Ishida Europe has expanded its Centre of Excellence in Prague, Czech Republic, to more effectively serve food producers and packers across Europe, addressing the increasing demand for automation solutions in weighing, packing, and inspection.
The new facility, located in the municipality of Čestlice and covering over 1,000 square metres, enhances Ishida’s capability to meet customer demand for training, Pre-Delivery Inspections (PDIs), demonstrations, and product trials. This significant advancement for the company in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, where Ishida has operated for over 20 years, underscores its commitment to food and drink packaging innovation.
Previously, clients in Central Europe requiring tailored PDIs would need to travel to Ishida’s manufacturing centre in Birmingham, UK, or even to Kyoto, Japan. Now, these essential activities can be conducted regionally at the Ishida Prague site, streamlining the process for our clients.
“The opening of this new facility will enable Ishida to better serve our European customers, reaching a market of 200 million consumers within a day’s travel from Prague,” says Wim Hermans, Regional General Manager for North-East Europe. “The expanded facility will allow us to provide faster and better support while enabling ‘close-to-home’ PDIs. This further underlines our commitment to delivering exceptional service to our customers in the CEE region, assisting them to address industry challenges and ultimately grow their businesses.
“These customers will now find it easier to explore new solutions or participate in bespoke training sessions ahead of installation or as part of ongoing upskilling programmes. Ishida’s emphasis on in-depth, practical training at our new Centre of Excellence aims to facilitate a seamless installation process, efficient equipment operation, and maintenance.”
The state-of-the-art facility supports various activities, including PDIs, product trials, testing, logistics planning, and customization initiatives for large installations. Strategically positioned next to Ishida’s existing Prague site and close to the motorway, this expansion enhances operational efficiency.
The site accommodates Ishida’s comprehensive product portfolio, which includes multihead weighers, filling and distribution systems, snack food bag makers, batchers, graders, tray sealers, X-ray inspection systems, seal testers, checkweighers, and ancillary equipment. With a focus on food and drink sustainable packaging, the facility is designed to meet diverse industry needs.
In addition to the expanded facility, Ishida has expanded its regional team to offer a wide range of services, including X-ray product testing, proof of concept testing, machine demonstrations, PDIs, and repairs, all under the expert management of site leader Petr König.
“We have developed this site with a focus on providing a welcoming atmosphere for customers,” Petr explains. “With ample parking and meeting rooms, we can discuss specific business needs and deliver the best possible service. This philosophy extends to the factory floor, featuring an industrial washing facility for our machines, flexible feed systems for production simulation, and specially designed support gantries for testing various multihead weighers.
“The expanded site is the result of extensive renovations, including the installation of refurbished epoxy flooring, new cabling, hydraulic lifts, and non-standard-sized pallet storage. Everything has been meticulously designed with the customer in mind, enabling us to provide market-leading demonstrations, tests, and training. We eagerly anticipate welcoming our customers and partners to this new location.”
For more information about Ishida Europe, please visit ishidaeurope.com/en/