Manufacturing and Logistics

YKK AP's strength lies in its "integrated production system" business model, in which the company itself handles everything from materials, parts, and production equipment to processing and assembly.

The glass used for our vinyl windows and other core products is procured as raw sheets and processed in-house. In addition, all manufacturing processes, from smelting the raw metal for aluminum and blending the base materials for vinyl, are carried out in-house at our domestic and overseas manufacturing sites.

Even the development and manufacture of parts, which constitute the backbone of our products, is carried out in-house. We build on our technological development capabilities, including elemental technologies, to produce metal and plastic functional parts such as door rollers, screws, and netting for screens. We also have various types of test and evaluation functions, ensuring more reliable quality of parts.

In addition, an in-house division called Machinery and Engineering is responsible for the development and manufacture of equipment for making our products. We are working to further enhance our technical competitiveness through seamless and rapid collaboration between the Machinery and Engineering Department, the Research and Development Division, and the Manufacturing Division.

As part of the "Realization of Manufacturing Reform," in the 6th Mid-term Business Policy, we will also pursue a shift to smart factories. We are building new city-based, unattended production lines that do not rely on human labor, making full use of robots as well as AI and other digital technologies.

We believe that our insistence on integrated production enables us to develop technology quickly, control costs throughout the supply chain, and guarantee reliable quality.

YKK AP aims to promote logistics efficiency and productivity improvement to realize sustainable logistics.

Specifically, we have introduced a "unit load" system that efficiently transports cargo in units such as pallets and containers, enabling efficient loading and unloading that does not rely on driver experience and intuition. In addition, Y-Caps, a proprietary system designed to efficiently load pallets onto truck beds, identifies the optimal combination of products and pallets to improve truck loading efficiency and enable optimal dispatch management. Moreover, in order to reduce work hours associated with various logistics processes, we are pursuing sustainable logistics through joint transportation with other companies, thereby reducing drivers' time commitment.

Another important issue is to create a safe and healthy workplace for employees involved in manufacturing. We are creating a stress-free and fulfilling workplace by installing airconditioning equipment and air-conditioned clothing to combat heat, and improving the environment of the cafeterias and restrooms. To enhance safety, we also continue to conduct regular equipment and machinery safety audits every three years to ensure the intrinsic safety of our equipment.In addition, we have been identifying and improving "shortcut behaviors" and "troublesome tasks" in the workplace in order to eliminate all unsafe practices, and we will provide training to workplace leaders to incorporate hazard prediction into their training, further strengthening safety awareness.