BUSINESS NEWSHYOGO−KOBE

Comprehensive centers providing one-stop Hyogo-Kobe Investment Support Center Hyogo Economic Deveiooment Center
Service to Japnese and foreign companics Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building 4F
6-1 Minatojima-Nkamachi, Chyo-ku, Kobe 650-0046
wishing to start business in Hyogo-Kobe

August15

2013 Vol.

few companies that have successfully developedsensors with long-lasting stable sensitivity. Theirhydrogen sensors for home and cars fuel-cellhave already been launched on the market, anddemand is expected to increase in the comingyears.

Hyogo-Kobe Business Support Center in Tokyo
Todofuken Kaikan Building 13F
2-6-3 Hirakawa-chou, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093
TEL.＋81-78-302-2072 FAX.＋81-78-302-2265 hkisc@staff hyogo-iic.ne.jp TEL.＋81-3-3230-2721 FAX.＋81-3-3230-2722 hkbsc@hyogo-kobe.jp

The company was named after the Nunobiki Falls,
a well-known scenic waterfall in Kobe where thecompany was founded. Nunobiki Manufacturing
is engaged in the production of finely- andprecisely-punched metal screen, mainly forJapanese customers. Its products are applied toscreens of centrifugal separators used to makefine sugar and salt, filters of dust collectors usedat factories, and many other products used atmanufacturing

HYOGO-KOBE INVESTMENT SUPPORT CENTER

Hyogo-Kobe Challenges to the World with Underpinned Quality,
Innovativeness and Uniqueness in Manufacturing

Blessed with rich nature and diverse climatic conditions, Hyogo Prefecture has traditionallyproduced excellent products sake, textiles, pottery and cutlery. In the Meiji Era (1868-1912)
when Japan opened its doors to the rest of world after a long period of national isolation,
overseas cultures flowed into Kobe as the open-gate, which were eagerly accepted by thecity’ s residents. Many elements of these cultures spread and have taken root throughout
Japan. After the World War II, industry in Hyogo-Kobe was restored gradually to manufactureand export various products, including steel, ships and machinery, winning the admiration of
the world for their high quality and advanced technologies.
Through this history, the business climate in Hyogo-Kobe, characterized by an enterprisingspirit, has been nurtured, underpinning the development of products and technologies that
we can boast to the world. In this volume, we would like to present some examples ofcompanies in this area that have been displaying their uniqueness in the field ofmanufacturing.

Technos Japan Co., Ltd.

Providing bold solutions for problems ina n a g i n g s o c i e t y i n t h e fi e l d o f
bed-leaving alarm systems
Located in Himeji City, home to the World
Heritage property and national treasure Himeji
Castle, Technos Japan is a unique company with
its extensive lineup of sensors and alarm systems
that are designed on the assumption of all
possible situations.
The company provides around 70 types of
bed-leaving alarm systems, including cordlessones that can check the behavior of patients whoneed to stay in bed and that alert caregivers when
the patient leaves. President Onishi has
enthusiastically said that their products hold a
70% market share in Japan. For these products,
the company received a Special Prize at the 46th
Good Company Awards from the Medium andSmall Business Research Institute in January 2013.

Dog-shaped watching robot with a built-in bed-leaving
alarm system, and other devices

Today, this company is focusing especially on acomprehensive support system for the nursingcare of elderly people at home. In Japan’s aging
population, the number of patients with mild
dementia is increasing. This system is devised tocomprehensively support th e l i v e s o f s u c hpatients by checking theircondition through images and sounds as well as
health information sent from a sensor installed in
the system. The core device of this system is a
dog-robot shaped device. With this device, which
combines the same communication functions as amobile phone, camera, speaker, microphone andradio set, caregivers can check the condition ofpatients by remote-control. These tools make itpossible to add diverse functions, in addition tothe bed-leaving alarm, such as caregiver call, theadministration of medicine and control of thepatient’ s daily life rhythm including diet andexercise. Therefore, this system is attracting
attention as a system that can provide support in
responding to individual situations and needs.

“Oral Chroma” breath odor analyzer for dentists, into
which breath gas is injected

In addition to these sensors , the company
focuses on expanding the market for breath odor
checkers for dentists, and small
gas-chromatograph sensors that can detect gas
in ultra-low concentrations at ppb (1/1 billion)levels with easy operation. In particular, they aregoing to launch new breath checker products for
dentists in overseas markets in August, initiallyaiming to sell 1,000 units annually. The company
is currently developing a halitosis analyzer to beused to analyze breath in the initial diagnosis ofcancer, aiming at practical application within
three years.
Technical Center (ARTC), which is equipped withthe latest industrial robots from the majordomestic manufacturers. Since 2010, it has
provided special lectures to train industrial robot
operators, because they are in short supply inthe manufacturing sector. The total number ofparticipants in the lectures has reached over 700
as of May 2013. Many students, who are yet tostart their careers, participate in the training
these days.

Nunobiki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Producing precisely perforated metalsheets, Nunobiki Manufacturing
challenges screen technologies aroundthe world with its exquisite technology
and expert spirit.

