CATERPILLAR
AKASHI CAMPUS GUIDE

Caterpillar Japan LLC
Yokohama office :12F OCEAN GATE MINATO MIRAI, 3-7-1, Minatomirai,Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0012 Japan
Phone : +81-45-682-3800
Akashi Plant/Hydraulic Excavator Development Center :1106-4, Shimizu, Uozumi-cho, Akashi, Hyogo 674-8686 Japan
Phone : +81-78-943-2111
Website : https://www.cat.com/ja_JP.html© 2019 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved.
CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’ S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, "Caterpillar Yellow", the "Power Edge" and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress
as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

Transforming the world. Creating the future !

01

For about half a century since developing the Y-35, Japan’s first domestically manufactured

a craftsman-like urge on the part of the plant’s entire team to create new hydraulic excavators

hydraulic excavator, the Akashi Plant has built performance that’s remained one step ahead of its

themselves. Home to the Hydraulic Excavator Development Center, the only facility in Caterpillar’s

era into its hydraulic excavators, shipping a series of well-loved products that have inspired

global business to be granted the authority to design and develop products ranging from the Y-35

numerous customers to treat them as instant classics. The driving force behind that successful

to the Next Generation Hydraulic Excavator, the Akashi plant will continue to play a leading role intrack record has been a dedication to facilitate the evolution of hydraulic excavators, the result of

the global hydraulic excavator industry going forward.

02History of Akashi Campus

1960

The Akashi Plant is established as a facility specializingin the manufacture of construction machinery at Shin
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. 1

1961

Production of the Y-35, Japan’s first domestically manufactured
hydraulic excavator, begins.

1971

Production capacity is increased in response to growing
demand, and the facility is spun off as Mitsubishi HeavyIndustries “Akashi Plant.”

1972

Production of the MS series begins.

1986

Hydraulic Excavator Development Center (HEDC) is establishedin Akashi.

1987

Caterpillar Mitsubishi and the Akashi Plant merge to form
Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi.
Production of the CAT E200B, the first hydraulic excavator
launched under the CAT brand, begins. 2

1989

Cumulative production reaches 100,000 units.

1992

Production of the 300 family REGA CAT hydraulic excavatorwith standardized global specifications begins. 3
Construction of the NTC building, a new hydraulic excavator
development facility, is completed.
*The Hydraulic Excavator Development Center is reorganized.

03

1

2

3

Behind us lies a pioneering history. In front of us, a promising future.
The story of the Akashi Plant coincides with the history of the evolution of hydraulic excavators.
Just one year after the Akashi Plant was established as a facility specializing in the manufacture of construction machinery at
Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries came a noteworthy milestone as production of the Y-35—Japan’s first domesticallymanufactured hydraulic excavator—began. The product’s advanced functionality earned it praise throughout Japan, and theword its first letter stood for—Yumbo—became synonymous with the hydraulic excavator. The plant went on to launch
numerous famous products, including the MS series, which built on the body of expertise gained from the Y series withstate-of-the-art technology, in 1972 and then the 300 family of REGA CAT hydraulic excavators with globally standardized
specifications in 1992.
In 2017, we opened a new chapter in the history of Akashi Campus by introducing the Next Generation Hydraulic Excavator(called NGH) which transcends previous models in every way, including in terms of technology, work efficiency, fuel economy,
maintenance costs and safety – thanks to the first full redesign in 25 years！
The willingness of our operation to embrace challenges will be inexhaustible as we strive to deliver absolute safety, reliability,and potential for our hydraulic excavators.

1996

Production of the REGA B series begins.
The company earns certification under the ISO 9001 international
quality management standard for hydraulic excavators.

1998

Cumulative worldwide sales of the 300 family reach 100,000 units.

1999

The company earns certification under the ISO 14001
international environmental management standard.

2000

Cumulative production reaches 200,000 units.
Production of the C series begins.

2005

Production of the D series begins. 4

2008

Cumulative production reaches 300,000 units.
The company changes its name to Caterpillar Japan.

2011

Production of the E series begins.

2014

Production of the F series begins.

2015

Cumulative production reaches 400,000 units. 5

2016

The Y-35 is registered under the Essential Historical
Materials for Science and Technology program.

2017

Production of Next Generation Hydraulic Excavators begins.

2018

The company receives a Good Design Award. 645604

PlantAssembly Shop
● Hydraulic excavator assembly line
● Front outfitting line

State-of-the-art hydraulic excavators are born in aleading-edge environment.

