Nakanishi Manufacturing to Exhibit Noodle Weighing and Plating Robot That Cuts Labor by 75% at FOOMA JAPAN 2026

Commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer Nakanishi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market: 5941; headquarters: Ikuno-ku, Osaka; President and Representative Director: Kazuma Nakanishi) will exhibit and demonstrate its “Boiled Noodle Weighing and Plating Robot (Keimen)” at FOOMA JAPAN 2026, to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from June 2 to 5, 2026. The robot automates the process from noodle weighing to plating and reduces labor by 75%. As an innovative solution that increases per-worker production capacity by 7.2 times, it is designed to help address labor shortages in food factories. Food factories and central kitchens currently allocate many workers to weighing and plating boiled noodles. Pasta in particular tends to tangle, making manual weighing essential. This process is typically handled by four workers producing 1,000 servings per hour, or 250 servings per worker. Combined with hot and humid workplace conditions, it has become a critical bottleneck for labor shortages. The Boiled Noodle Weighing and Plating Robot addresses this challenge by enabling operation and supervision by a single worker. The product has three main features. First, it reduces labor by 75% and increases production capacity per worker by 7.2 times through single-person operation. While conventional production of 1,000 servings per hour required four workers, the robot enables one plating worker to process 1,800 servings per hour. Second, it uses a proprietary high-speed plating mechanism that does not damage noodles. A comb-shaped distribution mechanism and bridge-prevention mechanism allow even sticky long pasta, equivalent to about 25 cm in length, to be weighed and plated quickly and accurately without compromising quality. Third, it reduces food loss through combination weighing. A combination weigher instantly calculates the optimal weight from multiple hoppers, eliminating manual variation, improving yield, and minimizing food waste. Looking ahead, in addition to the newly launched Boiled Noodle Weighing and Plating Robot, Nakanishi will also reference-exhibit a prototype Continuous Kettle Cooking Robot at the show. By refining automation technologies across each process from cooking to plating, the company aims to further reduce labor and smarten entire kitchen operations in the future. Nakanishi will continue developing products that use technology to solve repetitive tasks on the front line. Product overview: the product name is Boiled Noodle Weighing and Plating Robot (Keimen); dimensions are W1,700 × D2,230 × H2,450 mm in the minimum configuration; main functions include automatic loosening of boiled noodles such as long pasta, high-precision weighing, and automatic plating into containers. Nakanishi Manufacturing was founded in 1946 as an individual business selling alumite tableware for school lunches. It later developed dishwashers and was incorporated in 1958. Since then, the company has specialized in flexible proposals that systematize complex kitchen equipment, mainly for school lunch kitchens, while also supplying kitchen equipment to restaurant chains including McDonald’s. Since April 2022, it has been listed on the Standard Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. At FOOMA JAPAN 2026, the company plans to exhibit 15 products in total, including demonstrations of Keimen and the Continuous Kettle Cooking Robot.