Japan firm setting up P392-million industrial robot parts facility

MANILA, Philippines — A subsidiary of Japanese integrated steel trading firm Taiyo Shoji Co. Ltd. is investing P392.5 million for the production of gear parts for industrial robots and other specialty steel products in Subic.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma said Taiyo Subic Philippines Corp., which was set up in February, is leasing a 6,200 -square meter facility at the Subic Techno Park (STP) for the production facility.

She said Taiyo Subic has initially subleased a property with Nidec Subic Philippine Corp., another Japanese company engaged in the  manufacture of spindle motors for hard disk drives with operations at the STP.

“But Taiyo Subic has committed to construct its own factory here within this year at the cost of P142.5 million,” Eisma said.

“This only goes to show the continuing confidence among Japanese investor-companies in Subic,” she added.

Taiyo Subic is engaged in the import and export of special steel materials, as well as manufacture of parts for the automobile industry, industrial machineries, plant machineries, and information technology.

The firm’s investment will be used to put up a facility for the manufacture and supply of specialized gear parts for industrial robots both in the Philippines and overseas.

For its operations, Taiyo Subic will import materials from Taiyo Japan and Daido Steel Co., refine the materials, and then, supply precision materials and gear parts to other companies.

Among the companies Taiyo Subic will supply to is Subic Nidec which will be provided 100,000 units of speed reducers per month by March next year.

Eisma said Taiyo Subic’s investment in Subic shows the growing interest of Japanese investors to locate in the freeport.

Last January, Nidec Corp. expanded operations in the country by launching the manufacture of a new product line for super silent speed reducers which is not being manufactured in any other part of the world. 

Last month, technology firm Sanyo Denki Philippines Inc. also opened a research and product development facility at the STP.