Nabtesco and the technologies
setting the Industry 4.0 era in motion“We are devoting
a lot of our energy
to enhancing added
value through thedevelopment ofmechatronic andsystematized products,
under the keywords‘motion control’”Katsuhiro Teramoto, President& CEO,Nabtesco Corporation
With the emergenceof Industry
4.0 technologies suchasadvanced
robotics, automation, Big Data,
IoT, and electronic vehicles,a newera of Monozukuri manufacturing
has begun.
Combining their industrial, technological and innovative prowess,
Japanese companies have positioned themselves at the globalforefront ofIndustry 4.0–building
high-performing products, partsand components for these newtechnologies, while also incorporating them into their Monozukuri
manufacturing practices.
“Japan’s advanced technology
cultivated from Monozukuri andyears of basic research, will work
as advantages towards creatingproducts using information technologies like Big Data and IoT,” says
Katsuhiro Teramoto, president andCEOof Nabtesco Corporation.
“We are currently striving to create‘smart factories’ by leveraging
data, analyzing it and bringing indigital transformation throughout
theproduction system.Since2017,
after conducting someresearchon

AI and Monozukuri, we saw therewards of thedevelopment within
the company.”
A reputed leaderin motion control, Nabtesco develops cuttingedge products and technologies
that will support the Industry 4.0
eraover thecoming decades,fromprecision reduction gears for industrial robots,to componentsand
systemsfor thenext-generation ofautomobiles, trains, aircraft andmarine vessels.
Comprising of diverse business domains – such as precision reduction gears, hydraulic equipment, railroad vehicle
equipment, aircraft equipment,commercial vehicle equipment,
marine vessel equipment, automatic doors and platform doors,
packaging machines and welfare
equipment – Nabtesco currently
holds approximately 100% of
the Japanese market for flightcontrol actuation systems;while
globally it has secureda share of
approximately 60% for precision
reduction gears for the joints of
medium-andlarge-sized industrial
robots, and an approximate 25%
market sharefor traveling unitsfor
hydraulic equipment.

Its transport solutions,suchas
railroad vehicle equipment, aircraft equipment, commercial vehicle equipment andmarine vessel
equipment, grow andexpandonits
OEM sales, while providing continuous and stable services with
the MRO (maintenance, repairand overhaul) business. And last
but not least,theautomatic doors
businesswill experience stable andgradualgrowth asits value may bereassesseddue to a desirefor noncontact in thepost-COVID-19 era.
With growing trends towards
electrification and automation,and increasing demandfor industrial robotsover thecoming years,Mr. Teramoto expects productionof precision reduction gears at
Nabtesco’s existing Japan-based
factory to increase from 680,000
to 900,000 units,while the company has also acquired anotherfactory site in Japan to complement its existing Japanese andChinesefactories.
“Industrial robots with our precisionreductiongears will contribute to stability inquality, inaddition
to automation and labor-saving,”says Mr. Teramoto, who seesmajor
potential for the company’s preci-

www.nabtesco.com

Link to Q/A page: www.theworldfolio.com/interviews/the-undisputed-leader-in-motion-control/4780/
Source: Newsweek Magazine 23rd October 2020 Issue

sionreduction gears in other areas
where electrification is required.
“Ourgreatest advantagewould be
our co-creation with clients. We
understand our clients’ demands,
and then develop a product thatmeets those demands,” he adds.
Indeed innovation through cocreation will be crucial for Nabtesco moving forward, which is
why the company continues toseek partnerships and M&A opportunities that canunlockfurther
development of itsexisting technological areas of expertise.
“Our R&D center in Kyoto
implements CAE analysis, additive manufacturing technology, digital transformation, andintellectual property strategies.
Through this center, we connect
with companies and universities which provide engineersfor
deeper and greater discussion.
We have developed a win-win
relationship with them,” addsMr. Teramoto.
“We are devoting a lot of ourenergy to enhancing added value through the development of
mechatronic and systematized
products, under the keywords‘motion control’.”