Manufacturing high value-added products, such as products for EVs

Focusing on improving productivity as a practical plant for smart factory of NTN

Wakayama Works which NTN Corporation (hereafter, NTN) established in Hashimoto City, Wakayama Prefecture has begun full-scale operation as a new plant for bearings. As one of our main plants for ball bearings in Japan, Wakayama Works will produce high value-added products to respond to demands for EVs (electric vehicles), which are expected to grow, and NTN will work to expand sales in aftermarket business by strengthening our supply capabilities.

At the completion ceremony held on October 12, we held a tape cut, attended by local stakeholders, including Mr. Hiroshi Shimo, Vice Governor of Wakayama Prefecture, and Mr. Tetsuro Hiraki, Mayor of Hashimoto City. Mr. Shimo said, “We expect relocation (to Hashimoto City, etc.) of the employees as well as of the related companies will have an economic impact on to the local community.” In addition to that, Eiichi Ukai, Representative Executive Officer, President of NTN, voiced his enthusiasm: “We will make Wakayama Works that contributes to the our future and to the local communities of Wakayama Prefecture and Hashimoto City as the model plant of NTN Group around the world.”

Wakayama Works has been nicknamed “NTN STAR WORKS WAKAYAMA” based on the concept of a smart factory that NTN aims for. Going forward, we will aim to realize “Streamlining,” “Autonomous,” and “High Response” at Wakayama Works as a practice model of smart factory. Currently, NTN has been working to improve production efficiency through labor saving and automation, such as “visualization” of various data such as inventory, automation of transportation between production process by automatic guided vehicles, and automation of production planning using data released from automatic warehousing.

In addition to that, as the eco-friendly plant, we are also actively working to reduce CO2 by adopting 100% of CO2 free electricity and electric heat treatment. We also use renewable energy generated from solar panels and wind turbines using “N3 N-CUBE” and “NTN Green Power Station” installed on Wakayama Works.

Through the operation of Wakayama Works, NTN will provide customers with high-quality products flexibly, and enhance NTN brand value. In addition, we will contribute to environmental protection and regional development.

Ideas behind the nickname “NTN STAR WORKS WAKAYAMA”

“STAR” of “NTN STAR WORKS WAKAYAMA,” Wakayama Works' nickname, include the concepts for the smart factory that NTN is aiming for as below.