Yokohama Rubber to expand conveyor belt capacity at Hiratsuka facility

Tokyo, Japan – The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., announced that it will expand the conveyor belt production capacity of its Hiratsuka Factory in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The expansion is part of the Company’s effort to strengthen its industrial products business. The expansion will be conducted in stages, with the initial stage amounting to a capital investment of about ¥1.6 billion. The expansion will focus on establishing new production lines for a diverse range of fabric belts that can be used on conveyor belts requiring abrasion resistance, heat resistance, oil resistance, flame resistance, and reduced power consumption. The Hiratsuka Factory’s current capacity will be increased by 1.3 times. Construction began this March, with production operations planned to start in October 2023.

Conveyor belts are an indispensable part of transport systems used around the world to handle a wide range of materials crucial to many industries, including ores, rocks, sand and other materials. Yokohama Rubber possesses world-class conveyor belt technologies accumulated over generations of development, manufacturing, and supply of various belts to meet diverse needs in Japan and other countries around the world. The expansion of production capacity at the Hiratsuka Factory will enable Yokohama Rubber to respond to changes in the conveyor belt market environment and continue supporting many industries that require conveyor belts, while also contributing to the sustainable development of society.

Yokohama Rubber is now implementing the Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023) medium-term management plan that will guide the company from 2021 through 2023. Under this plan, the MB segment will concentrate its resources in its two strongest business domains – hose & couplings and industrial products – as it aims to become a growth driver capable of generating stable profits.