Precisely perforated metal sheets of Nunobiki
Manufacturing

sites in the food, electronic and medical fields.
The company’ s technology, to punch holes 1
millimeter or less in diameter as densely as
possible in ultimately restricted space, has put it
beyond reach of its rivals. President Takashi Andoproudly says that they can punch up to 4,055
holes 0.25 millimeters in diameter in a one-inch(25.4 millimeters) square. This technology isunderpinned by craftsmen with a wide range ofskills, with which they start creating precise diesfor their own original devices, as well as themindset of traditional Japanese artisans, who do
not compromise when manufacturing quality
goods. These days, to meet increasing demand
from overseas countries mainly in Southeast Asia,
Nunobiki Manufacturing is aggressively
expanding its business into overseas markets by
preparing English booklets and other measures.
Nunobiki’ s products will soon be seen
throughout the world.

In addition to these five companies, there are many other companies in Hyogo-Kobe underpinning thenew generation of technologies for manufacturing the products of the future that we can be proud of:for example, OTOWA Electric Co., Ltd (Amagasaki City), which has developed various lightning
protection systems for power sources, signal circuits, etc.; Idea Co., Ltd. (Kobe City), which is engaged in
test-manufacturing of industrial goods by using three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines andCAD data; Okutani Wire Netting, MFG, Co., Ltd., which enjoys a high reputation for its technology topress metal or resin boards and punch holes of a diameter less than the board’ s thickness; and Nozaki(Asago City), which has sophisticated technologies to precisely grind ultra-hard metals.

Nozzle Network Co., Ltd.
Long engaged in research, Nozzle
Network now aims to realize
non-invasive drug delivery vaporizers
replacing injections.
In Tamba City, which is surrounded by rich natureand known as a producing area of luxury food
stuff such as black soybeans and matsutake
mushrooms, Nozzle Network has long been
engaged in research on spray nozzles that areused to jet out water in various ways such as park
fountains and home bathroom showers. Today, itfocuses on the development of nozzles that canconvert liquid into particles of micrometer-level
diameter, and has launched onto the market an
injection-shaped sprayer “Syringe-type 5 μm
Atomizer” that generates a fog composed ofextremely fine particles 5 micrometers (5 x 10 6meters) or less in diameter. Just by pressing its
piston, liquid and two air flows are specificallydesigned and structured to jet out of the nozzle.
Crossing each other, the air flows shatter theliquid into particles 5 micrometers or less indiameter, which results

Injection-shaped sprayer “Syringe-type 5 μm
Atomizer” jetting out a fog of particles 5 micrometersor less in diameterin an extremely fine fog. This product can beapplied to oral inhalation that has far less impact
on a living body, dermal administration, andnon-invasive medicine delivery that can replace
painful injections. With its technology anddevelopment capacity, the company is expanding
its sales channels for these sprayer nozzles to
medical equipment manufacturers and medical
institutions in Japan and abroad. It is also
developing sprayers for vaccination shrewdly.

Takamaru Engineers Co., Ltd.
Takamaru Engineers has contributed tomanufacturers by proposing optimal
robot systems ,and by nurturing andsupplying well-trained robot operators.
Founded in 1962 in Amagasaki City, a factory cityin Hyogo, Takamaru Engineers is a nationally rarecompany that can provide robot systems
corresponding to customers’ needs such as
welding, conveyance and burr-removal by
selecting optimal manufacturers and models fromamong the many types of industrial robots on themarket. In 2011, the company established afactory in Nishinomiya City, with two 25-ton
cranes with a 14-meter lifting height on a vast site
25 meters wide and 200 meters long, tomanufacture large industrial robot systems forautomotive manufacturing lines and steel mills.
The company conducts their pre-introduction
adaptation tests of systems and responds torequests for consultation on the introduction ofrobot systems at the Amagasaki Robot

http://www.hyogo-kobe.jp

Nozzle Network

ARTC installs/introduces latest robots from major
manufacturers.

Takamaru Engineers

FIS Inc.
As a leading manufacturer of gas
sensors for air purifiers, FIS is actively
developing breath odor checkers andother new products.
FIS is a world leading company that
manufactures gas sensors for air purifiers andbreath alcohol checkers, accounting for thelargest market share in the world. With the heado ffi c e l o c a t e d i n a n a r e a c l o s e t o O s a k aInternational Airport (Itami Airport), thecompany secures easy access to Tokyo and othermajor urban areas in Japan. While
semiconductor gas sensors are small andinexpensive, it is said difficult to secure theirstable sensitivity for a certain required period oftime. Consequently, few companies can put
them to practical use. FIS is one of theTechnos JapanFISNunobiki Manufacturing

FIS Inc.

Technos Japan Co., Ltd

Takamura Engineers Co.,Ltd.

Nunobiki Manufacturing Co.,Ltd.

3-36-3, Kitazono, Itami City, Hyogo,664-0891 JAPAN
Tel: +81-72-780-1800,
http://www.fisinc.co.jp/

1-50, Asanagi-cho, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo,662-0925 JAPAN
Tel: +81-798-38-9200
http://www.takamaru.com/

1-266,Hojo,Himeji City, Hyogo, 670-0947
JAPAN
Tel : +81-79-288-1600
http://www.technosjapan.jp/

2-16-24, Uozaki-minami-machi, Higashinada-ku,
Kobe City, Hyogo , 658-0025, JAPAN
Tel: +81-78-431-1105
http://www.nunobiki-s.co.jp/Nozzle Network Co., Ltd.

766-1, Kaibara, Kaibara-cho, Tamba City,Hyogo, 669-3309 JAPAN
Tel: +81-795-73-2300
http://www.nozzle-network.co.jp/