What Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery does

Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery (日本自働精機株式会社) is a Japanese privately held manufacturer of custom automated packaging and battery production machinery, founded in 1958 and headquartered in Totsuka-ku, Yokohama. The company operates in the industrial automation niche, building continuous and intermittent horizontal and vertical cartoners (e.g., CRF-2000, CTC-1000, EVIC), rotary and linear shrink labelers (SL-900S, AW-400, ESG-150P) with throughputs up to 400 bottles per minute, L-sealers and side sealers, casers, and specialty wrappers. A second business line covers cylindrical battery manufacturing lines — including lithium-ion, manganese, and alkaline — with the company claiming complete in-house capability for battery finishing and packaging lines serving approximately 50 customers globally.

The company's customer base spans pharmaceutical, food and beverage, cosmetics, and battery manufacturers, with named enterprise customers including Takeda Pharmaceutical, Rohto, Santen, Earth Corporation, Ajinomoto, Coca-Cola Japan, Shiseido, Kao, Panasonic Energy, FDK, Denso, and Hitachi. GTM is direct enterprise field sales — domestic and overseas sales teams manage the full cycle from inquiry through installation, training, and after-sales service — supplemented by participation in major Japanese packaging trade shows (FOOMA JAPAN, JAPAN PACK, Drink Japan). Revenue streams include hardware sales of packaging machinery, battery manufacturing equipment, EV chargers (3-6kW normal and 50-100kW rapid), Squid Ink printing systems (where NAFM acts as domestic sales agent), and auto fire extinguishing products; one disclosed price point is the SS-αX side seal machine at ¥65,000/month on a lease model.

The firm is family-controlled across the Tanaka lineage (Masamichi → Toshihiko → Hirokazu, the current president since 2013), with no public listing, no disclosed institutional investors, and no parent company. Geographic reach spans roughly 17 countries, anchored in Japan with significant customer relationships in the USA, China, Korea, Indonesia, and India. Recognition includes the 1999 Science and Technology Agency Director's Award for the leak-prevention tube insertion machine and the JAPAN PACK AWARDS 2009 for the EVIC pharmaceutical cartoner.

Name

Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery

Legal name

日本自働精機株式会社

Website

https://nafm.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery is a Japanese family-owned manufacturer founded in 1958 specializing in custom automated packaging machinery — cartoners, shrink labelers, casers, and cylindrical battery production lines — serving pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and battery manufacturers in roughly 17 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084)

akta.pro primary industry

Cartoning & Case Packing Systems (IMAHAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bundling, Overwrapping & Shrink Packaging Equipment (IMALAOAI), Wrapping & Bundling Equipment (Shrink/Stretch) (IMAHAOAD), End-of-Line Integration & Packaging Line Systems (IMAHAOAN), Bagging, Pouching & Sachet Packaging Equipment (IMAHAOAH)

Keywords

• Packaging machinery
• Cartoning equipment
• Shrink labelers
• Battery manufacturing equipment
• Industrial automation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Yokohama-shi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Automated Packaging Machinery Sales: Sale of cartoner machines, shrink labelers, shrink packaging machines, case packers, and other automated packaging equipment. Custom machine development services included.
2. Battery Manufacturing Equipment: Lithium-ion battery, manganese battery, and alkaline battery manufacturing line equipment and systems.
3. EV Charging Equipment: Sales of normal chargers (3-6kW) and rapid chargers (50-100kW), including installation, maintenance, and government subsidy application support.
4. Auto Fire Extinguishing Products: Auto fire extinguishing stickers, ropes, tapes, and microcapsules for fire prevention.
5. Battery Products Sales: Sales of battery cells, modules, and packs. Also handles battery-related materials and components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Manufactures and sells automated packaging machinery including continuous and intermittent cartoners (small box packaging machines), rotary and linear shrink labelers, shrink packaging machines (L-sealers, side sealers), and carton packers. Also produces battery manufacturing lines (cylindrical lithium-ion, manganese, alkaline), EV chargers, and automatic fire extinguishing products. Offers custom one-off machine development tailored to customer specifications.

