Reducing the dependency on individuals of the onsite and improving production efficiency by 1.5 times. Contributing to raising internal motivation in only 3 months after introduction.
- CFX's "immediate impact" of being able to take on all the work during the peak season, which it had no choice but to turn down in the past. -

Inashin, headquartered in Edogawa, Tokyo, has been mainly engaged in the production of in-store menus and POP advertisements since its establishment in 1976, using its strength in laminating technology. It will mark its 50th anniversary in October 2025, and now the company will have a system that can handle everything from banners, tapestries, panels, signboards, and interior construction with one stop. In particular, when the amusement industry, a major customer, suddenly cooled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has taken an aggressive stance by pioneering new industries with bold sales activities. In March 2025, the company introduced the CFX-2513 flatbed cutting plotter. In more than three months since the establishment, it has contributed not only to labor saving and efficiency improvement but also to internal motivation improvement.

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— Please tell us the current main business contents

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Our main business for many years has been the production of menus and promotional POP advertisements for restaurants. As the company has gradually expanded its target market to include entertainment-related businesses, it has also increased the number of large-format printers and cutting plotters. At present, the company's sales are based on the two pillars of "output processing" and "POP production."

In inkjet printing, we mainly produce posters, floor seats and panels. As for equipment, we have the JV330-160, an eco-solvent printer newly installed in March 2025, and the CF2-0907, a flatbed cutting plotter introduced in 2010. They are operating at almost full capacity.

Recently, when the sales promotion materials related to the amusement industry suddenly cooled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have expanded our customer base by steadily conducting sales activities in various industries. It wasn't easy, but we gradually gained recognition for our quality and responsiveness to deadlines, and we now have clients in a wide range of industries, including events and exhibitions, cosmetics manufacturers, and retailers. We have been praised for our ability to provide one stop services not only for output but also for interior construction of stores. In many cases, the scope of work entrusted to us by a single client expands.

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― Please tell us the background of the introduction of CFX-2513

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In recent years, customer needs have increased, especially for deformable floor seats, life-size panels, and hanging panels, and the amount of orders received has increased by 10-15% every year. Under these circumstances, I strongly felt that it was necessary to automate the cutting process for not only small but also large sizes.

So, when I examined the machines of each manufacturer, I felt that the usability of CFX was the best. First of all, since most of the data input from the client is Adobe Illustrator, the software "FineCut" that can directly and easily cut like CF2 is a big point. In addition, since it mainly processes PVC adhesive sheets and styrene boards, I felt that it would be too much for other companies' over-spec machines. On the other hand, we decided to introduce it because we felt that it was "firmly developed for this industry," such as having all the tools that are indispensable for making signs, including those that are not found in other companies' machines. And the fact that it is not affected by exchange rate fluctuations is also a reliable point of domestic products.

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― How do you feel about the actual operation?

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It's faster than I thought! The production efficiency is improved by 1.5 times in the practical setting. The vacuum is strong, the operation panel is easy to understand, and I have an impression that the usability is improved very much. Safety during work is also taken into consideration, and since it is designed so that anyone can handle it, highly personal work can be reduced. In fact, even female employees who are not used to using it say, "I can work on my own without worrying." In terms of overall labor costs, this resulted in a reduction of around 15%.

In addition, in the second half of April, before Golden Week, which is the peak season for our company, it was not unusual for us to turn down work due to exceed capacity. It wasn't just one or two, it was more than double digits, but even though it was right after we introduced CFX, we were able to do all the work smoothly this year. In addition, even though the volume of orders has increased compared to last year, I did not have to turn down a job, and I realized the immediate effect of CFX's high potential. In terms of sales, the difference is several million yen, so I don't want to turn down a job that a sales person has taken.

These traditional problems have been solved, and I feel that the productivity is very high. Until last year, it was a matter of course to work overtime for about 2 hours, so even during the busy season, everyone can leave on time, which contributes to improving motivation within the company. On top of that, the defect rate of 1 to 2%, which is difficult to improve, has been eliminated, and the work performance is better than expected. Considering the labor shortage in the future, we are already seriously considering the additional introduction.

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― What kind of products do you want to challenge with CFX in the future?

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Since the peak season has finally passed, I would like to be able to use the V-cut tool as soon as possible! In the past, box molding was produced by inserting panels into each other, but I would like to challenge not only efficiency improvement around this, but also three dimensional molding as well as flat surface. Since it has become possible to manufacture furniture and fixtures made of cardboard and other materials within the company, I would like to expand the scope of my work.

― Have you ever had an episode where you think Mimaki was good?

About 10 years ago, I happened to have a CF2 blade broken while I was preparing for urgent work the next day, and unfortunately our stock was out of stock. I had an experience that I consulted with a sales person about what to do. Then, that person came to me with the parts first thing in the morning. Even now, it was such an impressive event that it has become the talk of our company, and the lightness of Mimaki's footwork has helped me many times.

― Finally, do you have any comments for those who are considering implementing CFX?

Many competing machines are distributed in Japan, but we introduced CFX with after-sales service in mind. Of course, it is important to compare specifications and costs at the stage of consideration, but I think that the sense of security that comes to you as soon as something happens is indispensable for the smooth running of daily work. Such a sense of security can be seen in the attitude of the company from the response of the sales person even before purchase. It's important to see the machine, but I recommend that you focus on how empathetic the sales person is.

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