NIDEC opens Technical Center for machine tool demonstrations and testing

By: Takuya Saito, Staff Editor, SEISANZAI Japan  

NIDEC opened a new Technical Center on February 5, jointly operated by four group companies in its machine tool division. The facility permanently displays about 30 machine tools and provides various services as a co-creation technical hub, including machining verification using exhibited machines, process optimization, and workforce development support. Through the operation of the Technical Center, NIDEC aims to strengthen synergies among the four machine tool division companies. 

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening

About 30 machines permanently on display 

About 30 machines are permanently installed in the facility

On February 5, NIDEC opened the Technical Center in Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture, jointly operated by machine tool business companies NIDEC Machine Tool (Ritto City, Shiga; President and CEO Haruhiko Niitani), NIDEC OKK (also based in Ritto City and led by Niitani), Italy-based PAMA, and TAKISAWA Machine Tool (Kita Ward, Okayama; President Akira Matsuda). An opening ceremony and press briefing were held the same day. The Technical Center has a building area of approximately 3,000 square meters, with an investment of about JPY 3 billion. Annual visitor numbers are expected to reach 5,000-6,000. 

The center displays actual machines including NIDEC Machine Tool’s gantry machining center “MVR30Hx” and multitasking machine “Multitasking Gear Center MGC300”, NIDEC OKK’s vertical 5-axis machining center “VB-X650”, and TAKISAWA’s multi-tasking CNC lathe “TS-4000ⅡYS”, while PAMA products are displayed on panels. “Facilities that display gear machining from main processes to final processes are rare. Another feature is the combined display of lathes that handle pre-processes,” says Tatsuya Nishimoto, General Manager of NIDEC’s Machinery Business Unit. The lineup will be updated as needed, with around 30 machines permanently installed. 

Testing exhibited machines through machining demonstrations 

Beyond displaying actual machines and the latest technologies, the facility also plays a role in proposing solutions to customer challenges through machining verification using actual machines, support for launching mass production, process optimization, and workforce development. While NIDEC Group’s machine tool division has technical centers in Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province, China, and Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture, the Ritto City Technical Center is the first facility to place strong emphasis on functions beyond simple exhibition. 

All exhibited machines support machining demonstrations, allowing customers to verify machine performance and machining processes with actual equipment. Additionally, through machining tests and workpiece prototyping, theories and concepts can be verified with actual machines, enabling identification of optimal machining conditions and processes with mass production in mind. The facility will also be used as a venue for machine operation training and maintenance education. Experience gained through machining tests and machining method reviews will be fed back into product development. 

Strengthening synergies among four companies 

Tatsuya Nishimoto, General Manager of the Machinery Business Unit, states: “We will strengthen synergies among the four machine tool manufacturers”

In China, establishing a cross-selling system where sales staff from the four group companies introduce each other’s products to customers significantly increased sales revenue. The Technical Center will establish a similar cross-selling system for the Japanese market. “Through the operation of the Technical Center, we will strengthen synergies among the four machine tool division companies,” says General Manager Nishimoto. The company is focusing on providing machining solutions. The establishment of the Ritto City Technical Center is the first phase of this plan, with similar facilities planned overseas. 

Additionally, NIDEC Group machine tools are widely used at NIDEC Machine Tool’s reducer prototype factory on the same site as the Technical Center and at a new high-speed press machine factory scheduled to begin operation in April by reducer manufacturer NIDEC Drive Technology (Muko City, Kyoto; President and CEO Johji Tsujita). The three businesses—machine tools, press machines, and reducers—within the Machinery Business Unit will collaborate to achieve synergies among products.