● Sheet metal structure painting line
● Performance testing(operational performance adjustment)

The Akashi Plant consists of three facilities located on a site of about 240,000 square meters, about six times the size of Hanshin
Koshien Stadium. The entire production process for hydraulic excavators is carried out in-house, from fabrication of major
components such as the control valves that serve as the heart of hydraulic control and the sheet metal structures that make upeach machine’s skeleton to final assembly. To fulfill its mission of rapidly supplying state-of-the-art products backed up by surereliability to customers worldwide as a leading hydraulic excavator plant representing the Caterpillar Group, Akashi Plant strives
to realize high production efficiency, flexibility, and quality through an ongoing program of plant innovation.
Specifically, the facility has built a production control system that makes possible make-to-order operations, implemented
optimal distribution through just-in-time (JIT) supply, established a system for sharing quality information with suppliers andsales companies, and introduced leading-edge production and quality control systems, including computer-controlled torquetightening systems and instruments, welding robots (FMS), and automatic transport systems. It has also integrated the entire
site into a single system so that it can accommodate the full range of customer needs for hydraulic excavators and deliver
increasingly high-value-added products.

● Shipping inspections

The transport interval on our 200-meter-longmain assembly line can be freely adjusted
based on the model being produced.

Swing frame line

Swing frame

The Assembly Shop assembles components
and major structures fabricated in theComponents Shop and the Fabrication Shop toproduce completed hydraulic excavators. Inorder to offer fine-grained flexibility for
make-to-order production of individual products
in response to customer needs and deliver
them with the shortest possible lead times, theshop has established a flexible manufacturingsystem that combines highly experienced
workers with state-of-the-art equipment.

A monorail transports small parts to stations
on the assembly line.

Control valve
installation

Cap/
engine installation

Base frame

Swivel joint
installation

In the performance testing area, completed
products are checked one at a time on acomputer-controlled test stand.

Cover installation

Swing frame/base frame mating

Track roller installation

Our thoroughgoingcommitment toquality extends topainting. Swing
frames are painted with environmentally friendly
powder paint that yields a uniform finish. In
addition, by painting individual components before
assembly, we strive to endow the product withbeauty that extends to every nook and cranny.

Here tracks are being installed on a basemachine.

Hydraulic excavator assembly process

Base frame line

Painting

Track installation

Boom/
stick installation

Inspection/shipment

Final drive/
idler installation

Assembly Shop
Fabrication Shop
Components Shop

During track roller installation, torque control
tools increase tightening quality.

Hydraulic Excavator
Development Center (HEDC)

Components Shop

Fabrication Shop

● Machining FMS● Large sheet metal structure● Component assembly line

processing machine● Swing frame fabricating FMS

Swing drive● Component testing andBoom

Our control valve machining FMS uses
machining centers.

The Components Shop produces control
valves, which are the heart of hydrauliccontrol, as well as swing bearings andother components.
The high-quality components produced
here are supplied to Caterpillar Grouphydraulic excavator production facilitiesworldwide, where they underpin theunshakable reliability of the CAT brand.

The boom/stick is quickly mounted in linewith order specifications.

Specialized inspectors carefully conduct a
final check of performance and quality in the
shipping inspection area.

● Base frame fabricating FMS

inspection system

This test stand is used to perform quality
inspections of assembled control valves.

● Large coordinate measuring machine

Our honing line boasts micron-ordermachining precision.

The control valve assembly room is subject
to contamination controls.

Control valve

Swing frame

Swing bearing

Base frame■ What’s an FMS? An FMS, or flexible manufacturing system, is an automated production system that utilizes robots and other tools.
05

This autoloader transports completed swing
frames to the process in which they are
mated with a base frame.

The Fabrication Shop produces the major
structures (frames, swing frames, andbase frames) that form the skeleton ofeach hydraulic excavator. In addition tostate-of-the-art welding and machining
systems used to create robust structures,the facility operates large-scale annealing
equipment to further enhance durability.

The plant’s swing frame FMS consists of fourstate-of-the-art welding robots.

Twin welding robots make possible high-speed
production of robust base frames.

A large coordinate measuring machine—
one of Japan’s largest—checks structureswith micron-order precision.

Robust frames are produced using high-speed
tandem arc robot welding.

06

HydraulicExcavator
Development
Center(HEDC)

The future of hydraulic excavators comes alive atthe Hydraulic Excavator Development Center.
The Caterpillar Group supplies hydraulic excavators worldwide, and thoseexcavators are developed at the Hydraulic Excavator Development Center (HEDC).
Top specialists thoroughly analyze global market information and operating datacollected via the Group’s global network to formulate development concepts. Designspecifications are refined by simulation analysis using design tools that encompass
an enormous body of accumulated expertise and undergo repeated verification
through component testing.
The finished design drawings that are the final product of this process are sent toCaterpillar overseas as the embodiment of standardized global specifications andused to manufacture products worldwide.

