Tojiro Co., Ltd. Reduces Monthly Material Handling by 1,000 Times with Kachaka Pro AMR

Preferred Robotics Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Toru Isobe) has implemented its autonomous mobile robot, 'Kachaka Pro,' at the manufacturing facility of Tojiro Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tsubame-shi, Niigata). This initiative is designed to reduce the burden of material handling that increased with the opening of a new factory, enabling artisans to stop interrupting their work for transport and instead focus on high-value tasks.

Background: Increased Transport Distance and Labor-Intensive Tasks Since its founding in 1953, Tojiro has been manufacturing knives using the 'nuki-hamono' (blanking) method with stainless steel. Its products, combining traditional and latest technologies, are widely used by professionals overseas, with a production capacity of approximately 3,000 knives per day. Tojiro actively invests in automation and has introduced two Kachaka Pro units to handle transport between processes.

With the opening of a new factory in July 2025 to meet global demand, the physical distance between processes increased, leading to an increased burden on artisans. Workers were transporting boxes weighing up to 20 kg, raising concerns about physical strain and productivity loss, prompting the investigation of transport robots.

Overview: Automated Transport Through Sheet Shutters The two Kachaka Pro units are tasked with transporting products identified with micro-scratches in the inspection process back to the polishing and repair processes. They operate across nine routes connecting five processes: packaging (inspection), polishing, sharpening, blasting, and handle insertion. The route includes four sheet shutters, which the Kachaka Pro units traverse automatically.

The units can be intuitively configured via tablet, allowing young staff to master them in just one day. They remain flexible, allowing for route reconfiguration when factory layouts change.

Results: Over 1,000 Automated Trips per Month The greatest impact has been the elimination of physically demanding manual transport tasks. The units perform an average of 54 automated trips per day, amounting to over 1,000 times per month that manual transport has been reduced. This not only eases physical strain but also frees up nearly one hour per day for production and quality inspection tasks.