(2018/11/8 05:00)
フェローテック、半導体に続く２本目の柱へプロジェクト発足
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磁性流体
フェローテックホールディングスは、半導体活況の波に乗り、１０００億円体制に王手をかけている。グローバル企業の立ち位置を築いている同社が今、注目するのは変化めざましい自動車業界。半導体活況の波を生かしつつ、骨太の事業成長を図る。
１０００億円体制に王手
半導体業界の好況を受け、同社は２０１９年３月期売上高９８０億円、営業利益率１０％を目標としている。半導体製造装置向け消耗材の石英・セラミックス製品やグローバルトップシェアの真空シールを含む半導体等装置関連事業は成長著しく、売り上げの６０％程度を占める。また同社のコア製品である磁性流体やサーモモジュール、そして市場成長に応じた事業拡大を見込むパワー半導体用基板の電子デバイス事業は同社売上の１３％程度だが、自動化生産を推進するなど、同セグメントとして高収益であり、今後中長期の成長ドライバーでもある。
１７年に中国の工場に約１００億円を投じ、直径８インチ（２００ミリメートル）の中口径ウエハーの設備を設置し７月に上海で生産を始めた。同社は６インチ以下の小口径ウエハーを手がけてきたが、８インチウエハーの生産販売体制を整えるため、中国の銀川工場（銀川市）の隣接地に結晶引き上げ専用工場を整備した。ウェハーの仕上げ加工工程を現在の上海に加え、杭州にも建設し、２０２０年中に月産45万枚体制の構築を目指す。また、同社は２００１年に中国・上海で部品洗浄事業に参入。同国内のローカル事業として展開しており、中国国内で５０ー６０％のシェアを確保している。現在の上海、天津、四川、大連、４拠点体制から、新たに５拠点目となる安徽省新工場を建設（２０１８年度内に稼働開始予定）し、年間売上２５億円程度（１８年３月期）から２－３年での倍増を見込む。
自動車プロジェクト発足
同社は自動車関連の売上高を現状の５０億円から３－４年間で４倍の２００億円に伸長させる目標を掲げ、２０１８年１月に「自動車プロジェクト」を発足した。プロジェクトのメンバーは営業、及びマーケティング部門で約３０人規模となり、中国、台湾、韓国、シンガポール、マレーシア、米、独のグローバルな組織編成だ。
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サーモモジュール
自動車業界はＥＶ（電気自動車）のほかＰＨＶ（プラグインハイブリッド車）、ＡＤＡＳ（自動運転システム）などの新技術を搭載した自動車の登場により、大きな市場変化が見込まれている。同社はＥＶの普及により、車載製品で同社製品の導入を進めたい方針だ。富士経済の調査によると、２０３５年に電気・ガソリン併用のＰＨＶ車を含め、ＥＶ市場は１０００万台超に膨らむと予測。イギリス・フランスに加え、中国も新エネルギー車（ＮＥＶ）導入を促進し、ガソリン車の抑制に動いている。
同プロジェクトの中心となるのはサーモモジュール、磁性流体、パワー半導体用ＤＣＢ基板の３製品。「サーモモジュール」はエアコンやドライヤーなど家電品、高級自動車の温調シートに使われている。今後、バッテリークーリングやヘッドアップディスプレー・レーザーレーダーなどの光源の冷却用途で導入が進む可能性がある。
車載用スピーカーコイルの放熱、タッチパネル用の触感デバイス制御などに使われる「磁性流体」も見逃せない。同素材は外部磁場によって磁性を帯び、磁石に吸い寄せられる機能性素材だ。今後は自動車向けに磁場の作用で粘性が大幅に増加する振動制御用新磁性流体を使用したサスペンション、磁性コア材料を使った高精度直流測定センサの導入を目指す。
「パワー半導体用ＤＣＢ基板」はアルミナや窒化アルミニウムなどのセラミックス基板に銅版を直接接合し、銅回路を形成した電子部品だ。ヘッドランプやルームランプ制御を行うボディーやエンジン向けなどに導入を見込む。
管理統括担当の山村丈副社長
教育体制の強化
昨今、環境（Ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔ）、社会（Ｓｏｃｉａｌ）、企業統治（Ｇｏｖｅｒｎａｎｃｅ）の分野に取り組む企業を重視したＥＳＧ投資も時代のトレンドになっている。同社も財務情報のみならず、この非財務情報であるESGに対しても積極的な姿勢だ。同社では本年度から山村章社長と同社グループの入社５年以内の社員で、コミュニケーションを持つ場を月１回設けるなど、同社独自の風通しの良い企業文化を背景とした新しい試みは尽きない。今後は海外交渉もできる人材育成も必要と考えており、管理統括担当の山村丈副社長は若手・中堅サポートに注力していく方針を立てる。英語教育も本格化していく構えだ。「魅力的な企業にしていくために、人材育成のプログラムを実行していきたい」（山村副社長）。
人、機械、技術が国境を越えてつながる「コネクテッド・インダストリーズ」が提唱される中、同社は国内外で着実に成長を加速していく。
Thermo-electric modules, ferrofluids, and DCB substrates: These are the three arrows with which we will attack the automobile market.
