Makino Asia Marks 50 Years of Innovating in Singapore for Asia and the World

• Played a pivotal role in Singapore’s shift to advanced manufacturing
• Latest innovation optimises production efficiency and high-quality precision in aerospace, medical, automotive and semiconductor industries 
• With S$1 billion in annual revenue, continues to contribute to carbon neutrality
• 1,700 employees 
  

Makino Asia Pte Ltd, a leading provider of machine tools, today commemorated 50 years of its presence in Singapore, where it serves as the Asia-Pacific headquarters. Achieving the milestone of S$1 billion in annual revenue last year, the Asia-Pacific business currently contributes more than 40% to the group’s consolidated revenues.

At its Jubilee Celebration earlier today, Makino Asia unveiled its latest state-of-the-art innovation, the S50 Vertical Machining Centre (VMC), designed to optimise production efficiency and provide consistent quality for precision metal-cutting in the aerospace, medical, automotive and semiconductor industries.

Makino Asia’s S$75M International Research and Development (IRD) Centre here, stands as the only one of its kind outside Japan. The facility spearheads the design and development of industry-leading machine tools for fast-evolving industries, including New Energy Vehicles (NEV). These Singapore-designed and made machines are currently being used by customers in over 40 countries across the world.

In 2019, Makino Asia launched its advanced machining factory in Singapore as a model machining factory incorporating state-of-the-art automation technologies that continue to rival other technologically-advanced countries like Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. The advanced machining factory continues to play a pivotal role in the innovation and implementation of new solutions, achieving a 60% increased output per employee by streamlining processes and automating repetitive tasks.

Makino Asia continues towards innovation and operational excellence. With its proprietary Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) system being fully digitalised, it ensures end-to-end traceability and seamless inter-process information-sharing, empowering informed decisions and a swift resolution to operational challenges. This digitalisation and automation of manufacturing processes enables advanced data analytics and drives holistic efficiency improvements beyond individual optimisation. In addition, Makino Asia is also actively exploring opportunities to invest in Additive Manufacturing, recognising its potential to complement conventional subtractive processes and revolutionise the future of manufacturing.

Its employees currently stand at 1,700 across Singapore, China, India, ASEAN and Europe of which more than 500 are based here, at its Singapore regional headquarters. In attracting and retaining global talent Makino Asia has been able to foster diversity, bringing varied perspectives and expertise to the organisation to further entrench the country’s position as a global hub for advanced manufacturing. It partners with various government agencies and actively collaborates with educational institutions such as ITE, Polytechnics, Universities and industry players on both local and global levels, in support of nurturing and developing a robust talent pool.

“In pursuing our responsibility towards the environment, we currently have application technologies for our customers to reduce energy consumption through using their machine tools more efficiently. In the decades to come, we will make a concerted effort towards pursuing environmental sustainability in all Makino Asia products.”

The company is cognisant of its responsibility towards environmental sustainability and strives to ensure sustainable production while designing machines optimised for specific materials. In Singapore, its advanced machining factory uses chilled water to regulate temperatures, leading to 25% reduction in power consumption, while its solar panels provide 20% of the electricity consumed, reducing overall carbon footprint.