Suntory Products Limited is a leading global company specializing in the production of high-quality non-alcoholic beverages. Suntory Products Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Suntory Foods International, and the Haruna plant is the main plant of the Suntory Group, one of the largest in eastern Japan. It was at this plant that Markforged's 3D printers first played an important role in production.

Suntory's soft drinks meet different consumer demands with a variety of PET bottle shapes, each tailored to the product concept and featuring complex designs including embossed details. Although the Haruna plant has advanced automation and labor-saving systems, product changeovers and maintenance are still performed manually. Engineers at all levels strive for efficiency and use creativity and ingenuity in their work.

Production engineers use 3D CAD to create fixtures that make their daily work easier. However, outsourcing production would be costly and time-consuming, and the designs would be limited by the capabilities of the external manufacturer.

Faced with these challenges, Suntory introduced Markforged 3D printers, known for their ability to produce precise, high-strength parts from carbon fiber, at the Haruna plant. Kazuya Fujihara, a production engineer for the packaging process, was involved in evaluating the technology. "We initially tested a very complex design," he said, "and the final product was excellent and matched the dimensions of the CAD data exactly. The material is as strong as metal but also tough, which makes it ideal for various applications such as fixtures and covers."

Mr. Fujihara praised the ease of use of the printer. The Eiger™️ 3D printing software is user-friendly and eliminates the need for temperature settings or nozzle size adjustments when changing materials. "The decision was made because anyone in the workshop can operate the machine. Otherwise it would remain unused," he added.

The Mark Two and Onyx One printers have been in full-time operation at the Haruna plant since their introduction. The Mark Two has clocked up over 8,000 hours of operation, producing almost 900 parts, while the Onyx One has clocked up over 4,000 hours of operation and produced more than 240 parts.

The young engineers are particularly proactive and use 3D CAD and markforged printers on a daily basis to create helpful tools and drive continuous improvement. "We discover numerous opportunities for improvement that were previously overlooked and can thus quickly put new ideas into practice," he emphasized.

Takahiro Fujimoto, a production engineer, often helps to change up to 300 tubes at a time, for example. "This task used to take three days and was physically demanding," he says. "Thanks to a newly developed device, we can now do it in two days and it's much less strenuous on our hands."

The successful implementation at the Haruna plant has led to the expansion of the use of Markforged 3D printers at Suntory Products and across the Suntory Group. To date, the Group has introduced 14 printers, improving productivity and innovation at multiple sites.

 "Previously, the production of a single template could cost tens of thousands of yen and take up to a month if outsourced. Now, with a Markforged 3D printer, it can be completed within a day at minimal cost."
 - Kazuya Fujihara

Looking to the future, Mr. Fujihara emphasized that the Haruna plant is focusing on modeling individual parts with 3D CAD. There are plans to expand the modeling of assemblies to develop attachments for machines and robots. In addition, there is an initiative to consolidate and share fixture design data within the Suntory Group to promote innovation and continuous improvement. "Our goal is to share successful designs and inspire new, creative solutions," Fujihara concluded, reiterating his commitment to using Markforged's 3D printers for future improvements.

 ""We discover numerous opportunities for improvement that we had previously overlooked and can therefore quickly put new ideas into practice. "
 - Kazuya Fujihara