A Photographic History of DaifukuControl Technologies Beyond Material Handling: Establishment of New Companies in Daifuku’s First In-house Venture

As material handling systems, such as automated warehouses and conveyors, rapidly became more complicated and sophisticated, Daifuku accumulated know-how about control in these systems. Daifuku started Contec and Paltec with the aim of expanding these technologies to fields other than material handling to create new technologies and products. Contec would head development of the hardware and Paltec the software of these electronic devices. Contec was made up of development members who excelled at electronic control technologies, while Paltec was made up of our best technicians; including engineering members who completed Japan’s first computer-controlled automated warehouse.

The two companies were small in scale when first established with just eight employees at Contec and seven at Paltec, but, in coordination with Daifuku, were able to perform everything from research and development to engineering and sales.

Both companies each developed their own sales channels, but jointly carried out technology and product development centered on microcomputer systems. Emphasis was first placed on sequence controllers, but later the companies developed a variety of products, beginning with a programmable controller PC series, in their pursuit of outstanding cost performance.

Contec later absorbed Paltec in 1991 to further streamline operations. Contec is currently at the head of Daifuku’s electronics business and is working on industrial computers, measurement control, and network-related products.