Japan firm to produce robot components in Subic

Nidec-Shimpo Corp., a leading innovator of precision-gearing solutions for robotics and industrial automation, formally launched on Wednesday its operations in Subic Bay Freeport.

In a statement, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said the company was aiming at mass producing a new line of robot components developed in Japan at its facility in Subic.

Nidec-Shimpo First Senior vice president Hitoshi Inoue said the wholly owned company of Japan’s Nidec Corp.  would initially build speed reducers for high-precision motion control applications at the rate of 10,000 to 25,000 units a month.

The plant’s target production is expected to increase to 100,000 units a month by the end of this year, and to 120,000 units a month by March 2020, he added.

At the rate expected in March 2020, Subic factory’s production  capacity will be higher than the combined capacity of Nidec’s plants in Kyoto, which was 30,000 units in 2018, and in Ueda, 50,000 units in 2019.

Inoue said the gearless component parts to be produced in Subic were an entirely new product line that has not been manufactured elsewhere in the world.

The Subic facility output will be exported to Spain, the United States and Germany, he added.

According to Inoue, the firm had sent a total of 100 Filipino workers to Japan for training in the production of  precision motors and speed reducers.