News / Kawasaki Heavy to make cutting-edge industrial robots in China
Date: 2016-10-15
Kawasaki Heavy to make cutting-edge industrial robots in China
The Kawasaki Heavy robots are capable of working alongside personnel on an assembly line.
TOKYO -- Kawasaki Heavy Industries will manufacture collaborative industrial robots in China, aiming to tap strong local demand driven by rising wages and a worker shortage.
The Japanese company owns 51% of a Chinese joint venture that plans to construct a factory in the inland city of Chongqing, looking to start production by year-end. The joint venture partner -- a local manufacturer of conveyor systems -- will pay for the building and some other costs, so Kawasaki Heavy's outlays are expected to be small.
The plant will produce collaborative robots for tasks such as assembly of electronic devices and packing of cosmetics in boxes. These human-friendly robots feature technology that stops movement when sensors detect imminent contact with people. This ability allows automation of just a portion of the work, if desired. For example, on a line that requires 10 personnel, five robots can be installed to handle the work of five employees.
Conventional industrial robots can handle only certain tasks because they need to be separated from workers to prevent injuries caused by collisions. With the new plant, Kawasaki Heavy will become the first Japanese company to manufacture such human-friendly industrial robots in China.
The plant's annual capacity is expected to reach 1,000 units in the first year and rise to 5,000 eventually. Though key components such as bearings and motors will be shipped from Japan, some parts will be procured locally. Each robot is expected to carry a price tag of 2.8 million yen to 3 million yen ($27,000 to $29,000).
Kawasaki Heavy builds some 2,500 collaborative robots a year at its plant in Hyogo Prefecture and ships them worldwide. The new factory will allow robots for the Chinese market to be manufactured locally.
In China, a shortage of factory workers has led the minimum wage to double over the past five years. Demand is growing for robots that help factories automate, with China expected to account for almost 40% of the global total in 2018.
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