Senior Japanese executive to play technical leadership role in iFire commercialization
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - iFire Technology Inc., a subsidiary of The Westaim Corporation, announced today that Dr. Koichi Wani, a 20-year veteran of the Japanese plasma display industry, has joined iFire as Director of Advanced Engineering. His responsibilities are to facilitate completion of the iFireTM display technology with a view towards transition from engineering to mass production.
The announcement was made to an audience of scientific peers during an iFire Technology presentation at the industry-renowned DisplaySearch US Flat Panel Display (FPD) Conference and High Resolution Symposium in Austin, Texas.
“Dr. Wani possesses a rare understanding of both the development and production of large flat panel TV technology,” said Michael Goldstein, President of iFire Technology. “His experience with taking later-stage flat panel displays from concept through R&D completion, and then through various stages of manufacturing and commercialization will be invaluable to iFire as we complete the very same process.”
Dr. Wani is one of the originators of color plasma display panel (PDP) technology at Matsushita Electric, a world leader in PDP products under the Panasonic and National brands. As an early champion of PDP, Dr. Wani initiated pivotal research projects with NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, and led the development from concept to mass production. The author of numerous technical publications and innovative design patents, Dr. Wani had leadership responsibility for the technical success of Matsushita’s PDP business, including transition from R&D to mass production.
“There is a great need for a truly low cost, high yield flat panel TV technology,” said Dr. Wani. “The iFire display has come a long way in a very short time and I believe is now poised to become a leading technology in the next generation of affordable hang-on-the-wall consumer televisions.”
Most recently, Dr. Wani was head of engineering and R&D for Matsushita Electric’s plasma display division. He was in charge of electronics, driving technology, engineering, standard and high-definition television (HDTV) panel development and design, as well as manufacturing technologies for the company’s mass production line.
Dr. Wani holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Kyoto University, one of Japan’s top advanced research institutions.
About iFireTM flat panel displays
Unlike many flat panel display technologies that depend heavily on the use of expensive semiconductor-type thin-film manufacturing processes, the iFireTM flat panel display is a solid-state electroluminescent technology that relies mostly on lower cost, thick-film processes. Its manufacturing process uses a simple screen-printing technique well known in the capacitor and printed circuit board industry that is less sensitive to contaminants. This translates into fewer process steps, higher yields and lower-cost production equipment and facilities.
iFireTM flat panel display technology has been advanced faster than any other display technology in history. Compared with most other flat panel technologies, an iFireTM flat panel display is a very simple device. It does not involve vacuum, gases or liquids, making it more robust than other flat panel technologies with reduced susceptibility to shock, vibration and breakage. iFireTM displays emit light from the front portion of the display, resulting in a wide viewing angle and crisp, clear, full-color images. iFireTM flat panel displays boast one of the widest operating temperature ranges of any electronic display technology, meeting the demanding requirements of transportation displays and other high-reliability applications.
About the Westaim Corporation
The Westaim Corporation is a technology accelerator that launches exceptional technologies into the marketplace. In addition to iFire Technology Inc., its technology investments include Westaim Biomedical Corp., which has developed an infection control technology for use in the treatment of wounds, and Savvion, a leader in e-business management software. Westaim's common shares are listed on Nasdaq under the symbol WEDX and on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WED.
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For more information contact:
Tony Johnston, Senior Vice President
The Westaim Corporation
(403) 234-3103
info@westaim.com
www.westaim.com
www.ifire.com
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