Turning Up the Heat for Modern Manufacturers TAKASAGO INDUSTRY Co., Ltd. IP

A crucial aspect of production for sophisticated materials that go into lithium-ion batteries, ceramic capacitors and Evs is the heating stage. Many ingredients need to be treated at precisely high temperatures, and sometimes in special firing atmospheres. TAKASAGO INDUSTRY Co., Ltd. specializes in constructing industrial kilns for some of Japan’s – and the world’s – largest manufacturers.

Ceramics is a business that goes back centuries in the Gifu city of Toki, known as the center of Mino-yaki, the traditional pottery technique. As TAKASAGO President and CEO Tatsuya Suzuki explains, the firm got started 63 years ago making large-scale tunnel kilns. The kilns were not very popular with original Mino-yaki ceramic manufacturers, but they were very important in the large-scale production of ceramic tableware and mosaic tiles, an industry that helped the country develop international trade in the post-war period. Now the company creates high performance kilns for chemical companies, electric goods manufacturers, and the automobile industry.

TAKASAGO's current product line runs a broad range from products that can be used for heating chemical compounds to those employed in hardening steel via a process known as carburization. The company's kilns are electrically powered or fueled by gas or oil, and include conveyor and elevator models. As Suzuki explains, one of the firm's advantages over other manufacturers is a byproduct of their massive scale – in fact, some of their plant buildings are large enough to hold soccer fields. “Our integrated production system is something that really sets us apart. We can do everything here: sales, engineering, production, and maintenance are all done at the same place,” Suzuki explains. He adds that each of the large kilns that they make is a tailor-made product: clients can perform test firing on their material, and through these “test runs” the company can build a kiln for any specific need.

The firm counts some of the largest chemical companies in Japan and South Korea among its customers. In addition, the firm has been operating an affiliate in China for a decade and counts many of the large Li-ion battery materials manufacturers in the country among its customers thanks to China’s policy for the abatement of serious air pollution.

TAKASAGO holds many patents to build high performance kilns and furnaces. But, as Suzuki explains, “the heart of what TAKASAGO brings to the market and to our customers is a sense of know-how that goes beyond just our intellectual property.” One of the greatest sources of pride for the company in recent years is their new line of vacuum carburizing furnaces, which stand out for their advanced capabilities as well as their sleek, modern design.

TAKASAGO is interested in working with large and small manufacturers in order to develop new businesses. They are already expanding into many foreign countries, having recently supplied kilns and furnaces in Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia, and they are looking for potential sales partners in the US. As the company directs its attention towards other international markets, Suzuki hopes that customers around the globe will come to recognize the company's strengths: integrated production, customization, and a broad knowledge base.

Based on interview in January 2016