Ferrotec has launched a project to construct a second core business area after semiconductors.
Ferrotec Holdings has ridden the semiconductor wave and is closing in on a system of 100 billion yen in sales. The company, which has made a position for itself as a global enterprise, is now focusing on the automobile industry that is advancing at a dizzying pace. We are aiming for strong business growth while continuing to utilize the driving force of the active semiconductor market.
Closing in on a system of 100 billion yen in sales
Based on the strong performance of the semiconductor industry, the company is aiming for sales of 98 billion yen and an operating profit margin of 10% in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2019. Growth has been particularly strong in business related to semiconductor and other equipment, including quartz and ceramic consumables for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and the global top share of vacuum seals. This business accounts for approximately 60% of sales. The ferrofluids and thermo-electric modules which are among the company’s core products, and the electronic devices business including power semiconductor substrates, account for approximately 13% of company sales. However this is a high-profit segment due to expanding automobile production and other factors, and will be driver of growth in the medium and long-term future.
In 2017, we invested approximately 10 billion yen in plants in China. We installed equipment for medium-size 8-inch (200 mm) diameter wafers, and began production in Shanghai in July. Although the company is also involved in small-size wafers of 6 inches and smaller, in order to create a production and sales system for 8-inch wafers, it constructed a dedicated crystal pulling plant adjacent to its Yinchuan Plant (Yinchuan City) in China. In addition to the current plant in Shanghai, it is also constructing a wafer pulling process in Hangzhou, aiming to create a system for monthly production of 450,000 wafers by the end of 2020. The company also entered the parts cleaning business in Shanghai, China in 2001. It is operating as a local business in China, and has captured a 50 – 60% share of the China market. At present it operates a 4-site system in Shanghai, Tianjin, Sichuan, and Dalian, and is constructing new plant in Anhui Province that will be its 5th site (scheduled to begin operating in FY 2018). The annual sales of around 2.5 billion yen (year ending March 31, 2018) are expected to double within 2 – 3 years.
Launch of the Automobile Project
The company launched the Automobile Project in January 2018 with the target of increasing sales of automotive products from 5 billion yen by a factor of 4 to 20 billion yen within 3 – 4 years. The project members number approximately 30 person from the Sales and Marketing Divisions, and have formed a global organization spanning China, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, and Germany.
In addition to EV (electric vehicles), the automobile industry has seen the appearance of vehicles equipped with new technologies such as PHV (plug-in hybrid vehicles) and ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), and large changes in the market are expected. With the expansion of EVs, the company is implementing a policy for introducing its own on-board products. According to an investigation by Fuji Keizai, the EV market, including PHV that are equipped with both electric motors and gasoline engines, is forecast to grow to more than 10 million vehicles by 2035. In addition to the UK and France, China is also promoting the introduction of new energy vehicles (NEV), and is moving to restrict gasoline engine vehicles.
The core of this project consists of 3 products: thermo-electric modules, ferrofluids, and power semiconductor DCB substrates. Thermo-electric modules are used in home appliances such as air conditioners and hair dryers, as well as in the temperature-controlled seats of luxury automobiles. There is potential for their expanded use in battery cooling and cooling of light sources, such as in heads-up displays and laser radar.
Ferrofluids are another essential product that is used for heat dissipation in speaker coils, and for control of touch panels and other touch-sensitive devices. These are functional materials that are magnetized by an outside magnetic field, and are drawn towards a magnet. In the future we are aiming to introduce new applications for magnetic fields in automobiles including suspension utilizing a new ferrofluid with greatly increased viscosity for vibration control, and high-precision DC current measurement sensors using magnetic core materials.
Power semiconductor DCB substrates are electronic components created by directly bonding a copper plate to a substrate of alumina, aluminum nitride, or other ceramic, and then creating a copper circuit. They are expected to be used in applications such as body and engine components for control of headlamps and interior lamps.
Strengthening the training system
Another recent business trend is ESG investment focusing on companies that are working in the environment, social, and governance fields. In addition to financial information, Ferrotec Holdings has taken an active approach to disclosing non-financial information related to ESG. Beginning from this fiscal year, the company has created a monthly opportunity for communication between President Akira Yamamura and Group employees who are within the first 5 years after being hired. In this and many other ways, there is no end to new endeavors at the company, backed by its unique open corporate culture. The company expects that personnel capable of overseas negotiations will be needed in the future, and Takeru Yamamura, Vice President in charge of administration, has established a policy of focusing on support for younger and mid-level employees. The company is also preparing to begin full-scale English language training.
“We want to carry out a personnel training program that will make us an appealing company to work for.” (Vice President Takeru Yamamura)
As the world promotes “connected industries” where people, machines, and technologies connect across national boundaries, our company will accelerate its steady growth both in Japan and overseas.
(2018/11/8 05:00)
