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We aim to be a business unit that generates stable
prot by building a production system capable of
responding exibly to market changes and timely
development and to market entry of products
that match customer needs.
Kiyoyuki Muramatsu
Senior Vice President
General Manager of FPD Lithography Business Unit
Message
Q How would you summarize the scal year ended March 31, 2016?
In the scal year ended March 31, 2016, customers’ willingness to invest recovered, and the market environments
for small and medium-sized panels as well as large-sized panels improved. There was thus an increase in the
number of units shipped in the second half of 2015, and a signicant number of units are expected to be shipped
overall in the market during the course of 2016. Having increased the number of sales in the scal year ended
March 31, 2016, by 17 from the previous scal year, to 51 units, the FPD Lithography Business Unit achieved
increases in both net sales and prot. Contributory factors were the brisk business negotiations concerning the
10th-generation system for large-sized panels, for which only Nikon possesses the know-how, and the cutting-edge,
high-precision FPD scanner FX-68S for small and medium-sized panels. With regard to the FX-68S in particular,
although the ofcial launch was expected from the second half of 2016, sales commenced one year ahead of schedule
and the model has received plaudits from customers for its productivity and resolution. Initially, the mass production
systems were not in place, but having responded with two shifts taking turns with development, the business unit
worked as one to implement the short-term procurement of parts and materials, and we entered the mass production
phase ahead of schedule.
Q Please tell us about current issues and your responses to them.
The priority issue is how our business unit can respond exibly to market needs. Signicantly increasing unit sales
will require more employees working on in-house production and workers engaged in on-site installation, but as the
securing of employees who possess high skill levels is beset with difculties, we are responding to the problem by
conducting reviews of production processes. For instance, in order to prevent any decline in quality due to lack
of experience, we are subdividing and standardizing the work, while shortening the training periods. We are also
immediately advancing plans to outsource part of the system unit work. Transferring some system units or processes
outside our business unit will enable us to divert personnel to other units and processes. By integrating these
measures with normal activities designed to reduce the number of construction period man-hours we will build a
more efcient production system.
FPD Lithography Business Unit
PRECISION EQUIPMENT BUSINESS
28 NIKON REPORT 2016