Matsuura Machinery expands Takefu Factory, consolidates assembly bases

Matsuura Machinery (Fukui, Japan, President: Katsutoshi Matsuura) expands its Takefu Factory in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, Japan. With the goal of being fully operational by January next year, the company is constructing new buildings for assembly and other operations. The assembly area at the head office will be relocated to the new factory building, and the two assembly areas currently located separately at two different sites will be consolidated at the Takefu Factory. President Matsuura said, “This is an investment for the next generation.” 

Monthly production up 20%

Image of Takefu Factory after expansion (the new factory building is at the far end)

On December 8, 2023, Matsuura Machinery announced the expansion of its Takefu Factory, its main production site for machining centers (MCs). A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the same day, with company officials and the construction company praying for the safety of the construction. 

The expansion plan includes the construction of a new assembly building; a spindle and welfare building, which will house the main spindle manufacturing base and employee welfare facilities, and is scheduled to be put into operation in January next year, the 90th anniversary of the company’s founding. The total floor area of both buildings is approximately 8,500 square meters, with an investment of approximately 2.8 billion yen. 

The main purpose of the Takefu Factory expansion is to consolidate the company’s assembly facilities. Currently, the company conducts assembly operations at two locations, the head office factory and the Takefu Factory. The head office factory is responsible for large machines and prototypes, while the Takefu Factory manufactures small and medium-sized machines, the volume zone. By relocating the assembly area at the head office factory to the new Takefu Factory building and consolidating the assembly bases into a single location, the company aims to improve production efficiency. 

President Matsuura emphasizes, “If we can consolidate all assembly bases into one location, we will be able to build a more flexible production system, and we can also expect significant benefits in terms of transferring technical knowledge.” 

Currently, spindle production is divided between the head office factory and the Takefu Factory, but this will also be consolidated in the new spindle and welfare building that will be built together with the new factory building. Through this series of expansion projects, the monthly production of MCs is expected to increase by 20% over the previous facility, to approximately 40 units. 

The company also plans to use the expansion of the Takefu Factory as an opportunity to promote environmental responsibility. By introducing renewable electricity supplied by Hokuriku Electric Power from December this year, the company aims to make the Takefu Factory carbon neutral. 

For the next generation

President Katsutoshi Matsuura giving a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony

President Matsuura said that the construction of the new factory and the spindle and welfare building is “one of the investments to pass the company on to the next generation.” 

To ensure the company’s survival, the company is focusing on structuring a supply system that can respond flexibly and rationally to medium- and long-term fluctuations in demand. The expansion of the Takefu Factory is part of this strategy, and at the same time, the company is making other capital investments in the parts processing area of its head office factory. In preparation for full operations in 2026, the company also plans to upgrade its core system for the first time in more than a decade. 

President Matsuura is excited about the project, saying, “Ultimately, we want to build a production system that best suits our ‘customized’ production style, in which we provide MCs that meet our customers’ needs.” 

By: Atsushi Kuwasaki 
Staff Editor, SEISANZAI Japan