Balzers, Liechtenstein, 8 June 2018 – The Oerlikon Group, a leading global technology provider of market-leading technologies and services, announced the inauguration of a new production plant in Nagoya, Japan, on June 7. The company will leverage synergies to further strengthen the excellent market position of Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Metco Friction Systems in Japan’s top car manufacturing industry area.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Management of Oerlikon
Traditional Japanese “Sake Barrel” Opening Ceremony
The new building in Nagoya
Oerlikon Balzers, a leading global supplier of surface solutions, and Oerlikon Metco with its business line Friction Systems, a leading international developer and manufacturer of innovative transmission synchronizers, high-performance carbon friction linings and transmission components, welcomed a large number of representatives of the regional government, car manufacturers and OEMs to the inauguration, where they were joined by the management of Oerlikon Balzers and Friction Systems.
Marc Desrayaud, Head of Oerlikon’s Business Unit Balzers Industrial Solutions, expressed his vision for the future in his opening speech. “We are gaining synergies by joining forces locally with our colleagues from Friction Systems, thus enhancing the service we offer our customers in the automotive market. This is not only the story of two solution providers under one roof, this is a commitment to the Japanese market and to our growth strategy in this core market.”
Jochen Weyandt, Head of Oerlikon’s Business Unit Automotive Solutions, added: “This new facility brings our latest technologies and services to Japan. We are looking forward to cooperating with key OEMs in the automotive industry with the highest standards of quality. Establishing ourselves at the heart of the innovation area in the Japanese automotive market underlines both our dedication to our customers and our position as an innovation driver for all surface solutions.”
The new plant represents another important cornerstone in Oerlikon’s growth strategy, and this significant investment has been made to meet the demanding requirements of a new contract with one of Japan’s largest automotive manufacturers. The Nagoya area is one of the four largest industrial centres in Japan and is well known as a hub for automotive component manufacturers working with advanced technologies. Japan has been one of the world’s top three car-producing countries for decades, enjoying a reputation for high
levels of innovation, and its domestic sales and worldwide exports are strong.
In the first quarter of 2018, Oerlikon Balzers closed its site in Chiryu and transferred a number of services from the existing Shizuoka facility to the new plant in Nagoya. The Nagoya plant is equipped with the latest coating technologies, services and infrastructure, supplying coating services for cutting and large forming tools to provide even better support for the latest needs of car manufacturers in the region. The Shizuoka customer centre remains a location of major importance for Oerlikon Balzers, especially for providing PVD (physical vapor deposition) solutions for the automotive market. The new site in Nagoya allows the company to be closer to customers in and around the Nagoya area and to better serve new and existing customers from all five Japanese locations.
Friction Systems manufactures and supplies high-performance carbon synchronizers and modules to local OEMs. This is the first customer centre to be opened in Japan for Friction Systems, underlining the importance of the Japanese automotive market. Combining the technologies and solutions from both Oerlikon Balzers and Friction Systems will make this facility a “one-stop shop” for the automotive industry.
In order to serve its large base of customers, Oerlikon Balzers and Oerlikon Metco, Friction Systems, are expecting to approximately triple their current workforce over the long term. Oerlikon Balzers has several coating and nitriding systems in operation and will deliver coated cutting tools within their globally standardized, extremely customer-oriented delivery timeframes. Friction Systems will begin several highvolume programmes in July and continuously add more throughout 2019, with the plan to operate doubledigit production lines and deliver sophisticated solutions to its customers on a regular basis.
