ArTechX.ing (formerly Kansai Plastic Industries) ~ A long-established company aims to build a hopeful future through semiconductor technology under new leadership

ArTechX.ing is pronounced “ArTechX I-N-G.”

The company name embodies the shared commitment of the entire company: to bring sensibility (Art) to technology (Tech) and keep driving change (X) (ing).

ArTechX.ing, which changed its name from Kansai Plastic Industry as recently as April 2024, completed its new headquarters in 2023 and signed an agreement with Kurashiki City on the use of its facilities during major disasters.

Now in its 76th year, this long-established company aims to create a hopeful future through semiconductor technology under its Mission Statement 2023. At the helm is President Tonan Kazumasa.

The author, a friend of President Tonan since childhood, introduces his thoughts through an interview.

What Is “ArTechX.ing (formerly Kansai Plastic Industry)”?

Semiconductor manufacturing plants require specialized equipment, such as ultrapure water production systems, to clean and polish semiconductor materials.

ArTechX.ing, located in Shijuuse, Kurashiki City, supports major semiconductor manufacturers by producing and supplying such specialized equipment to order.

Founding

In 1948, Sanko Shikimono Co., Ltd. was founded by President Tonan Kazumasa’s grandfather, Tonan Katsuta.

It manufactured and sold export flower mats.

By the early Edo period, Kurashiki was already a production center for tatami facing. In the early Meiji period, Isozaki Minki completed Kinkanen, an intricately crafted flower mat. This helped make flower mats a specialty product of Okayama Prefecture.

“I don’t know much about what happened back then…” President Tonan continues with a wry smile.

“It seems the business was trying all sorts of things amid the postwar turmoil. There are no records of where it started, either. It’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it? (laughs)”

Even so, Okayama Prefecture’s 1955 publication Trade Directory confirms that Sanko Shikimono was engaged in the flower-mat export business in Shijuuse, Kurashiki City, in 1955.

From Kansai Plastic Industry to ArTechX.ing

Kansai Plastic Industry Co., Ltd. was established in 1956 and absorbed by Sanko Shikimono in 1960, but the name Kansai Plastic Industry was adopted.

Kansai Plastic Industry

“I don’t really know how it came to be called ‘Kansai Plastic Industry’ either… It seems clear that it began when a major company in the Kansai region taught us vinyl chloride processing techniques. Perhaps they dreamed of becoming a large company that would thrive throughout western Japan.”

President Tonan explains.

Perhaps the backdrop was an era in which cotton and rush grass were being replaced by petroleum-derived chemicals.

Kansai Plastic Industry transformed into a company specializing in piping construction, including vinyl chloride piping, and entered the semiconductor-related business in the 1970s.

Semiconductor manufacturing requires peripheral equipment such as ultrapure water systems. Equipment that must avoid metal ions makes extensive use of plastic piping, such as vinyl chloride.

“Our technology was a good fit for that,” says President Tonan.

ArTechX.ing

Having focused on semiconductor technology, Kansai Plastic Industry changed its name in April 2024 to ArTechX.ing Co., Ltd.

Semiconductor-Related Business and Piping Technology

Let’s take a look at ArTechX.ing’s main products and the core technologies behind them.

Its main products are unit systems such as chemical supply systems, ultrapure water production systems, and slurry dilution and supply systems.

The piping technology ArTechX.ing has developed is essential for manufacturing equipment packed with resin piping.

The entire production area is a large cleanroom so that the interiors of equipment and piping can be kept clean during construction.

Every product is custom-made, and the electrical instrumentation that operates the equipment is also made in-house.

“Piping technology is our core technology. Our strength is also our integrated construction system, covering everything from receiving orders to design, enclosure fabrication, equipment and piping installation, electrical instrumentation, and maintenance.”

President Tonan says proudly.

New Headquarters

Let’s take a look at the new headquarters, which was completed in 2023.

• Office building
  4 floors above ground
  Kurashiki City-certified temporary evacuation shelter (second floor)
  Digital signage installed on the second floor
• Factory building
  4 floors above ground

Upon entering the entrance, visitors are struck by the spacious open space.

The first floor consists only of a guest room and open space.

There is also a free space on the second floor.

The room names were chosen to help everyone stay mindful of the “7 Habits” training all employees have taken, and they are one of the president’s points of pride.

Room names such as Paradigm-Shift, Inside-Out, and End in Mind were displayed.

Another point of pride is the digital signage.

“We don’t intend to use it commercially. We want children to love Kurashiki. We’re looking for ideas on how the community can make good use of it to help achieve that.”

They hope to use it for sharing local information, such as cultural, sports, and tourism information.

The factory building cannot be shown for security reasons, but it is equipped with one of the largest elevators in western Japan, a vast cleanroom, and more.

Agreement on the Use of Facilities in the Event of a Disaster

In August 2023, ArTechX.ing signed an “Agreement on the Use of Facilities in the Event of a Disaster” with Kurashiki City.

“It’s obvious when you look at Kurashiki City’s hazard map. This area, reclaimed over a raised riverbed, is slightly elevated, so it’s resistant to flooding. Since we’ve set up shop here, we might as well make it an evacuation shelter.”

President Tonan continued.

“We store emergency supplies provided by the city, such as water and food, on the second floor. We’re told that even in a once-in-a-thousand-years disaster, the second floor would be safe.”

The free space on the second floor, introduced earlier, is in front of the storage room. It is designated as a Kurashiki City-certified temporary evacuation shelter, covers 223.71 square meters, and can accommodate around 50 people. It is also equipped with a custom-made movable kitchen counter.

This agreement seems to express ArTechX.ing’s commitment to cherishing its ties to Yosoze and moving forward together with the local community.

The Area of Yosoze

Let’s take a look at the character of Yosoze, where ArTechX.ing has continued operating for around 70 years.

The area around Kurashiki Municipal Baseball Stadium is where it is located.

Flooding was frequent along the Takahashi River from the Edo period through the Meiji period. A record of the levee breach at Yosoze also remains. One major factor is said to have been that iron-sand mining (kanna-nagashi) caused sediment buildup, turning it into a raised riverbed.

“The reclaimed land, created after the 1893 (Meiji 26) flood, was apparently used as a workers’ camp for the military industry. After World War II, it was sold to the private sector, and our company established a factory here.”

President Tonan explained.

Living in Harmony with the Community

ArTechX.ing also carries out the following community activities.

• Cultural initiatives
• University partnerships

Cultural Initiatives

ArTechX.ing is a club sponsor of Fagiano Okayama. It also supports Kurashiki Ablaze.

The uniforms of both teams were displayed in the open space.

University Partnerships

The company also partners with universities.

• Okayama University
  Joint research to develop a canal overflow warning system
• Okayama Prefectural University
  “Kibi no Mori” Creative Strategy Project

We spoke with ArTechX.ing President Tonan Kazumasa, whose company changed its name and built a new headquarters, and is focusing not only on its core semiconductor business but also on community activities.

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