The Japanese manufacturer said that sales at its Materials division were up 11.4% to ¥464.9bn (£2.95bn) in the nine months to 31 December 2021. Operating income at the wing jumped 25.9% to ¥57.9bn.
Fujifilm said that during the period, graphic communication revenue climbed “as sales in the printing plates field rose in line with a recovery in demand from the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly in Japan and the US”.
Under its new Revoria brand for production printers the Revoria Press PC1120 high-end production colour digital press was released in Japan in July 2021, followed by other countries including parts of Europe.
The group also launched the B2 sheetfed inkjet Jet Press 750S High Speed Model during the period.
“We will further expand business and lead the digitisation of the industry by developing/delivering innovative products that utilise our proprietary advanced technology,” Fujifilm stated.
At its inkjet business, sales of industrial inkjet printheads were described as “steady” and reflected “growing demand in the construction material printing markets in Europe and China”.
Ink sales of mainly dye inks for household and office markets rose.
“We will accelerate business growth further by building a global manufacturing structure that satisfies the needs of the inkjet market,” the firm added.
Fujifilm announced a multi-million dollar investment in expanding its US inkjet colorants business last year.
Overall sales were up 18.3% at ¥1,861bn while operating income improved by nearly 55% to ¥186bn, with Fujifilm’s Healthcare wing flying high with sales up more than 43%.
The group’s full year forecast has been revised upwards to reflect the Q3 performance, with operating income expected to reach a record high of ¥225bn.
A business reorganisation for the new financial year resulted in the production services of its Document Solutions segment and the graphic systems of the Healthcare & Materials Solutions segment being merged into the graphic communication business of the Materials segment “to accelerate synergy creation within the Fujifilm Group and provide further values to the printing industry on a global basis”.
The Materials division includes electronic materials, display materials, fine chemicals, industrial equipment, recording media, equipment and materials for graphic communication, inks and industrial inkjet printheads.
