TOKYO, July 08, 2025 — OKI Electric Cable (President: Hideo Yamaguchi; Headquarters: Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture; “OEC” hereinafter), the OKI Group’s electric cable business company, will launch the sale of small-lot custom long flexible printed circuits (FPCs) for use in equipment mounted on rockets and satellites for the New Space industry on July 8, 2025. The products support the spot development and production, even from single lots, often needed for research, development, and prototyping. Targeting the rapidly growing global space market, these FPCs will allow for smaller, lighter, and thinner equipment. OEC’s proprietary production technology at its Gunma Factory (Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture) has made it possible to manufacture long FPCs measuring up to 100 meters in length, and has enabled small-lot custom development and production. These products are expected to advance the development of space equipment, shorten lead times, and reduce launch costs. OEC is targeting sales of 50 million yen in FY2026.
FPCs are printed circuit boards that have electrical circuits formed on a substrate made by bonding together a conductive metal such as copper foil and a thin, light, soft, durable, and flexible insulating base film (such as polyimide with high heat and radiation resistance). Their capacity to bend freely permits wiring in confined or three-dimensional spaces within equipment and in moving parts subject to repeated flexing.
These FPCs can be manufactured in lengths of up to 100 meters. They have a proven track record in applications for space equipment, including installation on IKAROS, the JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)’s small solar-powered sail demonstrator. OEC has also established two unique production systems: a sheet-fed line (Note 1) for small-lot production and roll-to-roll line (Note 2) for mass production. The systems support the production of a diverse range of shapes and sizes, even from single lots, and flexibly respond to different required specifications depending on the installation location. These systems can also accommodate diverse needs from development and prototype manufacture to mass production, and greatly contribute to the miniaturization and weight reduction of space equipment, which also contributes to reduced launch costs.
In its Medium-Term Business Plan 2025, OKI designates the aerospace market as a strategic focus for its EMS business. Drawing on its space-quality manufacturing capabilities, not only in design and production, but also simulations at the equipment design phase, OKI is working to expand technological development and sales in the global aerospace market.
[Sales Plan]
Standard price: Quoted individually
Sales target: 50 million yen annually (FY2026)
Launch date: July 8, 2025
[Terminology]
Note 1: Sheet-fed line
An FPC production line that uses material in sheet form and offers high flexibility, making it ideal for small-lot multi-product production.
Note 2: Roll-to-roll line
An FPC production line that uses material in roll form and offers high production capacity, making it ideal for mass production.