Toyo Tire & Rubber Co. has established Toyo Rubber Chemical Products (Thailand) Ltd. in Wang Noi City, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, in order to manufacture and distribute cleaning blades, which are used in office automation equipment, the company said.
The cleaning blade is an elastic blade made of urethane rubber, which cleans and removes toners that have adhered to the photoreceptor in copiers, fax machines and printers.
According to Toyo, the office equipment industry is actively developing its business in Southeast Asia, and this market has been expanding rapidly. “Thailand in particular has become a major production base worldwide, second only to China,” the company stated. “Thus, Toyo Tires will establish a new company in Thailand to manufacture and distribute cleaning blades, so as to promote further growth for its Urethane Business Unit.”
The new company will employ about 70 people and is slated to being operations in September 2012.