SONY’s PlayStation consoles have gained hundreds of millions of fans worldwide since the launch of their first console in 1994. But, really, few know how much of the console’s success can be attributed to its unassuming factories located in the world. across Tokyo Bay, where with a process that is virtually fully automated, its factories are capable of producing a PlayStation console every 30 seconds .
On the outskirts of Kisarazu, a large white building towers above the region’s suburban landscape. Once inside, visitors are greeted by the constant hum of the engines as dozens and dozens of automated robots mass-produce the brand’s consoles, currently PS5 and still many PS4s.
Only a few humans are needed to take care of a handful of minor tasks: two to feed the “bare” motherboards to the production line, and two more to package the finished consoles.
SONY’s secret is in the factories of PlayStation
The “trick” is that SONY has managed to automate almost 95% of the console’s manufacturing work. The actual assembly is carried out entirely by articulated robots manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric on a production line of no less than 31.4 meters in length that the company managed to complete in 2018, and has the capacity to produce a new console every approximately 30 seconds. With 24 × 7 operation, this means that SONY factories are capable of manufacturing a whopping 2,880 consoles per day , per production line.
The Kisarazu plant is operated by SONY Global Manufacturing & Operations, also known as SGMO, the group’s manufacturing arm. The unit has worked with the video games division of the Sony Interactive Entertainment brand to bring cutting-edge technologies to its facilities to reach this milestone that we are talking about.
One of the most important achievements of the plant is the use of robots to join and solder cables, tapes and other flexible parts of the consoles. Twenty-six of the 32 robots at the plant are dedicated to this task, deftly handling the materials that most robots would find too delicate and therefore generally a job humans do (and which take significantly longer than robots like it). you will suppose).
For example, to connect the flexible ribbon ribbon cable that joins the optical drive to the board, you need a robotic arm to hold the cable and another to bend it into the proper position. Then the cable must be connected in a specific direction using the proper pressure, which may seem simple for a human but is an extremely complex maneuver for a robot.
“There is probably no other factory in the worldi that can manipulate robots in this way. All processes, right through to final packaging, are automated. The combination of robotic and human work is thoroughly optimized with a return on investment priority. We have created the most profitable production lines in the world. “.- Hiroyuki Kusakabe, General Architect of SGMO.
The focus on factory productivity dates back to the original PlayStation, released in Japan in December 1994. Teiyu Goto, the designer of the console, focused on creating a manufacturing system that would easily lend itself to mass production. Goto reportedly pushed engineers from the Kusarazu plant to improve productivity, and they have been steadily improving it to the brand’s current generation of consoles.
As the console nears the end of its life, the model will inevitably fall victim to declining sales and price competition, as is now the case for the PS4 with the arrival of the PS5. Production lines can maintain profitability thanks to constant improvements, and they only have to adapt them to new consoles launched on the market. The PS4, released in November 2013, has sold more than 100 million units over its lifetime.
The 10 trillion yen (about $ 93 billion) and the trillion yen in profits PS4 has generated for the company supported the factory structural reforms introduced by Kazuo Hirai, who served as president and CEO from 2012 to 2018. The console now forms the center of the new SONY along with movies, music, and other content.
PS5s are made the same way
Engineer Ken Kutaragi, the father of the PlayStation, defended the device despite the rejection of other company executives. Twenty-six years later, the series has become the spearhead of SONY’s sales. But this does not guarantee future success, because although the PS2 was a success when it was launched in 2000, when the PS3 went on sale in 2006 it gave the market share to Microsoft‘s Xbox.
Unlike in the past, the next decade on SONY will depend on the reception of the PS5 among users, but what is quite clear is that with this automated manufacturing system for PlayStation factories, SONY will not have stock problems, or if you have them they won’t last long.