC.

The turning point for mobile phone modules in 1993

The achievement that turned things around was a large order for FPCs to be incorporated into a new model of a mobile phone manufacturer. Two years of aggressive and bold sales activities bore fruit one day in an inquiry from a mounting equipment manufacturer in Singapore. First, Fujikura shipped samples of its FPCs, which were well received, leading to an order for mass production including mounting. Through the numerous trials and errors and complaints that had gone through, sales, development, and manufacturing had steadily accumulated knowledge, refined their skills, and acquired the "techniques" to improve cost performance. This was the time when it would suddenly blossom and bear fruit. This transaction eventually developed into a big business of 4 million pieces. In 1993, Fujikura recorded annual sales of 8 billion yen from this one company. At the same time, Fujikura was developing a specialized FPC factory, PCTT, in Thailand, which would become the base for mass production and spread to other mobile phone manufacturers. This would lead to even bigger business.