Showa Glove opens "Japan's largest" nitrile gloves plant

Hyogo, Japan – Showa Glove has started production at what it describes as Japan’s largest nitrile glove manufacturing plant.

The Sakaide facility, in Kagawa Prefecture, officially started operation on 25 Oct, with the aim to help stabilise the domestic supply of disposable nitrile gloves, said Showa which specialises in household and industrial gloves.

The Yen15-billion (€90 million) project includes a factory area of 17,000 sqm with five production lines and a capacity to produce 3.6 million units per day, Showa reported.

According to the manufacturer, Japan currently meets its entire demand for disposable gloves through imports.

The Sakaide plant, which has been “almost completely automated” from production to warehousing, is expected to meet 6% of local demand, Showa added.

The automation process, said Showa, has also been extended to packaging, which has long been a challenge in manufacturing, due to the ‘unstable’ shape of gloves.

The system, Showa said, uses advanced technology to “properly arrange the shapeless gloves and accurately pack required quantities into boxes.

The automated set-up, added the company, had improved efficiency and eliminated issues around labour-shortages and hygiene requirements.