Business　Basics

【Mobile World Created by Li-Ion Battery】

Sony Energy Devices Corporation (herein after Sony Energy Devices) Tochigi Plant was established in 1977 as Tochigi VideoTech Corporation, and changed the name to Sony Tochigi Corporation in 1990, then merger with Sony Fukushima in 2004 made Sony Energy Devices, and have continued to the present date. ( as of May 2011)
Among the businesses of Sony Energy Devices, Tochigi plant performs following businesses.
　・Manufacturing of Li-Ion Secondary Battery
　　Mainly used for power source of note PC, power tools (power driver etc),
health and beauty devices (electric toothbrush), etc.
　・Storage Media
　　Manufacturing of mini-discs

Tochigi Prefecture and its Business Environment

【Overview of Tochigi Plant】

Firstly, the most attractive thing is the development of transportation networks.　With connecting all the East Japan area, from the Tokyo metropolitan area through the Tohoku region by the National Route 4 which had been developed as Nikko-Kaido and Oshu-Kaido for a long time ago, Tochigi plant is able to cooperate with our other 2 plants, Koriyama plant and Motomiya plant in Fukushima Prefecture, in various aspects such as supply of raw materials and procurement of facility equipment. With keeping superior convenience for main transportation routes, the accessibility to every logistics point by land surface, sea, and air are excellent for shipment of products. It is very convenient to transport "Made in Tochigi" products to everywhere in the world. Further when we look at our daily lives, the development of Shinkansen and other railway networks makes our commuting and business trips convenient.

Also it is one of the merits that Tochigi Prefecture statistically has only a few natural disasters. We believe here is a suitable place for precise manufacturing activities, locating in inland with having crossing main roads from south to north and east to west.

In addition, Tochigi has relatively higher population density within the Kitakanto region, and this is a personal opinion though, a character of Tochigi people seems very sincere and keeping high motivation of willingness of improvements.　 In well- maintained and clean environments, faithful employees are working actively for discussing ideas for productivity improvement every day, with aiming to better manufacturing activities. The products, build throughout such activities and environments, are delivered and consumed in all over the world and then it creates a request of improvement for one step. We are working everyday with a pride and enjoyment to be involved in such kind of cycle of improvements.

Made in Tochigi

【 Olivine(LiFePO4) Applied Li-Ion Secondary Battery
1.2kWh Storage Volume 】

In Tochigi plant, cylindrical Li-Ion secondary batteries, so called liquid cylindrical type, are manufactured. Those batteries are indispensable for note type PC and power tools among the thousands of applications of Li-Ion secondary batteries, and they are only manufactured in Tochigi plant within Sony group as of May 2011. The made in Tochigi Li-Ion secondary batteries produced in this plant actuate various applications indispensable for convenient and comfortable life and businesses at homes, at offices, and at construction sites in the world.

Further, an electric storage module announced in April 2011, is also made in Tochigi. By manufacturing Li-Ion secondary battery cell with high molecular stability material of Olivine (LiFePO4), the electric storage module reduces environmental impacts than any similar products already available in the market by providing features of long life, repeatedly used for many years, and not using rare metals as its electrode materials. The shipment of this product had been started from April 2011.

The wording of "Electric storage" was highly attractive by the increased interest for the supply of electric power in Japan. To moderate a peak of the electric power consumption by storing electric energy converted from collected sun lights in daytime, and discharging energy in nighttime.

Did you know that such an innovative product which opens a new possibility of applications for the Li-Ion secondary battery is also "Made in Tochigi"?　
With making evolutions in years to come, we do utmost efforts to create "Made in Tochigi products" for all over the world.

Contributing Local Community

【Battery Class】 【Flower Planting 】

Within our activities of contributions for the local community in Tochigi plant, some of our educational and environmental activities are introduced in here.

For educational activities, our plant tours for local elementary schools are arranged. Since our company is introduced in the textbook for the 3rd grade of local elementary schools, actual plant operations and products are shown as a social leaning class. In the plant tour our recycling activities, which does not create waste as much as possible in consideration of environment, are also introduced.

Also "Battery Class" are held during summer holidays. Many children are able to learn by making a manganese battery, or a battery consists of items available in their homes. Batteries can be created when current flows between two materials of different electrical potentials. To experience those scientific structure of battery in easy-to-understand manners with learning the theory of electric flow, batteries are hand-made by children using the materials such as a copper made triangle dust box filled with water, or grapefruit, or charcoal rapped with aluminum foil.

Because of it's excitement provided, a car racing powered by self made batteries obtained very favorable receptions. It is grateful for us that such experiences may help to stimulate their interests for sciences and in the future they may work with us in this company.

For environmental activities, flower planting by our employees, their family, and people from the welfare facility "Kibo-No-Ie" in Kanuma, are made 2 times a year in spring and autumn. Flowers are bought from the welfare facility "Kibo-No-Ie", and planted on green-belt spaces outside of our site borrowed from Shimotsuke City.

Those activities has been spread to other plant in Sony Energy Devices, Fukushima plant is doing same activity.

Comments for the People in Tochigi

How did you read this issue? This introduces only a part of our Sony Energy Devices Corporation - Tochigi plant. It is grateful that if this article can provide the fact that our products are used in mobile equipment in world wide, and our products are made by our employee's continued efforts with the accumulation of advanced technologies progressing nowadays. And they are providing smiles on a face of somebody in somewhere in the world today through the supplying chains connected from Tochigi to the world. And also it would be appreciate if you can feel our pride, our confidence, and sincere our appreciations for people in Tochigi and for all our employees who support our activities.

We believe that our gratitude for the local community could be expressed by challenging to further developments of our company.

We are looking forward to your continued supports for Sony Energy Devices and Tochigi plant.