E Ink, a pioneer and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, recently announced its collaboration with Hitachi, Ltd. to achieve digital transformation and paperless operations in manufacturing sites at Omika Works. E Ink is helping to improve workflow and efficiency by deploying eNotes developed by its subsidiary, Linfiny Japan Inc., on Hitachi’s IoT platform.
“At Omika Works, we have been investing in the digitisation of internal operations, and one of the most difficult challenges in doing so was to get rid of paper media, as quality assurance work involves checking a wide variety of drawings and documents, which require printing them out,” said Tatsuya Hiroki, Senior Director, Quality Assurance Division of Control System Platform, Hitachi Ltd. Omika Works. “To solve this problem, we opted for ePaper, being durable, lightweight, having low power consumption, high visibility, and a handwriting-like feel comparable to using paper. It is a very suitable digital device for on-site work and enables a smooth transition to digitalisation without conventional work methods needing to be changed. The introduction of ePaper has proven not only to enable paperless operations but also to prevent checks from being omitted and to enhance management through the utilisation of the input data. We expect that, by increasing the number of applications of ePaper in the future, we will be able to reduce costs, optimise labour, and strengthen compliance.”
Adoption of eNotes across operation sites
In 2023, Omika Works set up an internal network and installed a server for system integration to support the adoption of eNotes across operation sites. Since all work done with eNotes is digitised, the newly acquired digital information can be analysed to visualise progress management and quality control, as well as to pass on skills from experienced to newer staff. To ensure compliance, the system has been enhanced to prevent data tampering and automatically capture work records—additional security functions include data encryption, device lock via employee badges, remote reset, and more.
“E Ink’s ePaper can continue to display content without consuming any power once it has been displayed and has the same high visibility and reflective surface as traditional paper,” said Naoki Sumita, President, E Ink Japan Inc. “We developed firmware that incorporates the needs of Hitachi’s Omika Works manufacturing sites into the eNotes. We are delighted that this will contribute to the reduction of paper as a medium and improve operational efficiency. We hope to collaborate further to incorporate and evolve this solution to meet the needs of all kinds of manufacturing sites, deliver it to customers in Japan and overseas, and promote the shift to paperless operations.”
Sustainability goals
As a global leader in ePaper technology, E Ink’s ambitious sustainability goals include achieving RE100 by 2030—sourcing the organisation’s entire energy consumption from renewable sources. As of December 2023, E Ink’s global operations and sales sites have achieved RE35—indicating that 35 percent of the energy used by the company is generated from renewable sources and is committed to reaching Net Zero by 2040.