Kuraray Noritake Dental concludes a patent license agreement with 3M

18.05.2018

In March 2018, Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. (President: Kiyoyuki Arikawa), with its Head Office in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, concluded a license agreement with the 3M Company, whose Head Office is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. The agreement concerns a patented method for producing multilayered ceramics, European patent No. 2024300, held by Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.



Summary of Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. ceramic business
Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. launched the zirconia disc that has been commercialized through the use of our layered ceramic production method in 2012. The product has multi-layered structure with four different colored zirconia powders that feature a smooth transition of color gradation between layers. We took advantage of the dental ceramic coloring technology we had accumulated through the development of porcelains. Success was achieved in controlling the shrinkage of the layers by optimizing the amounts of pigments added, thereby achieving great accuracy in terms of adaptation. In 2015, we also launched a new series zirconia which has the high degree of translucency of natural tooth enamel and is suitable for the esthetic restorations of anterior teeth. In January 2018, zirconia block joined the zirconia family as our new solution for the fabrication of zirconia restorations. This new product achieves a well-balanced combination of appropriate mechanical properties and good esthetics with a short baking time. Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc. is committed to developing new dental materials that contribute to the dental industry. Our products have become even more competitive on the global market because of our intense pursuit of technological innovation.


Overview of Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc.

Company nameKuraray Noritake Dental Inc.
Head Office1-1-3 Otemachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
RepresentativeKiyoyuki Arikawa, CEO
Capital300 million yen (66,7% by Kuraray Co. Ltd. and 33,3% by Noritake Company Limited
EstablishedOctober 1, 2001 (The company was established as Kuraray Medical Inc. in 2001 and the name was changed to the current name in 2012.)
Line of businessDental adhesives and filling materials, dental crown and bridge resin, dental ceramics, dental plaster, dental CAD/CAM devices and materials


About Kuraray
Established in 1991, Kuraray Europe GmbH is based in Hattersheim, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 2016 the company generated annual sales of over EUR 600 million. It has 760 employees in Germany at its sites in Hattersheim, Frankfurt and Troisdorf. Kuraray is a global speciality chemicals company and one of the largest suppliers of industrial polymers and synthetic microfibres for many sectors of industry. Examples are KURARAY POVAL™, Mowital®, Trosifol® and CLEARFIL™. Kuraray Europe also has about 100 employees at six other European sites. They are also working on the development and application of innovative high-performance materials for a wide range of sectors, including the automotive, paper, glass and packaging industries, as well as for architects and dentists.

Kuraray Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly listed Kuraray Co., Ltd., which is based in Tokyo, Japan, and has more than 9,000 employees worldwide and sales of over EUR 4 billion.
 
For further information please visit www.kuraray.eu