Sugino Machine
Industrial machinery manufacturer (founded 1936) that supplies high-pressure waterjet systems and, increasingly, metal additive manufacturing equipment and post-processing: it is developing a hybrid machining center combining metal AM with conventional cutting, and its CASF cavitation abrasive surface finishing technology removes support material and smooths internal/external surfaces of metal AM parts in a single pass.
- CEO / Founder
- Gaku Sugino
- Team Size
- 1001-5000
- Stage
- Active
- Latest Round
- IPO
Technology & Products
Key Products
1) Hybrid machining center with integrated metal additive manufacturing capability (under development, announced September 2024; based on Taiyo Nippon Sanso's 3DPro metal AM technology). 2) CASF (Cavitation Abrasive Surface Finishing) - post-processing technology for metal AM parts that removes support material and smooths surfaces in one pass, including internal diameters/bores. 3) High-pressure waterjet cleaning systems and ultra-high-pressure water cutting systems. 4) Waterjet nozzles, including 3D nozzles and permanent in-can waterjet cleaning units. 5) Nuclear power plant inspection equipment. 6) BiNFi-s cellulose nanofiber (CNF) materials, including technical work on biodegradable resin formulations for 3D printing applications.
Technological Advantage
Sugino's AM-relevant advantage is in finishing and hybridisation rather than in the additive build process itself. Its CASF (cavitation abrasive surface finishing) technology uses cavitation-driven abrasive action to remove support structures and smooth metal AM surfaces in one pass, and is specifically positioned at the ~150 µm near-surface zone where as-built metal AM parts contain lack-of-fusion defects and microcracks - a problem area that is difficult to address with conventional tooling, especially on internal diameters. The company's hybrid machining center development, announced 11 September 2024 and based on Taiyo Nippon Sanso's 3DPro metal AM technology, integrates additive and subtractive operations in a single machine. The defensibility is primarily process know-how and application engineering accumulated over decades in ultra-high-pressure waterjet systems, plus integration partnerships, rather than a disclosed patent portfolio specific to AM; the underlying AM deposition technology in the hybrid machine is licensed/partnered rather than proprietary to Sugino.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
For metal AM users, Sugino offers an integrated route from build to finished part: a hybrid machining center that combines metal additive manufacturing with conventional milling in one platform (developed with Taiyo Nippon Sanso's 3DPro technology), plus CASF cavitation abrasive surface finishing that removes residual support material and smooths AM surfaces in a single pass, addressing the ~150 µm near-surface layer where lack-of-fusion defects and microcracks occur. This reduces the number of separate machines, setups and manual finishing steps required to convert a metal AM build into a functional part.
How They Differentiate
Against hybrid metal AM machine builders such as DMG Mori, Matsuura and Sodick, Sugino differentiates by pairing the hybrid machine with its own CASF cavitation abrasive finishing process, giving a build-to-finish chain that addresses internal channels and support removal - a step competitors typically leave to third-party finishing equipment. Against conventional AM post-processing suppliers such as Extrude Hone and Rösler, Sugino's differentiation is single-pass support removal plus surface smoothing using ultra-high-pressure waterjet/cavitation technology it has developed in-house for decades, rather than abrasive flow or mass-finishing media.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Manufacturing companies in Japan, particularly metalworking, mold/die and precision machining firms; metal AM adopters needing post-processing and hybrid machining; nuclear power plant operators (inspection equipment); general industrial customers for waterjet cleaning and cutting systems.
Industry Verticals
Industrial manufacturing / metalworking and mold & die; Aerospace/Defense (metal AM parts); Nuclear power (inspection equipment); Automotive and general machinery (waterjet cutting/cleaning); Materials (cellulose nanofiber).
Competitors
DMG Mori (hybrid additive/subtractive machining centers, LASERTEC/SLM), Matsuura Machinery (metal AM hybrid machines, LUMEX series), Sodick (metal AM hybrid machines, OPM series). In AM post-processing/finishing specifically: Extrude Hone (AFM/thermal finishing) and Rösler (mass finishing for AM parts).
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Capital ¥2,324,675,000 (approximately ¥2.32 billion); employees approximately 1,080 (ShareLab) to 1,440 (Mynavi); revenue approximately ¥25.051 billion (one source); fiscal year end March.
Major Milestones
1936 - Founded as Sugino Cleaner Works (杉野クリーナー製作所) with 5 employees, producing Japan's first domestically made tube cleaner. 1961 - Recognized under the national rationalization factory program for SMEs. 2008 - Presented at JIMTOF on latest technology and technical issues in next-generation metal optical/laser forming hybrid machine development. 2023-03 - Sugino Report technical journal issue 188 featured additive manufacturing as the cover topic. 2024-09-11 - Announced start of development of a machining center equipped with metal additive manufacturing capability, based on Taiyo Nippon Sanso's 3DPro technology. 2024 - Exhibited at InterMold 2024 / Die & Mold 2024 (booth 3-114) and TCT Japan 2024 (booth 3K-06).
Notable Customers
Helical Fusion (built high-temperature superconducting cable winding machine for its Helix Haruka demo fusion reactor)
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 10
- Granted
- 3
- Families
- 8
Leading domains: material (10), process (7), application (3)
Filings by year: 2024: 6 · 2023: 4
- CAVITATION PROCESSING METHOD04670911 · EP
- Cavitation treatment method121199869 · CN
- Surface treatment method for surgical implant, and surgical implant2024097480 · JP
- METHOD FOR REMOVING SUPPORT STRUCTURE04480636 · EP
- Surgical implant surface treatment method and surgical implant118304467 · CN
Funding rounds
- IPOSource: Tokyo Stock Exchange listing (public company, TSE code 6340) - no pre-IPO venture rounds disclosed in available sources