米兰ac体育Innovation history

since 1884

The Furukawa Group's founder, Ichibei Furukawa, worked to build a new Japan 米兰ac体育 aim of "making Japan brighter."

Having inherited Ichibei's idea, 米兰ac体育 a great sense of mission to "make the world brighter."

Going forward, the 米兰ac体育 Group will, as pledged in our corporate philosophy,
"contribute to the realization of a sustainable society" through continuous technological innovation.

  1. 1884
  2. 1900
  3. 1960
  4. 2000
  5. 2016
  1. Foundation & Dawning of a New Era
  2. Helping to Establish Japan's Social Infrastructure
  3. Expanding Overseas
  4. 米兰ac体育
  5. Strengthen the 米兰ac体育 new technologies and services to solve social issues

1884~Foundation & Dawning of a New Era

The origins of our company can be traced back to 1884, when Ichibei Furukawa first smelted copper in Honjo, Tokyo and Yamada Cable Works began manufacturing electrical cables in Takashima-cho, Yokohama.

The Furukawa Group's founder, Ichibei Furukawa, was born in Kyoto 米兰ac体育832 and, showing a natural flair for business, became an executive of the Ono-gumi, a wealthy merchant house at that time. 米兰ac体育877, he took over the operation of the Ashio Copper Mine. After overcoming a number of crises, he developed it into Japan's largest copper mine.

Our corporate logo, the Yamaichi mark, was established that year to represent the idea of specializing exclusively in mining.

He later installed some of the latest Western technologies, such as Japan's first full-scale hydroelectric power plant 米兰ac体育890, and expanded operations on his way to building the foundations of the Furukawa Group.

Opened Honjo Copper Smeltery and Yamada Cable Works

Started Japan's first electrodeposit copper trial operations

Started manufacturing electric copper wires

Opened Honjo Copper Smeltery and Yamada Cable Works

Ichibei Furukawa overcame various difficulties at the Ashio Copper Mine before achieving success, and 米兰ac体育884 decided to set up a copper smeltery at Fukagawa, Honjo to improve the uneven quality of crude copper. Around the same time, inventor Yoshichi Yamada, who had developed a method of manufacturing rubber-covered wires, established a wire manufacturing plant at Takashima-cho, Yokohama.

This is the founding year of our company, which grew from these two business origins.

Started manufacturing electric copper wires

During this period, there were a series of plans for laying long distance communications cables 米兰ac体育 the Meiji government's telephone expansion program, resulting in growing demand for not only electric lighting and power lines but also communications cables.

The company started to manufacture electric copper wire early on at its Honjo Copper Smeltery, setting up what was then a state-of-the-art copper wire manufacturing facility. Production at this copper wire plant grew smoothly 米兰ac体育 its high quality, contributing greatly to the upgrade of Japan's social infrastructure at the dawn of the Meiji era.

1900~Helping to Establish Japan's Social Infrastructure

Catering to demand for electricity and communications in the then undeveloped Japan, 米兰ac体育 expanded production to include various rubber and cotton-covered wires, and in 1915 manufactured the nation's first submarine electric cable. The company continued to support the establishment of Japan's social infrastructure with its global quality technical capacity, such as by installing an antenna on Tokyo Tower, the country's largest radio tower at the time.

On the other hand, the company has diversified its business since early on, launching its R&D of lead-acid batteries 米兰ac体育911 and establishing the Yokohama Rubber Company 米兰ac体育917, Fuji Electric Manufacturing (now Fuji Electric) 米兰ac体育923 and Furukawa Aluminium (now UACJ Corporation) 米兰ac体育959.

Manufactured Japan's first submarine electric cable

Laid the 米兰ac体育 non-loaded carrier submarine cable in the Tsushima Strait

米兰ac体育n antenna and feed line on Tokyo Tower

Manufactured Japan's first submarine electric cable

A major goal of the engineers at that time was to produce submarine cables, which require an extreme level of durability. The only companies that could manufacture submarine cables in those days were European electrical wire manufacturers, but import goods became scarce 米兰ac体育 a series of wars and so domestic production became necessary.

米兰ac体育 succeeded, through trial and error, in producing Japan's first submarine communications cables, and laid eight nautical miles of it in the Bisan Strait. It went on to build up a strong track record both in Japan and abroad, including manufacturing and installing submarine communications cables to China.

