In recognition of his contributions to the development of smart factory technologies at Fuji and the advancement of the industry, Daisuke Kato, General Manager of the Smart Factory Development Department, has received the "Regular Member Employee Achievement Award" from the Japan Robot Association (JARA)^*1.

This award is presented to individuals who, through the development and research of new robotics and robotic systems technologies, have achieved remarkable results not only in improving their own company’s performance but also in advancing the robotics industry.

Fuji has been developing optimization and automation solutions for the entire production floor, including not only the production lines themselves but also the production preparation areas, with the aim of addressing labor shortages in the SMT placement process and improving factory line utilization rates. In addition, through the development of smart factory technologies capable of integrating with third-party machines and systems, Fuji has successfully developed and delivered production lines that enable collaboration among multiple companies. This award recognized the company’s technological developments aimed at automating and optimizing the entire SMT process, as well as its ongoing contributions to the advancement of the SMT industry.

Through FUJI Smart Factory, Fuji's proprietary smart factory initiative, the company is working to automate and reduce labor requirements across the entire SMT process, while developing solutions aimed at achieving autonomous production on factory floors. Examples of these initiatives include the Auto Kitting Station^*2 and Smart Storage^*3, which work in conjunction with Fuji's advanced NXTR A model placement machine to optimize and automate production preparation areas. These solutions help improve productivity on the manufacturing floor and support the realization of smart factories.

Moving forward, Fuji will continue to support customers’ production innovation through solutions that combine robotics and digital technologies, while contributing to the development of the manufacturing industry and the SMT industry.

*1 Japan Robot Association (JARA): An industry group dedicated to promoting Japan’s robotics industry through research and development of robots and robotic systems, the dissemination of related technologies, and the development of human resources.
*2 Auto Kitting Station A unit that automates the process of loading tape reels onto feeders (kitting) in the production preparation area.
*3 Smart Storage: A unit that automates the storage, sorting, and supply of feeders, which supply electronic parts to machines, in the production preparation area.

Related information
A World First! Announcing the Auto Kitting Station, a New Unit Automating the Tape Reel Loading Process for Feeders (May 28, 2026)
New Smart Storage Unveiled for the First Time (May 29, 2025)