Akashi Campus Initiatives① We are involved in a variety of activities in order to fulfill our corporatesocial responsibility (CSR).

We are carrying out a variety of activities in order to realize sustained growth together with the local community. In particular,
we are focused on providing opportunities for students to experience what it means to work as an engineer by participating in
the Cabinet Office’s STEM ACTIVITY and Try-Yaru-Week programs as STEM education for future generations.
Additionally, we have contributed to local emergency medical care by installing a heliport for air ambulances, and we host aCool Summer Festival that attracts about 5,000 participants in August each year as a way for employees to share an enjoyable
experience with local residents.

①②① Try-Yaru-Week
We welcome local middle-school students forfive days of work experience and learning.

② STEM ACTIVITY
We actively participate in the STEM ACTIVITY
program as a way to help increase the numberof future engineers.
The NTC Building is home to the HydraulicExcavator Development Center.

Development personnel from around theworld gathered at this worldwide meeting.

Concepts are given shape with 3D CAD
so that high-quality products can be
designed quickly.

Products are visualized using a virtual reality
system, allowing detailed study from the initialdevelopment stage prior to equipment
fabrication in a virtual environment thatclosely reproduces the feel of actual use.

③④

③ On-campus heliport
We contribute to emergency medical care in
the local community.

④ Cool Summer Festival
We host a summer festival on our campus andinvite celebrities as part of this exciting event.

Verification

More demanding than anywhere else in the world
CAT signifies reliability. Only products with the ultimate level of quality andperformance bear the CAT brand.
Before being shipped worldwide, the NGH next-generation CAT hydraulic excavator
that recently made its global debut underwent a demanding regimen of durability andperformance testing.
We deliver hydraulic excavators with reliability and durability that satisfy customers
worldwide only after carrying out a variety of component-level testing; performance
valuation of operability, productivity, fuel economy, and other characteristics withactual production units; and durability testing including continuous excavation overextended periods of time and operation on rough, uneven surfaces.

② We strive to empower employees through a variety of activities.
To empower employees, we have enhanced our human resources development system, and we are committed to an ongoingprogram of improvements to programs and the work environment. New hires undergo one year of training that helps them
master the full range of manufacturing skills before they are assigned to a workplace. This educational approach serves as thefoundation for our manufacturing. Additionally, we help employees get engaged in a variety of ways, including by offeringin-house daycare and support for volunteer activities.

①②① Enhancing in-house education
Employees study a proprietary educational
curriculum at the Training Center “KEISEIJYUKU”
before being assigned to a workplace one year later.

② Active hiring and career development

programs for female employees③④

We are working to broaden the environment
in which female employees work.

③ Work environment
We are helping ensure employees can workwith peace of mind by offering in-house daycare.

Components undergo vibration durability
testing.

Continuous excavation testing ensuresrealizable quality.

Operational testing is carried out at aharsh site consisting of crushed stone.

We strive to deliver high precision forearthwork with semi-automatic control.

④ Support for WIN activities■ What’s WIN?
07

We were recognized by the Hyogo Council on
Female Participation in the Workplace for ourWIN activities.

The Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) is an employee resource group (ERG) established at Caterpillar. It seeks to foster and broaden a corporate culture that embraces andutilizes the diversity of each and every employee through programs such as women’s activities, multicultural understanding, and service programs.

08

Global Network
The Excavation Division is one of the largest business units at Caterpillar. With more than 6,000 employees, it consists of anetwork spanning 50 cities in 18 countries on four continents. Akashi is home to both the Hydraulic Excavator Development
Center, which is the only Caterpillar development facility of its kind in the world, as well as the Akashi Plant, which serves as theflagship plant for its product line. We are working to develop products and improve performance and quality as Caterpillar’s
flagship campus.
Global partnerships of Akashi Campus contribute to our exceptional products.

Excavation Division

4continents

18

countries

50cities

Wackersdorf, Germany
Tosno, Russia
Peoria, U.S.A.

Xuzhou, China
Grenoble, FranceWuxi, China
Victoria, U.S.A.
Thiruvallur, India
Singapore
Jakarta, Indonesia

09

Akashi, Japan
Akashi Plant
Hydraulic Excavator Development Center (HEDC)

Piracicaba, Brazil

10