Product overview

Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery (日本自働精機株式会社) is a Japanese packaging machinery manufacturer founded in 1958, offering a comprehensive portfolio of automatic packaging and battery manufacturing equipment. The product lineup centers on cartoners (小箱詰機) including continuous-motion (CRF-2000, CRF-3000, C-7NR, C-8NL, VCC-100) and intermittent-motion models (NC-100, CTC-1000, EVIC, C-52, C-100, C-200, CB-1N, OTC-100, CIC-100); shrink labelers including rotary (SL-900S, SW-8) and linear types (AW-100, AW-300, AW-400, ESE-100, ESG-150P) plus cap sealers (CH-100); shrink packaging machines (SS-αA automatic L-sealer, SS-αH semi-automatic L-sealer, SS-αX side sealer); and specialty equipment such as caramel wrappers (W-3N), paper sleeve wrappers (APS-35), bento packaging (MDA-250), band wrappers (BD-100), backing attachment machines (FM-320), pouch packaging (SDP-100), and carton packers (CBD-100). The company also manufactures battery production equipment including FM-200 battery testers, manganese/alkaline battery lines, and 18650 lithium-ion battery lines; distributes fire extinguishing products (stickers, ropes, tapes, capsules) and EV chargers; and serves as domestic sales agent for Squid Ink printing systems. Solutions span food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and battery industries with turnkey automation line capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRF-2000 Continuous Horizontal Cartoner Continuous horizontal cartoner with GMP-compliant design for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics manufacturers, achieving up to 250 CPM with reliable high-speed operation via rotary carton erection.
• CRF-3000 Continuous Horizontal Cartoner Large-format continuous horizontal cartoner for GMP-compliant production, handling larger carton sizes using the same rotary erection mechanism as CRF-2000.
• C-7NR High-Speed Continuous Horizontal Cartoner High-speed continuous horizontal cartoner with single-motor mechanical structure, achieving up to 300 CPM with rigidity suited to long-term production runs.
• C-8NL Continuous Horizontal Cartoner Double-sack setup-type high-speed continuous horizontal cartoner for large cartons, supporting various flap configurations including 4-piece glued, 3-piece straight flap, and reverse flap insertion.
• VCC-100 Continuous Vertical Cartoner Vertical continuous-motion cartoner with facing-type product feeding space enabling multiple operators to load various attachments; designed for operator-friendly loading.
• NC-100 Intermittent Horizontal Cartoner Intermittent small box cartoner ideal for tubes, stick packs, and pillow products, featuring a simple structure with reliable carton forming and easy maintenance.
• CTC-1000 Pharmaceutical Intermittent Cartoner Intermittent horizontal cartoner for pharmaceutical PTP packaging from 100 to 1000 tablets, with GMP-compliant balcony-type design and digital position management.
• EVIC Intermittent Horizontal Cartoner Intermittent cartoner specialized for pharmaceutical PTP 100-tablet packaging; features servo-driven major part changeovers and GMP-compliant balcony structure. Winner of JAPAN PACK AWARDS 2009.
• C-100 Intermittent Horizontal Cartoner Lightweight intermittent horizontal cartoner using index mechanism, featuring rotary carton forming with pre-forming mechanism for reliable operation with thin cartons.
• C-200 Intermittent Horizontal Cartoner Medium-sized intermittent cartoner with rotary box forming and timing belt product buckets to reduce carton damage and minimize machine weight.
• CB-1N Accumulation Cartoner NAFM's accumulation cartoner featuring one-touch carton lock mechanism, wide carton dimension range, and digital counter handle for quick product changeovers.
• OTC-100 Intermittent Vertical Cartoner Compact intermittent vertical cartoner with automated carton extraction, forming, and top sealing for labor-saving operation.
• CIC-100 Semi-Automatic Vertical Cartoner Semi-automatic vertical cartoner with automated carton extraction, forming and sealing; supports 4-flap, 3-flap bottom insertion and adhesive options with simple structure for easy cleaning.
• CH-100 Cap Sealer Compact cap sealer for connection to existing lines, with approximately 10-minute product changeover for small-batch multi-product production.
• SL-900S Rotary Shrink Labeler Medium-speed rotary shrink labeler for PET and glass bottles with pilot-assisted label application for precise fit on tight label diameters; changeover time reduced by more than half.
• SW-8 Compact Rotary Shrink Labeler Compact rotary shrink labeler designed for small-sized products, compatible with various containers including PET and glass bottles.
• AW-100 Windmill-Type Shrink Labeler Unique windmill-type shrink labeler combining linear and rotary features, designed for both body shrink and cap shrink applications with guillotine cutter for clean cuts.
• AW-300/AW-400 High-Speed Linear Shrink Labeler High-speed linear shrink labeler for empty containers and ice cream cups; AW-300 at 250 BPM and AW-400 customized version achieving up to 400 BPM throughput.
• ESE-100 Compact Linear Shrink Labeler Compact linear shrink labeler (675mm width) for connection to existing lines, handling full shrink and body shrink applications at 100 BPM.
• ESG-150P Servo-Driven Shrink Labeler Medium-speed shrink labeler with servo motors for precise label cutting; tool-free changeover in approximately 10 minutes by replacing only the former.
• SS-αA Automatic L-Sealer Automatic L-sealer requiring only conveyor loading for automatic packaging, with easy film waste removal and simple film replacement and operation.
• SS-αH Semi-Automatic L-Sealer Semi-automatic L-sealer combined with heater tunnel for optimal usability; electromagnet-driven cutter and automatic conveyor activation after sealing.
• SS-αX Continuous Side Sealer Continuous side sealer capable of handling long products with continuous sealing; compact design for limited space installation, available with monthly lease starting at ¥65,000.
• W-3N Caramel Wrapper Vertical intermittent rotary wrapper for film-overwrapping of rectangular products like small boxes and plastic cases; the first packaging machine developed by the company's founding president.
