Pioneers of high-mix low-volume production (Part 1)

Akitani Iron Works has about 40 employees. They have a monthly production output of 300 to 400 kinds of machine parts and structural components such as semiconductor production machinery and robot parts. 10 years ago, the company introduced automation to their high-mix low-volume production system, followed by the implementation of IoT solutions in 2017. As a result, productivity has been improving steadily, and the company attracts a lot of attention. In this issue, we ask President Masahiro Akitani about the philosophy and commitment of his company.

Automation was indispensable as a solution to declining manpower.
We did not hesitate to introduce and utilize automation systems.