Daikin to automate air conditioner assembly, halving staffing needs

Updated production setup eyed for Japan plant in 2027 as global demand grows

20240129N Daikin Shiga

Daikin's plant in Shiga prefecture makes over 600 different types of air conditioners every year. (Photo by Hisashi Iwato)

HISASHI IWATO, Nikkei staff writer

OSAKA -- Japan's Daikin Industries plans to automate most of the assembly process for its air conditioners as soon as 2027, looking to keep pace with a projected tripling of global demand by 2050 amid a worsening labor crunch at home.

The updated production methods will be introduced at a new plant scheduled to start operations as early as 2027 in Ibaraki prefecture near Tokyo.

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