Tamiya's Cebu, Philippines factory tour

[Robert]

Although there are no revealing pics of upcoming releases it shows a behind the scene visit to the Tamiya factory in the Philippines which you might find interesting.

This is one of the pictures which sums up Tamiya's attitude to modelling.

 

Robert

[exdraken]

thanks!

 

nice insights!

as somehow expected hardly any aircraft, or other typically here seen subjects... or has this to do with this specific factory?

looks a bit old fashioned, but somehow I admire Japanese working philosophy!  - concentrate on modelling guys, not on rumours!

Edited March 19, 2017 by exdraken

[Mountain goat]

Thanks for sharing, interesting stuff.

 

13 hours ago, exdraken said:

as somehow expected hardly any aircraft, or other typically here seen subjects... or has this to do with this specific factory?

looks a bit old fashioned, but somehow I admire Japanese working philosophy!  - concentrate on modelling guys, not on rumours!

 

It says in the blurb that the Cebu factory designs and produces more than 90% of all Tamiya products, so perhaps the Japan dep. does most of the aircraft. Regarding the factory I got the exact opposite impression in that it looked quite modern, much like the printing presses I used to frequent for my job . 

 

Jay

[exdraken]

2 hours ago, Mountain goat said:

Thanks for sharing, interesting stuff.

 

 

It says in the blurb that the Cebu factory designs and produces more than 90% of all Tamiya products, so perhaps the Japan dep. does most of the aircraft. Regarding the factory I got the exact opposite impression in that it looked quite modern, much like the printing presses I used to frequent for my job . 

 

Jay

wonder what is Japanese then if 90 % are produced and designed in the Philippines?  oh yes, ...globalization!

 

some photos close to the end, show 1/32 aircraft models (Tomcat, Phantom, Eagle,...) so I guess these are also made there...

 

regarding my impressions:

of course most of the photos show production sites and production work environment. that is by nature not a very eye pleasing area....more the opposite... it shows very well the working environment and repetitiveness of some of the work there...with assembly line and cycle times...

 

so conclusion: Japanese Tamiya plastic kits are actually made in the Philippines!

[ICMF]

4 hours ago, exdraken said:

wonder what is Japanese then if 90 % are produced and designed in the Philippines?  oh yes, ...globalization!

 

I suspect that that's either a translation error, or a nationalistic misrepresentation.  Research will be done in Japan, by employees of Tamiya Japan.  Digital masters (and physical ones) will be done in Japan, by employees of Tamiya Japan.  Decal artwork, box art and packaging design will all be done in Japan.  Basically, everything that the average modeller thinks of when you mention "design" is done in Shizuoka.

 

Manufacturing is done in the Philipines, and has been for at least 20 years.  That's where their injection molded products are actually injection molded, and where their polycarbonate body shells are vac formed.  It's probably where the actual steel toolings are cut, too.  And it's possible that tooling set-up involves some input from engineers at the Tamiya Philipines factory - tweaking layout for better flow; adjusting sprue gate dimensions or ejector pin locations to ensure a clean fill and smooth extraction.  And I guess that you could technically describe that as part of the kit's 'design', since it's a necessary (if unseen) part of the production process.  But that would be the limit of 'design' being done at the factory.