Company Debuts New Vikuiti DBEF D3 300, Reducing LCD TV Power Consumption by up to 37%

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3M’s Optical Systems Division will showcase a number of energy efficient exhibits at FPD International, to be held October 28-31 in Yokohama, Japan—further signaling the company’s successful efforts in reducing power consumption with its Vikuiti™ Optical Films. Specifically, the company will feature its latest optical films for notebooks, handheld devices, monitors and LCD TVs at this year’s show.

“Power consumption has become an increasingly important issue in today’s electronic devices. Our FPD International exhibits leveraging Vikuiti optical films for notebooks, monitors and TVs illustrate ways to enhance the energy efficiency of today’s electronic devices without sacrificing display performance,” noted Jim Bauman, vice president of 3M’s Optical Systems Division. “We continue to develop new innovations, such as the DBEF D3 300, our latest Vikuiti Dual Brightness Enhancement Film for LCD TVs that can reduce power consumption by up to 37% and our Vikuiti BEF-RP for notebooks, which has the ability to increase brightness by up to 44% and extend notebook battery life 14-17 minutes beyond that of a standard film stack.”

New Vikuiti DBEF D3-300 Enables Ultra Efficient LCD TVs

At FPD International, 3M will unveil its new Vikuiti Dual Brightness Enhancement Film for LCD TVs, DBEF D3-300, which can reduce power consumption on LCD TVs by up to 37%, without sacrificing image quality. In fact, Vikuiti DBEF D3 300 increases brightness by recycling polarized light, enhances viewing angle and uniformity, and also eliminates the need for a diffuser sheet—reducing the overall bill of materials.

In addition to Vikuiti DBEF D3 300, 3M’s Booth at FPD International will also feature the following demonstrations:

60-Watt, 32-inch LCD TV and 100 Watt, 40-inch Leverage Vikuiti Optical Films

To demonstrate the energy saving power of its optical films, 3M’s booth will include a 32-inch LCD TV running on just 60 watts and a 40-inch LCD TV running on less than 100 watts. These highly efficient LCD TVs feature Vikuiti optical films, including prism film, a back reflector and a reflective polarizer. These films provide such an increased brightness that manufacturers can eliminate many bulbs in their backlight designs--requiring less power to produce the same brightness of a similar size TV with no Vikuiti film.

New Vikuiti Brightness Enhancement Film for Notebooks on Display

3M will also show its newest notebook film: Vikuiti Brightness Enhancement Film - Reflective Polarizer for notebooks (BEF-RP NB). The film combines a reflective polarizer with a prism film that’s only 225 microns thick—enabling displays that are 90 microns thinner than using two separate films and also providing a wider viewing angle.

“Every watt counts in a notebook and our BEF-RP NB film reduces power consumption in backlights so it can be readily available for other uses, such as CPU power or extended battery life,” noted KW Back, 3M notebook business manager.

20-Watt, 19-inch Lenovo™ Monitor, Featuring 30 Percent Energy Reduction

Leveraging a combination of Vikuiti optical films, the Lenovo monitor requires only 20 watts of power to operate—a remarkable 30 percent energy savings compared to other similar size monitors. By recycling and directing more light to the viewer, the Vikuiti films enable monitor manufacturers to remove two bulbs, maintain brightness, and meet TCO and lifetime standards.

In addition, Koichi Sano from Sumitomo 3M will speak during FPD International’s Green technical session on the latest optical film development trends. Specifically, we will speak during session G-22, to be held October 30 from 15:00-18:00.

Visit 3M’s booth #3601 at FPD International to see the aforementioned film demonstrations, to be held October 29-31 in the Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall.

About 3M

A recognized leader in research and development, 3M produces thousands of innovative products for dozens of diverse markets. 3M’s core strength is applying its more than 40 distinct technology platforms – often in combination – to a wide array of customer needs. With $24 billion in sales, 3M employs 79,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 60 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com. To learn more about Vikuiti optical films, go to vikuiti.com.

3M Optical Systems Division designs and manufactures Vikuiti™ brightness enhancement films for electronic displays. Vikuiti films, found inside LCD TVs, notebook PCs, cell phones and PDAs, improve a display’s visual appearance by making it brighter, more colorful and sunlight readable. The films also make LCDs more energy efficient. Other division products include privacy filters for notebook PCs and protective films for displays.

3M and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M Corporation. Lenovo is a trademark of Lenovo Corporation.

For 3MStacey Voorhees, PR Consultant, 925-336-9592E-mail: stacey@savvypublicrelations.net