米兰ac体育n antenna and feed line on Tokyo Tower

The construction of Tokyo Tower marked the start of the era of full-scale television broadcasting. For Japan, still undergoing post-war reconstruction, it was a time of successful development 米兰ac体育 the rapid economic growth of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

The Tokyo Olympics in 1964 accelerated modernization, as people buzzed with news from the television and their lives became richer than ever before. Tokyo Tower's antenna still towers majestically over its surroundings today, a significant mark on the cityscape left by 米兰ac体育's broadcasting-related project.

Years later, our technologies were also utilized in the Tokyo Skytree antenna.

1960~Expanding Overseas

From this period, 米兰ac体育 launched its full-scale efforts to enter the global market with the hope of spreading its technical strength around the world. While building up a track record in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere, it established manufacturing plants from Southeast Asia all the way to Brazil, laying the foundations for today's globalization.

米兰ac体育987, it built a new research laboratory in Yokohama, which has created all sorts of world-leading technologies and products.

米兰ac体育 fully automatic high-precision six-high rolling mill

米兰ac体育, Thailand

米兰ac体育 optical fiber cable

Established company in Brazil manufacturing and selling aluminum power cables

米兰ac体育 practical application of optical fiber composite oil-filled cables

米兰ac体育 fully automatic high-precision six-high rolling mill

In those days, the covering material for the submarine telephone line and coaxial cable spanning the Pacific Ocean was mostly brass produced by 米兰ac体育. This brass required a high level of thickness accuracy and was, for the day, an incredibly long product. In order to ensure a supply system of this covering material, 米兰ac体育 designed and made its own ultrahigh precision rolling mills, fulfilling its responsibilities without incident.

Later, 米兰ac体育964, the company built a revolutionary new rolling machine called a fully automatic high-precision six-high rolling mill. In spite of its simple construction, it performed as well as a 20-high rolling mill, while also making fully automatic operation a reality. The superiority of this rolling machine was recognized in academic circles too, and it received the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers prize 米兰ac体育965.

This fully automatic high-precision six-high rolling mill is still in operation today, and its copper strip products are used for vital precision parts, 米兰ac体育 in the inner workings of luxury watches.

米兰ac体育, Thailand

At the time, the top priority social infrastructure program in Thailand was telecommunications network expansion in the metropolitan region of Bangkok. In 1968, a plan was set out by Telephone Organization of Thailand operator to upgrade the telephone network in the metropolitan region of Bangkok. 米兰ac体育 won the order for the project despite competition from leading companies around the world.

The project involved installing 21 telephone exchanges and 122,500 terminals throughout the city of Bangkok and was the largest project in the history of telecommunications cable exports. 米兰ac体育 completed this major project in 27 months, as per schedule, proving that our technical strength was valid worldwide.

Due to this success, we also accumulated know-how in relation to overseas projects, which has since led to further 米兰ac体育 our global business.

米兰ac体育 optical fiber cable

This is a system of converting electrical signals into strong and weak light, which is then conveyed along thin glass fibers. Back in the pioneer days of optical fiber, 米兰ac体育 carried out the world's first successful field trial of an optical fiber cable.

Since then, 米兰ac体育 has supported high-speed large-capacity communications with its advanced technologies, having developed a series of technologies in addition to optical fiber cables, such as excitation lasers, vital for long distance communications, and ITLA for optical digital coherence, necessary for expanding communication capacity.

2000~米兰ac体育

米兰ac体育 continued to support people and society with a variety of unique technologies in response to environmental changes such as technological sophistication and climate change, based on our four core technologies of "metals", "polymers", "photonics" and "high frequency" which 米兰ac体育 been strong in so far.

Bought out the optical fiber division of Lucent Technologies in the US

米兰ac体育

米兰ac体育

米兰ac体育 high-sensitivity immunochromatographic test kit using fluorescent silica nanoparticles

米兰ac体育

米兰ac体育 Persistent Current Technology Using Rare Earth Superconducting Wire Materials

Bought out the optical fiber division of Lucent Technologies in the US

OFS was the optical fiber solution division of the former Lucent Technologies in the US, itself originally evolved from Bell Laboratories. It has world-beating technologies and an abundance of patents related to different kinds of optical fibers, optical connectors, etc.

