Building Out a Lineup of Packaging Machinery for E-Commerce and Expanding Deliveries

「In e-commerce logistics, the Company began developing bag-making packaging machines using paper or film, paper pillow-packaging machines for small items, and machines that use cushioning paper to form bags, in response to the shift from corrugated boxes to paper- and film-based packaging against the backdrop of demand for delivery through mail slots and unattended delivery at the recipient's premises.」

「The newly developed domestically produced variable-height random case sealer, J-RexS, is based on a mass-production model. The Company is developing new technologies for height detection and sealing methods and expanding the machine's options, while continuing research and development to incorporate a wide range of user needs. Going forward, it will look beyond the domestic market to overseas markets and proceed with overseas expansion after establishing prospects for material supplies with partner companies.」

「The Company also developed Japan's first domestically produced variable-height random case sealer capable of handling freight charges based on package size. Previously, it had imported variable-height case sealers with fixed length and width dimensions and introduced them in Japan, but this machine can accommodate multiple case sizes. It features original mechanisms for creasing and case cutting based on the height of the contents, and was designed to eliminate as many issues as possible at production sites. Several companies have already made offers, and deliveries are scheduled to begin shortly.」

「In the e-commerce market, demand has also grown for lines that can operate without relying on manual labor, following the spread of COVID-19. The Company therefore began developing a fully automated line using robots for picking, inserting cushioning materials, case sealing, and automatic waybill application. At the 2022 International Logistics Exhibition, it also collaborated with Mujin to showcase an automated line that integrates palletizing by a robotic palletizer through loading onto roll cages.」

「In addition to variable-height packaging, the Company developed equipment called Palmira that instantly reads the three dimensions of the product being supplied, processes corrugated sheets based on the data, and encloses the product in a case of the optimal size. It has conducted demonstration runs in its showroom and is making improvements for promotion and mass production while gathering user feedback.」

「Demand for packaging machinery for e-commerce remained strong during the fiscal year under review, following the previous fiscal year, driven by the aims of addressing labor shortages, reducing shipping costs, and improving transport efficiency. Deliveries totaled 28 units: 12 I-Pack units (17 in the previous fiscal year), 5 e-cube units (7), and 11 Gemini-related units (1).」

「The Company has also worked to build a lineup of packaging machinery for the rapidly expanding e-commerce market. Sales of packaging machinery for e-commerce during the fiscal year under review increased significantly, driven by the need to address labor shortages, with deliveries totaling 25 units: 17 I-Pack units (2 in the previous fiscal year), 7 e-cube units (6), and 1 Gemini-related unit (1). This was approximately 3 times the number of deliveries in the previous fiscal year.」