Find out why and how presidents of MOBIO exhibitors have started "INNOVATION and CHALLENGE" through the special interview.

"Meet the President" No.51 is Mr. Kanemura of *** KOMEI MANUFACTURING CO., LTD. (Read on to find out details) ***

- Water shutoff valves, Couplings, Stopcocks

●The leader of plumbing fixtures industry by an integrated casting system

*Cast parts *Multi-functional water shutoff valves

With full review of customer's demand, Komei has developed exclusive technology and new idea and resulted in new products

KOMEI's products with high functionality and safety have been appreciated widely and used by 570 local government and 150 private corporations in Japan. Multi-functional Water Shutoff Valves are considered to be the only one products that control flow volume and is not possible with conventional check valves.

CEO Kanemura clearly identified KOMEI's two strength, an integrated casting system and an uniqueness, that enabled KOMEI 70 years operation with "K" logo. He said "KOMEI's corporate policy is to develop the customer oriented products. Our established integrated manufacturing system, every-work from designing, casting, assembling to inspection, allows KOMEI to respond to difficult requests to various needs changing by time and to meet the safety standard based on new regulations. It is KOMEI's corporate strength to keep casting technology that is rare among SMEs and to prepare inspection and evaluation system that is equivalent to LEs."

He continued, "Another important corporate policy is the never ending technology development. One of it is the industry's first - Temporary Piping Material Rentals, called 'Reuse System' started in 2000. It attracts industry's attention as the breakthrough product to establish a Greener Environment and expands customer base rapidly."

●Developed the new product relating to corporate social action program

*Developed products, manufacturing devices to materialize Re-use system

Typically, once a project with temporary piping is complete on a work site, the piping material is disposed of, and new material is used for the next project, without considering the effect on the environment. KOMEI developed its Re-use rental program to decrease the burden of piping on the environment while encouraging recycling. When KOMEI received ISO14001 certificate, Kanemura came across the idea that KOMEI was an expert in piping, it ensured that its rental products could be used safely to supply water and eliminating the issues of disposal. And its clients could save material and labor as well as finding their construction process could be faster, decreasing costs and contributing to the environment.

Kanemura said, "Whenever I watched disposed materials, I wondered if I could do anything to reduce. So I developed re-usable polyethylene pipes and washing-sterilizing system by ourselves from the beginning with a lot of try-and-errors. Now this recycling service is grown as another core business. New business cultivation efforts of this reuse program consolidated KOMEI's positive attitude to challenge the project nobody has ever succeeded." KOMEI finally created the flow system as the business, to lay, remove, wash, inspect and re-use. Eco-friendly market trend and needs promoted this re-use system and has been approved by local government and construction corporations in Japan. Now it is one of KOMEI's core businesses.

●Start of the new challenge to become a 100 year old corporation from the new factory equipped with latest devices

*Operators positively tackle new target at a new factory

2015 KOMEI relocated its head office in Izumi city with a space of 16,577 m2 and installed the state of the art of manufacturing facilities, inspection devices and a large scale testing lab. Kanemura continued, "KOMEI has accomplished what was seemed to be impossible for SMEs, such as a robotic process introduction to casting system and a advanced quality evaluation system. Opening of the new factory will assist our ability to solve issues to come. We are possible to distinguish from large corporations by conduct new operation earlier and at more speed. From our new factory KOMEI will roll out surprisingly new product and technology on and on. With such a wish in mind KOMEI has restarted at the new location."

*Introduced robotics to casting system that had been impossible in the industry

Its casting technology and facilities are highly appreciated by all industry market and casting components have been requested to process on OEM business. Re-use system is counted as the emergency water supply operation and resulting in disaster relief agreements between local governments and KOMEI.

In the end, Kanemura said, "In 2016 KOMEI becomes the 70th year old corporation. With our core business policy in mind I would like to proceed continuous development of new technology and manufacturing to assist the new 100th year old corporation."

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Interviewed on September 7, 2015
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