Electronic components manufacturer Omron Corp, headquartered in Tokyo, says it has just opened for business in the UK. Omron Electronics Ltd, based in North London, was established last July, but didn’t begin trading until January 2. Some UKP11m has been invested so far in getting the UK business going as a fully-fledged subsidiary of Omron’s European organisation, Omron Electronics Europe BV. Omron Europe, headquartered in the Netherlands, accounts for 18% of Omron’s $2,634m annual turnover. In its first year, the 80-strong UK subsidiary is expected to do a grand UKP30m. The Omron group, well known among other things for its retail equipment, 88000-based Luna Unix workstations and fuzzy logic boards, has been selling limited product lines in the UK for many years, but has chosen now to set up its local opeation – selling and distributing Omron control and factory automation components; the group feels that although the economy is depressed, there are still opportunities for Omron, particularly in factory automation, which is the market in which it expects to do the bulk of its business in this country. As long as people are eating and drinking, and as long as cornflakes, tea, coffee and spaghetti bolognaise is being made, says Omron UK’s Mark Jones, there’s an opportunity for us. While fundamental development and manufacturing is still done in Japan, Omron is in the process of establishing localised development centres and manufacturing plants. Some European development is already done at the company’s facilities in the Netherlands and in Telford, Shropshire, here in the UK. And Omron has a European Research Centre in Chilworth, Southampton, attached to the university. In the UK, Omron will operate two divisions – one incorporating two sub-divisions industrial and factory automation, the other electronic components. In the first year, the two activities are expected to pull in an even split of revenues, becoming 70% from automation, 30% from components once the businesses have been established. Industrial automation, headed by Richard Gibson, incorporates photoelectric, inductive and capacitive input devices, switches and sensors, programmable controllers and timers. Factory automation, managed by Michael Juniper, encompasses programmable controllers, man-machine interfaces (workstations), variable-speed drives, vision systems, identification and tagging systems, network systems, fuzzy logic and systems engineering. Electronic components, lead by Lee Nye, looks after relays, switches, connectors and automotive electronic components. On fuzzy logic – the technology that enables computers and consumer machines to understand and adjust to fuzzy concepts such as in between, not quite and warm in addition to a firm hot or cold, correct or incorrect – Michael Juniper says the UK is at the interest only stage, and hasn’t yet shown much desire to buy the products, though the manufacturer has received one undisclosed order for its fuzzy logic products.
Fuzzy logic
Omron is, however, about to launch fuzzy logic Programmable Logic Controller interface cards, which the company hopes will encourage the take up of fuzzy logic over here, though the company adds that this is not a priority. Omron reckons it is unique in its field, in providing a total solution from basic components upwards. Some 70% of its domestic revenues are from specialised custom development projects, done in-house with automotive customers and the like. In the UK, Omron says it will talk to third-party software houses towards developing software for its computer and control systems, because it is serious about becoming a major force in the UK factory automation market. Later this year, Omron will set up a Factory Automation Plaza in North London, where potential customers can drop in and peruse Omron’s wares, without any pressure to buy. Omron says watch out for many new products during the course of this year, or UK launches of products not previously available here. The company will also soon announce a network of UK distributor
s for some of its products.
