Daifuku, one of the world’s largest automated material handling solutions providers, has completed the construction of its new factory building for manufacturing and distribution systems at its core production base, Shiga Works (Shiga, Japan).
This new facility and the transfer of operations to it are part of a larger redevelopment initiative at Shiga Works, aimed at bolstering production capacity and distribution efficiency.
Automated guided vehicle (AGV) assembly and other operations will be transferred to the new factory building to establish a higher-productivity manufacturing environment.
Daifuku has taken steps to serve the rapidly growing needs for automated guided vehicles by expanding its product lineup with new systems such as the SOTR series, which handles items by pallet, case, or piece.
The AGV assembly area in the new factory building features an open-space layout without partitions, allowing for flexible configuration of production lines to meet evolving operational needs.
Shiga Works has also been outfitted with a parts center to ensure that maintenance parts are readily on hand. In recent years, the expansion of customers has increased the demand for parts.
To address this need, the parts center is being relocated to the new plant building, where its floor space has been doubled. Plans are also in place to implement automatic storage and retrieval systems (AS/RSs), enabling faster and more accurate provision of service parts.
To improve energy efficiency and enhance the work environment, insulation has been added to the roof and exterior walls of the new building. In addition, a solar power system with a generation capacity of 1.5 MW has been installed on the roof to promote the use of renewable energy.
Junji Yano, corporate officer and general manager of production operations, intralogistics division, Daifuku, says: “The new plant building was designed to further improve productivity.
“Moving forward, we will continue contributing to the advancement of the manufacturing and distribution industries by strengthening our ability to support the stable operation of equipment delivered to our customers.”
