JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 11

The construction sector, and in particular finishing and fittings, accounts for a significant share of the composites market in Japan. Over time, certain players have risen to the top, such as Housetec Inc. which, with a headcount of 2,000 employees, dominates the market in the greater Tokyo area, with its 35 million residents and a density of over 4,500 residents per square kilometre.
A wide range of products

housing

Housetec: a young company with

a background of 40 years’ experience
has three production sites, one of which covers over 275,000 m² at Ibaraki, less than two hours north-west of Tokyo. For example, Housetec Inc. is involved in the septic tank sector, a market undergoing strong development on account of ever stricter legislation. Production in this field is for the time being restricted to the domestic market, but it could attract the interest of neighbouring countries in the future. Today, exports only represent 2 to 3% of Housetec's total production, leaving plenty of margin for growth. To satisfy the growing needs of this market, the company has developed a new and extensive range of tanks both for individual homes and for small condominiums. These tanks are made using composites, and this offers substantial weight savings while facilitating installation. The company also works in the fields of railways, medical equipment, automotive parts, civil engineering, construction, electrical work, piping, steel structure construction, interior finishing work, installation construction machinery, construction equipment, water cleaning facility construction and design, construction and contracting, and solar water heaters. In addition to designing its various products in-house, Housetec also handles their marketing and maintenance. This policy results from a strategy that aims to provide customers with the best service possible. So, for example, a 24-hour telephone hotline is available all year round. With a diversified range of products, recognised customers and a perfect command of composite processes, Housetec Inc. has all that it takes to continue its development and win market share in exports, a sector in which it still has a lot of ground to make up.

Long experience
The company origins date back to the start of the 1960s. Back then, it surfed on the wave of reconstruction and the new expectations of the population with regard to comfort and hygiene. The company developed in the niche of baths made out of composites. These were lightweight – approximately 40 kg – and easy to install. In the 1970s, the company expanded its range of products into kitchens, and in the 90s began producing small septic tanks. Other markets, such as the railway industry, have been successfully targeted by the company. To support its development, the company has always been prepared to invest heavily in the composite materials sector with, in particular, its own prepregs production, of which today it produces in excess of 2,000 metric tons per month, with 6 to 9% of this sold externally. Pursuing this logic, following hand lay-up the company turned to SMC (12 presses are installed in Ibaraki), filament winding and RTM, and it works with both thermosetting and thermoplastic resins. Production is entirely automated, and composites represent 60% of the processed volumes.

A

former subsidiary of the Hitachi group, Housetec Inc. is today an independent entity. The company is the fruit of a merger between two Hitachi group companies, both specialised in capital goods. The new status has been effective since April 1, 2009. Housetec Inc.

A diversified activity

While the company’s business area that is most recognised and still most important in terms of volume is in bathrooms, kitchens, the manufacturing of the respective ancillary equipment and residential plumbing equipment, its activity also covers other diverse and sometimes complementary sectors.

No64 April 2011 / jec composites magazine
More information: www.housetec.co.jp

11

Companies & Business


http://www.housetec.co.jp

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011

Cover
Edito
Point of view: fast expansion
Contents
Agenda of Events
COMPANY & BUSINESS
In Brief
Reinforcement - Red Composites: a real expertise in carbon fibre
Housing - Housetec: a young company with a background of 40 years’ experience
Asia - Hua Dong Fibreglass, an SME that exports worldwide
APPLICATIONS
Construction - Creative eye-catching design for a new Sheraton hotel
Marine - Multiplast builds the Groupama V070
Awards - ICERP-JEC Innovation Awards Programme 2011: eight companies rewarded
MARKET
Human capital - Latest appointments
Sports and Leisure - Rossignol Group: innovation and performance in winter skis applications
FEATURE WIND ENERGY
Reinforcement - WebCore Technologies: great ambitions in the wind industry
New rovings for wind turbine blade applications
Prepreg spar caps: a solution for today
Software - Industrial software for manufacturing large components such as wind blades
Leveraging an end-to-end solution for composite wind turbine blades
Laser placement - Manufacturing rotor blades with highest precision while reducing costs
Automation - A fully-automated manufacturing process for wind blades
Maintenance - An innovative, certified blade repair system
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Testing - Using nano-scratch testing to detec composite failure
Mould - Processing technology for the rapid production of advanced composites
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATIONS
Robot - Robotic fibre placement machine helps reduce energy consumption
Process - A new industrialized construction process for transport infrastructures
Fibre placement - Tape laying and fibre palcement: complementary solutions
NDT - What’s new in non-destructive testing labs?
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Cover
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 2
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Edito
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Point of view: fast expansion
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 5
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Contents
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 7
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Agenda of Events
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - In Brief
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Reinforcement - Red Composites: a real expertise in carbon fibre
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Housing - Housetec: a young company with a background of 40 years’ experience
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Asia - Hua Dong Fibreglass, an SME that exports worldwide
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 13
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Construction - Creative eye-catching design for a new Sheraton hotel
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 15
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Marine - Multiplast builds the Groupama V070
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 17
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Awards - ICERP-JEC Innovation Awards Programme 2011: eight companies rewarded
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 19
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 20
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 21
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 22
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Human capital - Latest appointments
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Sports and Leisure - Rossignol Group: innovation and performance in winter skis applications
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 25
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 26
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 27
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Reinforcement - WebCore Technologies: great ambitions in the wind industry
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 29
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - New rovings for wind turbine blade applications
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Prepreg spar caps: a solution for today
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Software - Industrial software for manufacturing large components such as wind blades
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 33
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Leveraging an end-to-end solution for composite wind turbine blades
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 35
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 36
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 37
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Laser placement - Manufacturing rotor blades with highest precision while reducing costs
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 39
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Automation - A fully-automated manufacturing process for wind blades
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 41
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Maintenance - An innovative, certified blade repair system
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 43
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 44
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Testing - Using nano-scratch testing to detec composite failure
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 46
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 47
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 48
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Mould - Processing technology for the rapid production of advanced composites
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 50
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 51
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 52
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Robot - Robotic fibre placement machine helps reduce energy consumption
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Process - A new industrialized construction process for transport infrastructures
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 55
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - Fibre placement - Tape laying and fibre palcement: complementary solutions
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 57
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - NDT - What’s new in non-destructive testing labs?
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 59
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 60
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 61
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 62
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 63
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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 65
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 66
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JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #64 - April 2011 - 68
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