Jun 21, 2017 | By Tess
Japanese machine tool manufacturer Yamazaki Mazak has announced the expansion of its production facilities in Singapore, where it has had a presence for 25 years. As part of the expansion, the company has launched a new Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre and will be rolling out its Mazak iSmart Factory, a new smart factory technology that is expected to increase the company’s manufacturing capacity and efficiency.
Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry and National Development Koh Poh Koon (right) at the Yamazaki Mazak manufacturing plant in Singapore
(Image: MTI)
Headquartered in Oguchi, Japan, Yamazaki Mazak was founded in 1919 as a producer of pots and pans. Now, nearly 100 years later, the company has become a global force in the machine tooling industry. With its adoption of new technologies such as IoT and 3D printing, the company is staying on top of global manufacturing trends.
With the launch of its Additive Manufacturing Solution Centre, Yamazaki Mazak will focus on developing manufacturing solutions for industries that require high-precision production. These industries include the aerospace, oil and gas, and semiconductor sectors.
Though the company did not disclose how much money it had invested into the new 3D printing center, the facility is expected to increase Yamazaki Mazak’s production. As explained at the opening by Koh Poh Koon, the Senior Minister of State for both Trade & Industry and National Development, advanced manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing are helping to create new growth markets within Singapore and globally.
The other big announcement made by Yamazaki Mazak had to do with its Mazak iSmart Factory. The company announced that its smart factory technology would be implemented in Singapore in order to give its manufacturing facilities there a boost.
“One of the most crucial issues for the manufacturing industry is to keep increasing productivity by investing in advanced production technology," commented Yamazaki Mazak president Tomohisa Yamazaki.
Yamazaki Mazak manufacturing facility in Singapore
(Image: Yamazaki Mazak)
The Mazak iSmart Factory, already in use at the company’s headquarters in Japan, uses industrial Internet of Things technology to connect all of its manufacturing equipment to a “factory-wide computer network.”
In other words, it enables factory workers to remotely monitor and keep tabs on the manufacturing equipment, which makes it easier to manage overall production operations. The smart factory will reportedly be integrated in phases at the company's Singapore production facility.
Yamazaki Mazak made both announcements at the celebration event marking its 25 years in Singapore. In Singapore, manufacturing reportedly made up 20 percent of its economic output and accounted for 14 percent of its total employment last year.
"Analysts expect the global additive manufacturing market to grow by more than 20 percent per annum from 2015 to 2020, from US$6 billion to US$20 billion," said Dr. Koh at the event.
Recently, Singapore has taken steps to reach the forefront of advanced manufacturing. This included launching the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) to encourage and guide businesses in the adoption of 3D printing technologies.
Posted in 3D Printer Company
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