Star Micronics expands to meet growing demand

The move is in response to an upturn in global demand for its CNC sliding-headstock mill-turn centres. The new, multi-story building adds 9,000 sq m of assembly and office space as well as an inspection department, applications engineering centre and paint shop. It extends production capacity across the entire Star range of machines. Joining two factory units constructed on the Kikugawa site in the mid 80s, the latest building provides the most modern facilities for machine tool manufacture, based on an air conditioned and temperature controlled environment. The factory floor consists of 70 cm thick concrete, insulated and thermally stabilised along the same lines as an aircraft factory. Measuring 125 metres in length, the main assembly aisle is almost as long as those in the other two buildings combined. The structure has no windows and a double roof to minimise the effects of sunlight and other external weather conditions. Mesh finer than that in a pollen mask is used in the ventilation system to filter the air; and the entire factory is held at positive pressure. Logistics across the site has been improved by the extra space and better layout, both inside and outside. One example is the new stores area that has been created for lathe kits destined for assembly at the Star factory in Dalian, China, which started machine tool production in the late 1990s.