• APS-35 Paper Sleeve Wrapper Eco-friendly paper sleeve packaging machine addressing plastic reduction, suitable for food, sundries, and various products with compact design and easy changeover.
• MDA-250 Bento Packaging Machine Cap sealer for lidded containers using heat-seal method (not adhesive) for easy container reuse; handles various container shapes and contributes to tampering prevention.
• BD-100 Band Wrapping Machine Band wrapping machine that accumulates products from upstream line, applies bands via bander, and transfers wrapped products to next conveyor with position verification.
• SDP-100 Pouch Packaging Machine Pouch packaging machine for bottles and tubes that opens pre-sized bags, automatically loads tube/bottle products, heat-seals opened bags, and discharges finished packages at 60 units/minute.
• CBD-100 Carton Packer (Caser) Carton packer for loading small boxes and bagged products into corrugated boxes; flexible customization for heavy items and various packing patterns including grid, sashimi, compound, and tiered configurations.
• FM-200 Battery Tester Battery tester that measures batteries from hopper, sorts good products from defective at 30 units/minute with SD card data storage for battery quality verification.
• Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Line Cylindrical lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines from assembly to finishing and packaging, with proprietary special machine development capabilities and after-service support; supplied to approximately 50 companies worldwide.
• Manganese and Alkaline Battery Manufacturing Equipment Manganese and alkaline dry battery manufacturing equipment and packaging lines with tube insertion machine that won the Science and Technology Agency Director-General Award for leak prevention.
• 18650 Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Equipment 18650 lithium-ion battery manufacturing equipment including assembly machines and related components; details available upon inquiry.
• Automatic Fire Extinguishing Products Automatic fire extinguishing products using nano-fluorine ketone-based coating with microcapsules that detect 120-220°C temperatures and release extinguishing agent; includes stickers, ropes, tapes, and microcapsule forms. Sold in 17 countries.
• EV Chargers (Normal and Rapid) EV chargers including normal chargers (3-6kW) for home/office and rapid chargers (50-100kW) for highways/service areas; one-stop solutions including installation, maintenance, and government subsidy application support.
• Squid Ink Printing Devices Squid Ink printing devices including laser coders and inkjet printers for product identification and traceability; CIJ models up to 365m/min, thermal printers at 240m/min, high-resolution printers at 146m/min.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400 bottles/minute shrink labeler capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Squid InkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAppointed as domestic sales agent for Squid Ink printers in Japan. Squid Ink is a major manufacturer of product identification and traceability coding/marking systems with sales in 70 countries. Provides printers including CIJ models up to 365m/min, thermal printers at 240m/min, and high-resolution printers.
• 永新プラスチック商事株式会社 (Eishin Plastic Trading)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition partnership at Drink Japan trade shows. Pet bottle preform and cap supplier collaborating on beverage packaging solutions.
• SUNINEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCO2 laser marking devices offered as part of printing solutions for product identification and traceability.
• PNEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEV chargers including normal chargers (3-6kW) and rapid chargers (50-100kW) offered as part of EV infrastructure solutions.
• BENISONminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPET recycled pellet (30% recycled content) film offered as eco-friendly packaging material option.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ishida Co., Ltd. Major Japanese packaging machinery maker specializing in multi-head weighers, bagmakers, and integrated packaging lines for food. Comparable target vertical (food/beverage) and overlapping product categories.
• Shibuya Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of cartoners, case packers, and packaging machinery for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical lines. Most direct head-to-head peer in Japan for cartoning and case packing automation.
• Fuji Machinery Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of cartoning, wrapping, and packaging machinery. Direct competitor in cartoners and case packers for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications.
• Hirano Tecseed Co., Ltd. Japanese maker of coating and packaging equipment. Comparable niche-Japanese industrial machinery manufacturer serving similar industrial customer base.
• CKD Corporation: Japanese manufacturer of packaging machinery, factory automation components, and pneumatic equipment. Overlaps with NAFM on cartoning and packaging automation for pharmaceutical and industrial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Bosch Packaging Technology: Global incumbent in pharmaceutical and food packaging machinery. Represents the scale competitive benchmark NAFM competes against for major pharma/food line contracts.
• Krones AG: Global beverage packaging and shrink labeler supplier. Overlaps with NAFM in shrink labeler/heater systems for PET/glass bottle applications and competes for Coca-Cola Japan-class accounts.
• Marchesini Group: Italian pharmaceutical packaging machinery OEM globally benchmarked against NAFM in cartoning and GMP-compliant pharma packaging segments.

Others

• Squid Ink Manufacturing: US-based manufacturer of CIJ/thermal/high-resolution printers whose products NAFM distributes in Japan as a domestic sales agent. Channel partner rather than competitor.

Regional players

• Yakushima Yakushima Tenma Co. Japanese specialty packaging machinery maker (cartoners/case packers) operating in similar domestic segment with comparable GMP-compliant line expertise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nippon Automatic Fine Machinery