Mitsubishi Electric’s Nagoya Works celebrates 100 years and opens production lines to media

Mitsubishi Electric’s Nagoya Works celebrated its 100th anniversary on September 1, 2024. To mark the occasion, the company held a press tour on September 9, which included a tour of the original factory buildings that have been in operation since the facility’s establishment, as well as the production lines for its flagship products – programmable logic controllers (PLCs) “Sequencer” and servo motors. 

Foundation of the FA Systems business 

Panel displays commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Nagoya Works.

Located in Nagoya City, the Nagoya Works serves as a core production site for Mitsubishi Electric’s Factory Automation (FA) Systems, producing sequencers, servo motors, and industrial robots. Covering an area of 300,000 square meters, it has played a key role in the company’s FA advancements. 

Takahisa Tanaka, Executive Officer and Chief of Nagoya Works, expressed his gratitude during the event, emphasizing the critical role of customer and partner support over the past century. 

The “Mother Factory” 

Nagoya Works was established in 1924 as a mass-production facility for general-purpose motors, earning the title of “Mother Factory”. Since then, Nagoya Works has been producing a wide range of FA equipment and a key driver of Mitsubishi Electric’s progress. “The demand for automation in manufacturing during Japan’s post-war economic boom paved the way for the development of today’s Sequencers and CNC machines,” Tanaka explains. 

In 2021, Mitsubishi Electric expanded its production capabilities by establishing the “Industrial Mechatronics System Works” within the Nagoya Works site, specializing in electrical discharge machines, laser processing machines, and CNC devices. This expansion enhances the facility’s ability to respond swiftly and flexibly to customer needs. 

Targeting JPY 900 billion in sales 

Takahisa Tanaka, Chief of Nagoya Works, says, “The issues surrounding the manufacturing site are becoming more diverse.

The FA market is shifting from mass production to high-mix, low-volume production in key regions such as Europe, Japan, and China. Tanaka emphasized that the need for FA products will remain critical to improving productivity, and predicted long-term growth in the sector. The company is also expanding its manufacturing footprint globally, including a new facility in India, where the Nagoya Works provides technical support for production. Looking ahead, Mitsubishi Electric aims to achieve JPY 900 billion in sales for its FA Systems business by the next fiscal year. 

In May 2024, the company launched the “Serendie” digital platform, which integrates data across all its business sectors, including FA systems, power equipment, and building management. As a major production base for FA systems, Nagoya Works is conducting various trials to leverage Serendie in the FA field. 

“In addition to improving the functions of existing FA products, our goal is to help solve the problems of diversified production sites by leveraging the latest digital technology,” Tanaka said. 

By: Ichiri Hirakawa 
Staff Editor, SEISANZAI Japan