Automation and Integrated Production-Line Equipment for Small, Precision, High-Quality Devices

「特に、ＡＩサーバー向け半導体需要の拡大を背景に、高速検査ハンドラーにおいてＡＩサーバー向け案件を獲得しており、当連結会計年度中の売上計上を予定しております。」

「In the AI server market, where power conservation and highly efficient cooling are important challenges, the company is leveraging its strengths in precision winding technology with a high slot fill factor to deploy production equipment for stepping motors that support high-precision data transmission, air-cooling fan motors and liquid-cooling pump motors, with the aim of expanding the business as a new growth area.」

「As a result, the company has expanded into areas outside its coil-device and motor businesses, including high-precision die bonders and handlers for the semiconductor industry and winding machines for the battery industry.」

「As a result, the company's mechatronics business has expanded into areas that do not include winding processes, including high-precision die bonders and handlers for the semiconductor industry and winding machines for the battery industry.」

「As a result, the company's mechatronics business has expanded into areas that do not include winding processes, including handler equipment for the semiconductor industry, winding machines for the battery industry, and capacitor and module assembly lines for the automotive industry.」

「The company pursues a business model that enhances users' competitiveness in global markets by providing production systems that incorporate winding, handling, assembly, inspection and other processes into transport systems, with its proprietary operating system enabling high-performance synchronized multi-axis control.」

「We are continuing to build a business model that integrates mechanical elemental technologies such as winding, tension control and handling with a proprietary OS enabling high-function multiaxis synchronous control through a conveying system and turns them into a platform, thereby providing production systems that enable users to compete successfully in global markets.」

「The company is also building and proposing a new platform that enables high-mix, low-volume production by combining control systems, transport systems, handling and high-performance tag mechanisms, thereby responding to changes in manufacturing.」

「We are continuing to build a business model that integrates the mechanical elemental technologies we have explored and advanced over many years, including winding, tension control and handling, with a proprietary OS enabling high-function multiaxis synchronous control through a conveying system and turns them into a platform, thereby providing production systems that enable users to compete successfully in global markets.」

「The company has deployed multiple platforms that form the foundation for building complete precision FA lines equipped with state-of-the-art transport technology. These platforms incorporate the company's proprietary operating system, developed to enable synchronized multi-axis control, into production systems centered on advanced winding, tension and handling technologies. Under its Blue Lake Strategy, which promotes collaboration and co-creation with customers and suppliers through open innovation under the theme of “outsourcing production technology,” the company responded swiftly to customer needs arising one after another, while deepening its existing business areas and exploring adjacent fields.」

「The company has developed multiple platforms that form the foundation for building complete precision FA lines equipped with state-of-the-art transport technology. These platforms incorporate the company's proprietary operating system, developed to enable synchronized multi-axis control, into production systems centered on advanced winding, tension and handling technologies.」

「The company is also building and proposing a new platform that enables high-mix, low-volume production by combining transport systems, handling, control systems and high-performance tag mechanisms, thereby responding to changes in manufacturing.」

「Although there has long been a need to automate production equipment, in recent years the ability to produce high-quality devices such as high-efficiency motors has also become a requirement for such equipment. In addition, as the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, demand has increased for fully automated production lines that do not rely on manual labor.」

「Demand for labor-saving and automation equipment and equipment for new products, the group’s main markets, continued to increase through restarts and new market entrants. Although orders received in the second quarter declined from the first quarter, demand inquiries remained active, and orders received on a company-only basis for the first half increased approximately 33% year on year.」

「During the fiscal year, R&D focused on developing total precision FA lines and solutions for variable-mix, variable-volume production, including modular transport, component transport, control systems and controllers.」

「While some companies remain cautious about investing in mass-production equipment, the race to develop digital technologies has accelerated further under “With CORONA,” and willingness to invest in equipment that automates production of the hardware and devices required for those technologies remains strong. Orders received fell 8.7% year on year but increased 50.9% from the immediately preceding quarter.」

「During the fiscal year, R&D in production equipment focused on future automation, including the development of an automatic transport system using contactless power transfer to reduce labor requirements, and on supporting variable-volume, variable-mix production. From the product perspective, the company continued developing EV motors and integrated FA line systems for their production.」

「In recent years, as digitalization has advanced, ideas for future-oriented new technologies have been generated one after another. Giving these ideas an optimal form requires high quality, thin and lightweight designs, and miniaturization, while demand for innovation in production, including automation and higher speed, is rapidly increasing.」

「During the second-quarter cumulative period, consultations and demand inquiries for equipment-development projects related to 5G, EVs and other areas remained strong. However, amid global economic turmoil, orders remained sluggish as companies continued to hold off on ordering non-urgent, forward-looking capital investment projects. As a result, the group’s innovation initiatives toward the above goals were insufficient.」

「The group aims to become the one-of-a-kind provider in this new field. While acquiring a range of technologies and using open innovation, it is developing systems and equipment for inspection, handling and coating, as well as a tag-based unmanned production-management system covering the entire factory, thereby building its brand as a total precision FA manufacturer.」

「As a specific customer need, equipment now performs all or most production processes, and manufacturers have begun seeking equipment makers capable of developing FA lines that support turnkey solutions, variable-mix, variable-volume production and traceability as strategic partners. A turnkey solution is a production line that starts operating by simply turning a switch after installation.」

「The group also benefited from the increasing adoption of integrated production lines and unmanned factories, driven by rising production-related labor costs, labor shortages, the need to secure high quality and improve productivity, the shift from human-driven to equipment-driven manufacturing, and safety measures.」

「The key medium-term challenge is to develop equipment and systems for producing the millions or trillions of IoT-related devices expected in the rapidly advancing digital, electronics and smart societies, and in an environmentally friendly society. This includes equipment for producing motors, particularly high-precision, high-quality, small and finely structured devices in unmanned factories, as well as systems covering production management, maintenance and traceability.」

「Our group has pursued a partnership strategy of meeting increasingly sophisticated needs, such as high-quality, high-efficiency, labor-saving and integrated-line production of the hardware and devices manufactured by companies competing in these markets, while solving a wide range of challenges and acting as a substitute for customers’ production engineering across a broad range of industries, thereby taking responsibility for an important part of customers’ value creation.」

「In addition to demand for these core technologies, demand for automation has surged in recent years because of rising wages, shortages of factory workers, the need to accommodate smaller and more finely structured products, and the need to improve quality.」

「Accordingly, the group develops equipment by applying coil-related technologies, acquiring materials expertise and, where necessary, using open innovation, alliances and M&A. It also develops FA lines, equipment and systems, and operates a global service network to support customers as part of its turnkey solutions.」

「This became a large order because the project involved multiple integrated FA lines in which intermediate equipment could be replaced, allowing the customer to respond to changes in the types of products manufactured.」

「In this process, progress is being made in addressing the need for production lines, automation and higher quality in precision production equipment, and demand inquiries are increasing despite uncertainty in the global economy, including the slowdown in China.」

「Precision FA manufacturers such as our company are required to develop equipment for producing small, precise, high-quality devices for IoT applications. In addition, demand is growing for equipment that is automated and configured as an integrated production line to reduce labor requirements and achieve highly efficient production, in other words, smart-factory equipment.」