Tanabe Willtec Inc.

Tanabe Willtec Inc. (タナベウィルテック株式会社) is a Japanese manufacturer of industrial separation equipment, based in Higashiyodogawa-ku, Osaka. The company designs and sells centrifuges, filter-dryers and extractors used for solid-liquid separation, concentration and washing of slurries across the pharmaceutical, chemical, food, recycling and water-treatment industries. Its product range covers centrifugal filtration and centrifugal sedimentation machines in both batch and continuous configurations, including basket, decanter, de-cone, multi-stage, biosettler and centrifugal extractor types, as well as vacuum filter-dryers. The business traces its origins to 1896, when a Tanabe ironworks began producing dewatering machines. It was incorporated as a legal entity in June 1947 under the name Tanabe Iron Works (株式会社田邉鉄工所), specialising in centrifuges, and adopted its present name, Tanabe Willtec, in 1992. The company is privately held, with stated capital of 100 million yen, and is led by representative director Hiroyasu Tanabe. It employs around 165 people and banks with Mitsubishi UFJ, Resona, Sumitomo Mitsui and Mizuho. Tanabe Willtec operates a head office and Yodogawa plant in Osaka, a Hirakata plant in Osaka Prefecture, a Tokyo branch in Sumida-ku, and a Tokyo plant in Asaka, Saitama. It also maintains a Chinese affiliate, Tanabe Centrifugal Machinery (Shanghai), serving the Chinese market. Over its history the company has developed numerous specialised centrifuges and entered technology and sales partnerships with overseas firms in Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Switzerland, and has licensed technology to partners in Taiwan and South Korea. Its equipment is applied to a wide catalogue of processed materials, from resins such as ABS, EPS and PVC to inorganic chemicals, pigments, toners, food ingredients and environmental slurries. This breadth of application, combined with a long engineering heritage in separation technology, positions Tanabe Willtec as a specialist supplier of customised centrifugal separation solutions rather than a mass-market machinery producer.

The enterprise that became Tanabe Willtec traces its beginnings to 1896 (Meiji 29), when a Tanabe ironworks manufactured dewatering machines. In 1920 (Taisho 9) production continued under the name Osaka Dehydration Machine Manufacturing, marketing its products as dehydrators. After the disruption of the Second World War, the business was reorganised in June 1947 (Showa 22) as a corporate entity, Tanabe Iron Works Co., Ltd. (株式会社田邉鉄工所), dedicated to the production of centrifuges. In 1959 the company responded to demand for mass production and labour saving by developing the AT-type fully automatic centrifuge, equipping it with safety mechanisms such as abnormal-vibration detection, full-load detection and automatic scraper devices. Between 1962 and 1964 it developed a series of specialised centrifuges for applications including painting, de-oiling, oiling, ships, pharmaceuticals, waste acid, gypsum and ABS resin. In the late 1960s it built and relocated to the Hirakata plant to expand capacity, and produced the AO-110, described as the world's largest centrifuge for dewatering printing felt. During 1972–1981 the company developed the SHC-type horizontal continuous de-cone centrifuge, entered a technical tie-up with Flottweg of Germany for high-speed decanters, moved into pollution-prevention applications, delivered its first flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge to an electric power company, and supplied a three-phase separation high-speed decanter for tar sludge. In 1982 it signed a distributorship agreement with Chen An Enterprise of Taiwan. Between 1986 and 1988, responding to internationalisation, it licensed flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge technology to Ketema of the United States and to Broadbent of the United Kingdom, formed a sales tie-up with Filtroba of Switzerland for helical filters and with Guedu of France for filtration and mixing dryers, and licensed high-speed decanter and AT-type centrifuge technology to Taiwan and South Korea. In 1989 the company developed the ACE-type large-capacity flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge and the TOP-type top-drive centrifuge. In 1991 it won an overseas order for 36 units of the ACE-900 flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge for Ratcliffe Powergen, a UK power company. In 1992 it changed its name to Tanabe Willtec Co., Ltd. and made a fresh start. In 1994 it built a dedicated A plant within the Yodogawa works for filtration and mixing dryers and GMP-compliant machines. In 1995 it licensed DAC-type centrifuge technology to Se Won Heavy Industries of South Korea, and in 1996 it licensed flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge technology to Bird of the United States. In 1997, marking its 50th anniversary, it built an engineering centre, research centre and B plant within the Yodogawa works as its business expanded. The company today operates from its Osaka head office and Yodogawa plant, with additional manufacturing at Hirakata and a Tokyo plant in Asaka, Saitama, a Tokyo branch, and a Shanghai affiliate, Tanabe Centrifugal Machinery (Shanghai). It remains a privately held specialist in centrifugal separation equipment.

