History (1999): Sony and Fuji Expands Magnetic Media Activity

Sony expanded its US facility in Dothan, AL, in order to manufacture advanced metal evaporated (AME) media, production of which until now was strictly limited to Japan.

AME media are used, in particular, for 8mm AIT and Exabyte Mammoth cartridges.

In a similar move, Fujifilm is investing $20 million to expand its manufacturing plant in Greenwood, SC, in this case for coating DLT tape, with the final manufacture of cartridges in the Fujifilm Microdisks facility in Bedford, MA. This is the first time ATOMM-based storage products will be made in the US.

Initial coating capacity will be 50,000 units per month, and first shipments are scheduled for the spring of 1999. Fuji said that, according to MMIS, combined 1997 WW sales of ATOMM-based products (DLT, Zip, Clik!, Sony’s HiFD) exceed $1 billion.

This article is an abstract of news published on issue 133 on February 1999 from the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter.