Keyence is a leading supplier of sensors and instrumentation for a variety of industries. The company offers sensors, measuring systems, vision systems, laser markers, digital microscopes and other products. Although the firm has been manufacturing facilities, it focuses exclusively on product planning and development and is not involved in manufacturing. The products themselves are manufactured by qualified manufacturing companies - the company's contractors. The corporation was founded in 1974 by Mr. Takemitsu Takizaki under the original name Lead Electric. On April 3, 2009, JustSystems Corporation, a major Japanese software firm, announced that it was raising capital through the sale of new shares. By April 20, 2009, the firm became the largest shareholder in JustSystems (43.96%).
Today the head office and research center are located in Higashi-Nakajima, Higashi-Yodogawa, Osaka, Japan. Company executives: Takemitsu Takizaki and Michio Sasaki. In 2011, the number of employees working in the company exceeded 3150 people. Keyence earns more than $ 2 billion annually and is a global company that owns a network of 16 international industrial automation organizations. Products are shipped from a central office to distribution centers in Japan, USA (Chicago), UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea and other countries.
The company offers a wide range of products ranging from photoelectric and proximity sensors to high precision line inspection instruments and microscopes used in research institutes. The number of the company's customers worldwide exceeds 80,000. By choosing the right product for a specific application, the customer has the opportunity to install automation systems on their own, which allows achieving high productivity and cost-effectiveness. Sensors, vision systems, microscopes and other products are part of the manufacturing and research processes in various industries, such as:
Photoelectric sensors - The company offers multipurpose photoelectric and fiber optic sensors for accurate and stable detection: The product range includes fiber optic, laser, proximity and RGB color sensors.
Contact and ultrasonic positioning systems - These are special-purpose sensors that position and detect objects that cannot be detected by conventional sensors.
High precision measurement systems - Laser displacement sensors; rotary laser gas counters of spectral interference; inductive displacement sensors; optical micrometers; image measurement systems.
Vision systems - Vision systems include sensors and machine vision systems, peripheral equipment for image identification, recognition and verification: image processing systems. Multi-camera systems; high speed systems; systems with built-in monitor; LED lighting systems; vision sensors.
Light safety light curtains - Presented are built-in controllers, safety light curtains without blind spots and other products. The range also includes visible light barriers, light safety barriers, light barriers designed for severe operating conditions.
Microscopes - The company offers microscopes with 3D function, measuring functions on a touchscreen and other products: digital and laser microscopes, motion analysis microscopes and fluorescence microscopes.
Laser Marking Systems - The systems carry out laser marking, capable of 3D marking of almost any material. Telecentric laser markers; fiber optic laser markers; CO2 laser markers; YAG laser markers; laser markers YVO4.
Flow sensors - Minimum diameter flow sensors for simple in-line installation and flow sensors with separate signal amplifiers.
Pressure and temperature sensors - Digital, push-on, non-contact in various configurations for a wide range of applications.
PLC and other controllers - Programmable logic controllers and other controllers for a wide range of industrial applications.
Barcode Readers & Auto-ID Systems - Designed to track objects, improve productivity, and more. 2D code readers; digital laser barcode readers; remote readers; hand-held barcode scanners; super-compact readers; LED / CCD barcode readers.
