Nabtesco transfers AM subsidiary Semet to Tobata Group for several hundred million yen
Hardware
Originally reported by SEKAPRI
Nabtesco, the Japanese precision machinery conglomerate, has transferred its 93.75% stake in subsidiary Semet to Tobata Group, a holding company for copper-products manufacturer Tobata Seisakusho. The transfer closed on June 30, 2026, at a valuation of several hundred million yen (approximately several million USD). Semet, headquartered in Yokohama with 32 employees and nearly 30 years of history, specializes in vat photopolymerization (SLA) systems and sand mold additive manufacturing. Nabtesco had owned Semet since 2000 but determined that the subsidiary would grow better under new ownership aligned with its customer base in casting and foundry industries.
This transaction fits a recurring pattern in AM: a large industrial parent exits an additive subsidiary when synergies fail to materialize at scale. Nabtesco's core competencies lie in precision减速机 (reducers) for industrial robots, railway equipment, and automatic doors - not polymer photopolymerization or sand casting machines. The sale price, in the range of a few hundred million yen, underscores that Semet remained a niche player (32 employees) rather than a scaling production platform. Tobata Group's acquisition rationale is clearer: Tobata Seisakusho serves blast furnaces, converters, and electric furnaces, where sand molds and cast tooling are integral. The overlap between Semet's sand mold AM systems and Tobata's customer base offers a more natural commercial fit than Nabtesco's motion-control portfolio ever did.
What this means practically: Semet now has an owner whose industrial heritage and customer base directly overlap with sand casting AM applications, which may improve its ability to sell systems to foundries and metal-casting operations. For Nabtesco, the divestiture frees capital and management attention for its core减速机 and motion-control businesses, where it holds dominant global market shares. The sale is a measured retreat, not a collapse - Semet continues operating, but under more logically aligned ownership in the casting supply chain.
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