During the manufacturing of electronic devices, such as semiconductors and LCD and plasma display screens, the smallest speck of dust or other tiny foreign particle can turn a product potentially selling for thousands of dollars into mere scrap. Because dust has such an enormous effect on production yield, Mitsubishi Paper Mills and TAYCA Corp. have co-developed a low-dust electrically conductive wiper for clean room usage. The wiper, called the Nano-wiper™, is a popular and effective way to remove dust without producing static electricity, which can also do great harm. It was developed by combining TAYCA's electrically conductive polymer nanoparticle adhesion technology with Mitsubishi Paper Mills' high-performance wiper products.

  Researchers theorize that electrically conductive polymer nanoparticles form a coating with a three-dimensional network structure that serves as an effective electrically conductive surface, despite an extremely small amount of electrically conductive polymer macromolecules.
  Furthermore, the immensely strong adhesion between the base material and the electrically conductive layer ensures that dusting caused by particles falling off is reduced to a minimum. This product is used for cleaning in clean rooms at present, and the partners are planning to widen the market to include other tasks that require conductivity and elimination of static charge.
 

The nanoparticle coating that covers the Nano-wiper™ makes for extremely effective dusting. 100 nanometers (nm) equals about 1/1,000th of the width of a human hair

Lean, green and cool; the new small-size refrigerators and freezers use natural refrigerants

Using natural refrigerants in refrigerators and freezers is regarded as one of the most effective methods for reducing ozone layer depletion and slowing global warming, due to the elimination of harmful hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that may eventually leak into the atmosphere. As consumers become more environment-conscious, manufacturers expect these products to increase in popularity.
  Toyo Engineering Works has now launched six new commercial freezing units that use natural refrigerants, with the aim of increasing sales of the company's new C-LTS series of refrigerators. Out of the six, three are water-cooled and three are cooled by evaporative compressors. In addition, the new models are a lot less bulky than your average refrigerator—only 60% of the size of traditional units.
  The new C-LTS series has been developed from the company's flagship LTS series refrigeration and freezing units, and combines compactness with ease of control and maintenance. Designed for small facilities, they can be used with ease even in places that are far away from Toyo's service centers.
Ideal for replacing old chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigeration and freezing units in stores, restaurants and other commercial facilities, these systems enable existing refrigeration and freezing facilities to use completely natural refrigerants.
 

The D80 offers great performance and versatility to photographers

Incorporating the latest digital and photographic technologies, Nikon's new D80 high-performance interchangeable-lens digital SLR camera is the very image of automated operation and advanced creativity. It is designed to satisfy any photographer who longs to create beautiful photographs and preserve special moments. Packing high performance and high resolution into a slimmer, more compact body, the D80 also remains true to Nikon's commitment to intuitive operation.
  The highlights of the D80 are outstanding image quality, ease of operation, versatile personal control and exciting in-camera effects, such as a built-in slideshow function and in-camera image editing—no need to use a computer to fine-tune your photos!
The D80 features a new 10.2 effective megapixel CCD image sensor for ultra-sharp detail, giving plenty of freedom to crop creatively and print impressive enlargements, as well as a large 2.5-inch LCD with 170-degree viewing angle. Another key advance is Nikon's own high-resolution image processing engine, with advantages inherited from Nikon's latest professional digital SLR cameras. It produces natural-looking images with faithful color and tone reproduction. The new camera is also compatible with an unprecedented assortment of interchangeable lenses designed for Nikon's film and digital SLR cameras—increasing the creative possibilities and assuring continued usability of a favorite piece of equipment.
  When you add up all the advantages, it becomes clear that the D80 delivers a new level of operating ease, expanded creative possibilities, and pure photographic enjoyment.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has established a proprietary technology as well as the facilities for manufacturing, as single pieces, the upper and lower domes of liquid-oxygen and liquid-hydrogen fuel tanks for the H-IIB, Japan's next-generation flagship rocket. It is scheduled for initial launching in fiscal 2008.
  Fuel tanks constitute the bulk of a rocket's volume and are key components of ultra low-temperature technology. Among the tank parts, domes in particular are of supreme importance in terms of cost and product quality requirements. Before now, only two manufacturers in the world could produce domes larger than 4 meters across, meaning Japan had to import tank domes from overseas. MHI's new technology brings the Japanese space program much closer to the independent production capability that it has long sought.
  The rocket tank dome, with a diameter of 5.2 meters, is the world's largest single-piece spin-formed dome. Domestic dome production was accomplished by combining research carried out at MHI's Nagoya Aerospace Systems Works with machining technology cultivated through metals machinery production at the Hiroshima Machinery Works. With this achievement, MHI will contribute significantly not only to the attainment of autonomous domestic rocket production and operation but also to enhanced competitiveness in rocketry through higher product quality and lower cost.
  The H-IIB is currently under joint development by JAXA and MHI as an enhanced version of the H-IIA, the present flagship rocket. The H-IIB features two LE-7A rocket engines for the first stage and other changes that give it a maximum launching capacity of 8-ton GTO payloads, twice that of the H-IIA. The H-IIB is expected to be used to launch the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) that will provide logistics to the international space station.