Few industries are as crucial to the success and stability of a nation as its infrastructure industry. For almost a century, The Victaulic Company of Japan Ltd. has helped connect water supplies for homes, power stations and even the iconic Shinkansen bullet trains. With much of Japan’s domestic pipeline network now requiring age-related maintenance, the firm is working to ensure waterways are maintained and supplied to the highest possible standards.
In a region vulnerable to earthquakes and typhoons, resilience and reliability are paramount for a business that manufactures fittings and joints. Victaulic CEO and President Goji Wada is committed to supporting the repair and replacement of affected pipelines across the country. “We have been a pioneer in supporting Japan’s current water supply system, and now, given its aging nature, we need to replace parts and provide maintenance. Japan also has other pressing issues, such as earthquakes, floods, typhoons and tsunamis,” said Wada. “Our company will continue to develop earthquake-resistant reinforcement and repair joints as well as products suited to these needs,” he added.
Central to Victaulic’s work is making sure its joints are flexible enough to cope with friction and vibrations, including its special seismic-resistant products with a self-sealing mechanism. This has been popular with domestic and international clients, including prestigious overseas projects such as the Eurasia Tunnel underneath Turkey’s Bosporus Strait. The firm has also developed cutting-edge products such as the VicSensor II, which monitors the displacement of pipes digitally. Now, they are aiming to adopt AI systems that can reduce costs further, making devices even more accessible to customers. “Our VicSensor II currently utilizes a cloud system, and in the future, we hope that AI processing technology will be implemented. Maintenance should be controlled via AI processing to reduce overall staffing needs and labor costs,” said Wada. The next step for the company is to develop further its international sales in specific targeted markets. Southeast Asia and the Middle East are both areas of significant interest for expansion.
Victaulic recently presented at a technical convention in Saudi Arabia and has received a number of inquiries about the crucial issue of conducting maintenance programs without interrupting water supplies. “We have a long history of working in overseas markets and selling products for water utilities, oil refinery plant facilities and power plant pipelines,” said Wada. “As these come to maintenance age, we now see the need to provide aftercare solutions. We see an opportunity to provide the region with our specialist systems that we already use in Japan,” he added.