米兰ac体育 acquired OFS in 2001 to join the world's leading group of optical fiber corporations.

OFS is an important site in our optical fiber global strategy, and 米兰ac体育 high hopes for its continued growth in the future.

米兰ac体育

This was the year when the superconductivity technologies developed over many years by 米兰ac体育 truly blossomed.

Our superconducting materials were supplied to CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) for use in the very heart of its Large Hadron Collider (LHC). 米兰ac体育 was permitted to start mass producing molded niobium-titanium twisted wire, which has the most uniform electrical and mechanical characteristics in the world, and in 2003 received the Golden Hadron Award from CERN.

米兰ac体育's superconductor technologies have made a huge contribution to modern physics, such as CERN's research results later leading to the discovery of the Higgs boson.

米兰ac体育

The Great East Japan Earthquake struck 米兰ac体育011. The aftermath brought about fresh calls for stronger preparations against the threat of nature and a better response to the energy problem. Launched as part of the post-disaster reconstruction efforts, the Floating Offshore Wind Farm Demonstration Project in Fukushima is a colossal experimental research program to install multiple floating wind turbines in the sea and substations on land.

米兰ac体育 participated in this experiment in 2012, and was in charge of constructing the transmission system sending electrical power and control signals from the floating wind turbines to the shore. Floating wind turbines are constantly buffeted by waves and tides, and their submarine power cables also need to be able to withstand this harsh environment.

米兰ac体育’s answer was to develop special high-voltage riser cables that float in the sea, and in 2013, for the first time in the world, we succeeded in connecting floating wind turbines to land substations.

米兰ac体育 high-sensitivity immunochromatographic test kit using fluorescent silica nanoparticles

Fluorescent silica nanoparticles successfully developed by 米兰ac体育 consist of a fluorescent dye stably fixed inside nano-sized silica particles, and functional groups with connectivity with protein, etc. placed on the particles' surface. Their forte is their broad usage in the life sciences.

By applying this to fluorescent immunochromatographic technology for extracorporeal diagnosis, 米兰ac体育 developed the world's first simple and quick test enabling the high-sensitivity detection of Acanthamoeba, a form of bacteria that contributes to eye infection.

米兰ac体育015, we also applied fluorescent silica nanoparticles in a new test agent for Campylobacter, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, greatly reducing testing times and increasing test sensitivity.

米兰ac体育

Carbon nanotubes have excellent properties – one-fifth the weight of copper, 20 times the strength of steel, and 1,000 times the current density of copper. In 2015, 米兰ac体育, in collaboration with Shinshu University, succeeded in developing a carbon nanotube conductor with the highest electroconductivity in the world.

Going forward, 米兰ac体育 will utilize carbon nanotubes' high strength, ultra-light weight, and environmental resistance to work on making electric wires lighter and lower-loss, thereby contributing to the realization of an energy-saving society.

米兰ac体育 Persistent Current Technology Using Rare Earth Superconducting Wire Materials

We achieved a 10-12 Ω connection with rare earth superconducting wire materials and realized a previously impossible superconducting connection of HTS wire materials. 米兰ac体育 produced a persistent current maintaining a constant magnetic field for a long time (more than one year) with no external current supply. By obtaining a stable high magnetic field with low running power, producing a persistent current is expected the broader use of MRI in medical practice.

2016~Strengthen the 米兰ac体育 new technologies and services to solve social issues

"In order to build a sustainable world and make people’s life safe, peaceful and rewarding, we will create solutions for the new generation of global infrastructure combining information, energy and mobility.” under the "米兰ac体育 Group Vision 2030", we are working on research and development while strengthening co-creation with partners to solve social issues.

米兰ac体育 to Newly Construct an Open Lab in Yokohama

米兰ac体育 Narrow Linewidth & High Output Power Micro ITLA for beyond-100Gbps optical digital coherent transmission

Developed Thin Extra-high Count Multi-core Optical Fiber Cable 米兰ac体育 World’s Highest Core Density

Award of contract for 米兰ac体育 high voltage dynamic export submarine cable for floating offshore wind power plants

Practical application of "米兰ac体育", the likely winner in renewable energy utilization, offering a solution at 1/2 the total cost of lithium-ion batteries

Launching Sales of the “BRACE™” Blue-IR Hybrid Laser