• 1997

  Marks its 50th anniversary and builds an engineering centre, research centre and B plant within the Yodogawa works.

• 1996

  Licenses flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge technology to Bird of the United States.

• 1995

  Licenses DAC-type centrifuge technology to Se Won Heavy Industries of South Korea.

• 1994

  Builds a dedicated A plant for filter-dryers and GMP-compliant machines within the Yodogawa works.

• 1992

  Changes its name to Tanabe Willtec Co., Ltd.

• 1991

  Wins an order for 36 ACE-900 flue-gas desulfurization centrifuges for Ratcliffe Powergen (UK).

• 1989

  Develops the ACE-type large-capacity flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge and the TOP-type top-drive centrifuge.

• 1986

  Licenses flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge technology to Ketema (US) and Broadbent (UK); forms sales tie-ups with Filtroba (Switzerland) and Guedu (France).

• 1982

  Signs a distributorship agreement with Chen An Enterprise of Taiwan.

• 1972

  Develops the SHC-type horizontal continuous de-cone centrifuge and enters a technical tie-up with Flottweg of Germany.

• 1966

  Builds and relocates to the Hirakata plant; produces the AO-110 felt dewatering centrifuge.

• 1962

  Begins developing specialised centrifuges for painting, de-oiling, pharmaceuticals, waste acid, gypsum and ABS resin.

• 1959

  Develops the AT-type fully automatic centrifuge with safety mechanisms.

• 1947

  Incorporated as Tanabe Iron Works Co., Ltd., specialising in centrifuges.

• 1920

  Production continues as Osaka Dehydration Machine Manufacturing, marketing dehydrators.

• 1896

  Tanabe ironworks manufactures dewatering machines.

Specialist engineering manufacturer of customised industrial centrifugal separation, filtration-drying and extraction equipment for process industries.

• AT-type fully automatic centrifuge

  Fully automatic centrifuge developed in 1959 with abnormal-vibration detection, full-load detection and automatic scraper devices.

• SHC-type horizontal continuous de-cone centrifuge

  Horizontal continuous de-cone centrifuge developed in the 1970s.

• ACE-type large-capacity flue-gas desulfurization centrifuge

  Large-capacity centrifuge for flue-gas desulfurization, developed in 1989; 36 ACE-900 units ordered by Ratcliffe Powergen in 1991.

• TOP-type top-drive centrifuge

  Top-drive centrifuge developed in 1989.

• DAC-type centrifuge

  Centrifuge technology licensed to Se Won Heavy Industries of South Korea in 1995.

• AO-110 felt dewatering centrifuge

  Described as the world's largest centrifuge for dewatering printing felt, produced in the late 1960s.

• Basket centrifuge

  Batch centrifugal filtration or sedimentation machine using a perforated or non-perforated basket wall.

• Decanter centrifuge

  Continuous centrifugal sedimentation machine.

• Multi-stage centrifuge

  Continuous centrifugal filtration machine.

• Biosettler centrifuge

  Ultra-high-speed batch centrifugal sedimentation machine.

• Centrifugal extractor

  Continuous liquid-liquid centrifugal extraction machine.

• Vacuum filter-dryer

  Batch filtration and vacuum drying machine.

1. 1会社情報｜タナベウィルテック株式会社tanabewilltec.co.jp
2. 2遠心分離機とは｜タナベウィルテック株式会社tanabewilltec.co.jp
3. 3Tanabe Willtec Inc. (Japan) - Wikidatawikidata.org