A two-storey building complex with around 5,100 m² of production space on a total area of 14,400 m² - MULTIVAC is laying down a marker in Japan. The new production factory in Tsukuba, which despite the pandemic was opened in July 2022 as planned in the presence of MULTIVAC's joint Group Presidents, Christian Traumann and Guido Spix, is already running at full speed.
In addition to the assembly hall, spare parts warehouse and attractive showroom, the heart of the investment of around 20 million euros is the state-of-the-art Test Center, which has five times the capacity of its predecessor.
Located 60 kilometres north east of Tokyo - the brand new and highly modern production site of MULTIVAC Japan. The transport links are excellent: Just five minutes away from the main highway, and only two kilometres from the important Midorino railway station, which is served by the Tsukuba Express. An essential aspect, since the new factory is intended not just to offer extensive production areas, but also to optimise logistics and be the Training & Test Center for customers as well as a showroom.
The new site brings together two areas of production, which up to now had been separate: whereas die production had been carried out in the nearby city of Toda, assembly had been concentrated in Abiko.
“In order to be able to better serve the important Japanese market, as well as fully exploit the growth potential in the area of system integration, it was necessary to have a completely new concept," Guido Spix explains.
The multifunctional building: Added value in all aspects
In addition to the manufacturing and assembly areas for packaging machines and line modules, the multifunctional building, which is the size of two football pitches, also has an Application & Training Center for all types of packaging and processing, as well as an Application Center for bakery technology, the so-called World of Bakery in Japan. The upper floor accommodates a small-parts warehouse, as well as a canteen and offices for the around 100 staff, and there are also meeting and training rooms.
“The whole complex offers us sufficient space for production, administration and logistics - and we also have the opportunity to train the staff of our Japanese service network to the current state of machine technology. And above all, here we can give our customers advice on every aspect of system integration, as well as demonstrate our innovative solutions to them in our showrooms,” says Kenichiro Onuma, Managing Director of MULTIVAC Japan, expressing his delight.
State-of-the-art Test Center
An important factor is the significantly expanded Test Center. “We Japanese place great value on healthy and high-quality food, which we have traditionally preferred to buy fresh and unpackaged. But during the corona pandemic the behaviour of consumers changed dramatically.
For more information: multivac-group.com