Nakanishi Mfg. Co. to Unveil Noodle Weighing and Serving Robot at ProPak Asia 2026, Achieving 75% Manpower Reduction

Nakanishi Mfg. Co., Ltd. (TSE Standard: 5941, Headquarters: Ikuno-ku, Osaka, President: Kazuma Nakanishi), a manufacturer of commercial kitchen equipment, will exhibit at "ProPak Asia 2026," one of Asia's largest processing and packaging technology exhibitions, held in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2026. The company will showcase and demonstrate its "Boiled Noodle Weighing and Serving Robot" overseas for the first time. This robot automates the precise serving of boiled noodles in 1-gram increments while reducing manpower by 75%. Nakanishi Mfg. Co. aims to propose a fundamental solution using Japanese automation technology to food manufacturing sites in Thailand facing challenges such as labor shortages, rising wages, and inadequate quality control.

Background Although the food manufacturing industry in Thailand is a key industry accounting for about 25% of the GDP, securing a workforce has become difficult due to a rapidly aging population and the younger generation shying away from manufacturing jobs. In addition, manual weighing leads to unstable serving volumes, causing not only the disposal of non-standard products (food waste) but also a severe burden on workers due to long working hours. The company proposes the "Boiled Noodle Weighing and Serving Robot," which can dispense even long pasta—previously considered difficult to automate—at high speeds without cutting it. By automating precise serving in 1-gram increments and reducing manpower by 75%, the robot resolves labor shortages and achieves Japanese-standard quality control simultaneously, enhancing factory sustainability.

Product and Service Features

75% Manpower Reduction, 7.2x Production Capacity with One Operator The robot reduces overall process manpower by 75% and improves per-capita production capacity by approximately 7.2 times. Previously, producing 1,000 meals per hour required 4 workers (250 meals per person). With the introduction of this robot, a single serving operator can process 1,800 meals per hour, cutting the overall process workforce by 75% and boosting individual capacity by roughly 7.2 times.

Quality Improvement and Waste Reduction via "Combinatorial Weighing" Equipped with a "combinatorial weigher" that instantly selects the combination closest to the target weight from 14 weighing conveyors. By eliminating manual inconsistencies and serving with 1-gram precision, it significantly reduces food waste caused by over-serving. Furthermore, minimizing human intervention through automation lowers the risk of contamination, such as hair mixing into the food.

Excellent Maintainability with Tool-Free Disassembly Structure It adopts a structure where each unit can be removed and disassembled without tools. Even at work sites in Thailand, a single worker can seamlessly handle everything from cleaning to hygiene management, ensuring a consistently clean manufacturing environment and high operational efficiency.

Future Outlook Following its exhibition at "FHA (Singapore)" in April 2026, Nakanishi Mfg. Co. plans to continue exhibiting at trade shows in major global cities, including Asia and North America. The "Boiled Noodle Weighing and Serving Robot," making its overseas debut, is a core product driving the company's global automation strategy. The company will continue to solve "simple, repetitive tasks" in food manufacturing using cutting-edge technology, providing advanced automation and labor-saving solutions to food factories worldwide facing labor shortages and soaring personnel costs.

ProPak Asia 2026 Exhibit Overview - Boiled Noodle Weighing and Serving Robot Dimensions: W1,700 × D2,230 × H2,450 (mm) *Minimum configuration Main features: Automatic untangling of boiled noodles like long pasta, high-precision weighing, and automatic serving into containers. - SV Roaster *Theater exhibition utilizing projection mapping Dimensions: W2,750 × D1,350 × H1,860 (mm) Main features: Baking ingredients using superheated steam. Capable of versatile cooking methods including simmering, baking, and steaming. - IH Multi-Tier Rice Cooker *Tasting of rice balls cooked by the actual machine will be available Dimensions: W730 × D640 × H1,200 (mm) Main features: A 3-tier commercial IH rice cooker that requires no ventilation hood, enabling efficient continuous cooking.

Event Overview - Dates: June 10-13, 2026 - Venue: IMPACT Muang Thong Thani (Bangkok) - Booth Number: C3-AX04

About Nakanishi Mfg. Co., Ltd. Founded privately in 1946 for the purpose of selling alumite tableware for school lunches. Later developed dishwashers and incorporated in 1958. Since then, the company has excelled in flexible proposals systematizing complex kitchen equipment, focusing on equipment for school lunches. It also provides kitchen equipment to restaurant chains such as McDonald's. Listed on the "Standard Market" of the Tokyo Stock Exchange since April 2022.