ABOUT THE COMPANY

B & PLUS K.K. develops wireless power supply products mainly in the industrial field.
This manufacturer has a globally top-level lineup of products, with several thousand developed to date.
Recently the company has also been meticulously satisfying needs even outside the industrial field by making use of the know-how it has cultivated for many years.
We interviewed Mr. Atsushi Kameda, Representative Director and President, about their unrivaled unique technology, development system based on lean startup, and future vision.

B & PLUS was established as a Japanese subsidiary of a major German industrial sensor manufacturer in 1980. "We used to develop and sell sensors used for machines at factories of automobile manufacturers and the like. About 35 years ago we started to manufacture wireless power supplies at the request of a customer. This gradually became our mainline business and now we are aiming to be the No. 1 company in the wireless power supply industry," Mr. Kameda told us. "Products of other manufacturers are wireless power supplies only. However, we can develop products combining both wireless power supply and signal transmission. We have this strength because we were a sensor manufacturer."

This company’s products are now used mostly in the industrial field. "For example, our products are used to charge automated guided vehicles (AGV) operating in factories or for robots with rotational parts," Mr. Kameda explained. "To supply electric power, we only need to put a wireless power supply close to the item. This is why many customers want to use a wireless power supply where wires are easily damaged." When Mr. Kameda became the president and advanced the policy of aiming to be the No. 1 manufacturer of wireless power supplies, wireless power supply needs significantly grew even outside the industrial field. "We have a coil winding machine, a board manufacturing line, and a radio anechoic chamber for electromagnetic wave measurement. This means we have an integrated system for developing and manufacturing wireless power supplies. Since we have developed thousands of products in the past 35 years, we can apply our accumulated technology. The optimal shape and size for a wireless power supply varies between customers, but we satisfy all kinds of needs by making the most of our comprehensive strengths."

Another feature of the company is a unique development system based on lean startup. Lean startup is a technique born in Silicon Valley. Trial and error on minimal functions can realize a customer request at low cost in a short period. "This technique is mainly used by software manufacturers," Mr. Kameda said. "I think it matches current trends. People contact us because there are no other manufacturers who can manufacture wireless power supplies at high speed like us. Lean startup makes us feel like giving a bit extra. This leads to trial manufacturing of deeper functions and results in increased sales. Our company staff have realized again how fun wireless power supplies are while quickly satisfying customer requests." This unprecedented approach among Japanese hardware companies seems to be causing a virtuous cycle for business and development technology.

We asked Mr. Kameda about the future business fields they have in mind. "Nursing and medical care," he replied. "Since wireless power supply is non-contact technology without electrical contacts, I think there is great demand in fields where safety and cleanness are expected. For example, if a wireless power supply is applied to a bath lift for nursing care, there will be no risk of a wet wire causing an electric shock. A wireless power supply does not need to be plugged into or unplugged from an outlet. No metal particles are emitted, so the environment at the medical care site can be kept clean. I think there may also be needs for contributing to society." From the perspective of safety, he also mentioned needs for wireless power supplies at gas stations where an electrical contact may result in an explosion. "To develop markets in such fields," he continued, "we need a cleanroom for manufacturing in a cleaner environment and explosion-proof environment qualification. I think a special corporate foundation will be our next weapon."

B & PLUS is continuing to take on the challenge of unique approaches with its many years of development history and new techniques as weapons. "Wireless power supplies have limitless potential," stressed Mr. Kameda. "Wireless power supply may remind you of a technology used for mobile phone chargers, but that is not all there is to it. We cannot deny that mobile devices have the greatest sales potential. However, cost reduction by mass production does not interest us. SMEs will lose in price competition. Besides, we are not aiming to be a company with the top market share, but the No. 1 leading company of wireless power supplies in the future. I believe manufacturers capable of making more and more product applications will build up the future of the industry." Mr. Kameda himself has visited the United States on his own for walk-in sales. His energetic activities seem to be affecting the entire company. We heard that not only the sales staff, but all the employees are always working actively on overseas business. "However, if our company works alone, we may not have the opportunity to visit some countries. If websites like J-GoodTech sow network seeds in areas where we have never been, our world will expand."