The Sign at JX Metals Corporation’s New Factory in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture
Illuminated Stylishly to Increase Visibility!

Chief Engineer, Equipment Technology Division, Equipment Technology Department, Isohara Works
Mr. Shun Onodera


Mr. Shun Onodera, the project leader, took time out of his busy schedule to speak with us.

―Thank you very much for your making time in your schedule to speak with us.
And thank you for selecting our LEDSFOCUS PRO LED floodlights.


Mr. Onodera
Thank you for visiting the New Hitachi-kita Factory today.


―First, we would like to ask about JX Metals and the circumstances behind your decision to use our LED floodlights.


Mr. Onodera
JX Metals manufactures and sells non-ferrous metal products, with a focus on copper.
Now almost complete, our New Hitachi-kita Factory will be used to manufacture sputtering targets for interconnect materials—essential for the miniaturization of semiconductors—in order to meet the rapidly expanding demand for semiconductors. Equipment will be brought into the factory in the future.


―May I ask you a little more about sputtering targets?


Mr. Onodera
Sputtering is a technique where a sputtering target placed in a vacuum device is bombarded with argon ions. The released target atoms/molecules are deposited on a substrate such as a silicon wafer or glass to form a thin film.
The term “sputtering target” comes from the fact that it is the target that ions collide with during sputtering.
At JX Metals, we have a wide range of sputtering targets used in a variety of products such as semiconductors, flat panel displays, hard disk drives, and solar cells. We have been steadily supplying high-quality products for many years.


―This is an area in which we can expect to see further development.
And it was under these circumstances that you came across our LED floodlights as an option to illuminate your company sign when constructing this new factory.


Mr. Onodera
Right.
The LEDSFOCUS PRO was introduced to us by Kajima Corporation, which was in charge of the design and construction of the factory.
After that, we saw your case study in Kure on your company’s website . （“Look out for fire” sign on Mt. Jo in Gohara Town, Kure City, Hiroshima）And given your strong reputation for automotive lamps and so on, we decided to go with the LEDSFOCUS PRO.



―Thank you very much for taking a look at our existing case studies.
Is there anything that struck you up through the installation of the floodlights?

Mr. Onodera
A sample was brought over to us while the facility was still under construction. Changing the lens little by little, we had the illumination tested from the same
distance and location, aiming it at a wall made from a temporary sheet. This helped us develop a stronger idea early on.

―We offer different numbers of lenses, finely adjusted illumination angles and color temperatures, and spread lens options, so testing them out really is the best way.


Mr. Onodera
I was honestly surprised that a single unit consisting of the 9-lens LEDSFOCUS PRO equipped with a spread lens could illuminate the logo and company name with such powerful light and at such a perfect size.
At first I thought it used multiple units.
I also liked that the unit without the spread lens creates circular light.


―Thank you.
Do you have any other thoughts regarding the installation of the sign?



Mr. Onodera
Because this is a new factory, we wanted people passing by to slow down and really see our sign.
Although there are some types of signs that are illuminated internally, we preferred an external unit to illuminate our sign. By also illuminating the adjacent right-angled walls, we were aiming to achieve a three-dimensional effect and a particular sharpness, as well as contrast between bright areas and shadows.

And if we were going to do it, we wanted to make sure it looked great.
I have to also thank Kajima Corporation for their suggestions regarding lighting equipment.

－We are happy that we could help.
Thank you for choosing us.
It is such a great factory.
Lastly, could we hear a little more about you personally?
And more about what you find rewarding and the challenges you face?


Mr. Onodera
It has been three years since I changed jobs and joined JX Metals.
I was a communications equipment engineer, but I decided to enter the construction industry, maybe because my father was a carpenter.
Though it may sound cliché, the most rewarding part of my job is to be able to do work that leaves my mark on the world.
As for challenges, there are times when there are differences between the opinions of employees at JX Metals and the opinions of general contractors, and bridging those differences can be tough.


－Thank you very much for speaking with us today.
We hope you all the best in the future.

■JX Metals Corporation
Website