Annual Report 2002 Komax – Success through ... - Komax Group

active in the assembly automation and wire-processing segments. The
new sales company Komax Murata KK, which is headquartered in Shizuoka,
provides sales, marketing and engineering services. Thanks to its
customer relations and the local presence of the partner company, Komax
will greatly strengthen its position in the Japanese wire-processing and
assembly automation market.
Product portfolio – successful new products
An important measure for consolidating our technology leadership and
consequently our market position was the launching of a number of new
products. Apart from the selective expansion of the machine range,
Komax also unveiled a number of new special applications. In the system
business we have also succeeded in making the fully automatic processing
of complex cables and wire harnesses increasingly competitive compared
with manual working thanks to the new generation of robots. At the
same time the increased use of standard components makes it possible
to cut lead times and thus bring down production costs.
Komax has also rolled out highly standardized solutions for processing
new connection technologies (fiber-optic cables, flat cables) and special
applications (airbag and sensor cables), and has made a real technology
leap with the newly developed system for IDC connectors in the household
appliance sector.
Assembly automation – new building commissioned
In 2001 we began with the planning of a new building in Rotkreuz, Zug /
Switzerland. The aim was to enable us to exploit the opportunities in the
assembly automation sector more effectively and to achieve our ambitious
growth targets. The new location, in which we invested about CHF 25 million,
was commissioned in the year under review. The four production halls
and six office floors covering 12,000 sq. meters will enable us to optimize
production processes and provide sufficient room for targeted expansion.
Outlook
Prospects for growth for the Komax Group remain very good; the trend
towards more electronics, with more cable connections, connectors, sensors
and actuators, continues without letup. The level of automation in the
processing industry is constantly increasing, driven by ever higher quality
and productivity standards, increasing miniaturization and the use of new
technologies. Our sales successes in system business confirm that we are
on the right track with our products and technologies.
Sales system and machine business in 2002
Machines
Systems (wire-harness production and
assembly automation)
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