📋 Tender Overview
Scope :
DENSO to Build New Plant with Zenmyo Plant Expansion. Construction will start in the first half of FY2025 and will be completed in January 2027, with production slated to start in the first half of FY2028.
DENSO CORPORATION announced that it will build a new plant by expanding the site of the Zenmyo Plant in Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Construction will start in the first half of FY2025 and will be completed in January 2027, with production slated to start in the first half of FY2028. The total investment will be about 69 billion yen ($480,000,000 US Dollars)
In a news release announcing the expansion plans, DENSO explained that the new plant will be the first to incorporate the company’s next-generation plant concept from the planning phase. The plant will realize a creative workstyle based on digital infrastructure and automation technology, which will be deployed across the plant. It will also be capable of 24-hour unmanned operation, significantly improving production efficiency. Further, the aim is to build an environmentally friendly carbon-neutral plant using private power generation, which will use solar panels and hydrogen.
Features of the next-generation plant include:
1. Flexible production system
Products will be standardized by using common materials and components of products. Diverse products will be produced on a single line in combination with production lines that enable equipment to be easily recombined, thus quickly and flexibly handling changes in the types and quantities of products.
The components and units of the production equipment will be standardized. The processing programs will also be standardized, and software compatibility will be enhanced to significantly reduce the lead time for production preparation.
2. 24-hour unmanned operation
The equipment and the flow of goods will be constantly monitored by cameras and sensors in the plant. When signs of equipment failure are detected, the situation will be judged remotely and action will be taken before the equipment fails, enabling production lines to run non-stop.
In addition to the production lines, the entire process, including unloading of materials and components, transfer within the plant, replenishment and feeding of materials, and packing of products for shipment will be automated to realize unmanned operation.
3. Shifting to a workstyle that takes full advantage of digital solutions
The plant will be reproduced virtually by using digital twin technology. Equipment verification and kaizen simulations will help build an efficient and streamlined production system.
The on-site know-how accumulated through manufacturing operations will be turned into explicit knowledge, and a database will be created so that the knowledge is available to anyone. The database will be used to increase automation, perform the kaizen cycle quickly, and facilitate the evolution of manufacturing.
