Innovation through serendipity lies beyond research and exploration.

A pioneer fostering the creativity of employees.

The Background of the Company’s Establishment and the Birth of Its Branding

 Osaka Yuka Industry Ltd. boasts a history of over 70 years. In 2014, Teppei Horita assumed the role of Representative Director and later established Yuka Engineering Co., Ltd., where he now serves as the representative of both companies.

Osaka Yuka Industry Ltd. positions itself as a provider of top-tier separation and purification technologies. The company is committed to rigorous management of distillation operations and focuses on designing and implementing new equipment, expansions, and modifications in-house.

As a result, Osaka Yuka Industry Ltd solidified its position in the field of precision distillation, achieving a stock market listing on October 5, 2017. Subsequently, in October 2019, Yuka Engineering Co., Ltd. was established as a wholly owned subsidiary.

“The goal was not to keep using the technologiesOsaka Yuka Industry had developed in-house solely for ourselves but to offer them as services to external customers, which led to the decision to establish a plant engineering company,” they explained.

The concept of designing and constructing systems for both internal and external use is highly uncommon. This ideal approach has been realized by leveraging the extensive technologies accumulated throughout the company’s long history to provide solutions to the outside world. While Osaka Yuka Industry seeks to expand its contract distillation business, Yuka Engineering has charted a path toward taking on new challenges.

Launch of the In-House Brand “Crefob”

Yuka Engineering’s brand, “Crefob,” embodies the philosophy of “Creating Environmentally Friendly Objects,” providing safe, durable, and eco-friendly products. These products are developed by applying the technologies cultivated through plant engineering. Key features include a compact design, easy maintenance, and the ability to operate at low cost without electricity or gas by using wood pellets as fuel. Additionally, compared to conventional pellet-fueled products, these innovations enable continuous operation with less frequent pellet replenishment, making them groundbreaking.

Mr. Horita advanced the branding while developing, improving, and maintaining systems based on the proprietary “batch distillation equipment” designed by Osaka Yuka Industry Ltd, the parent company. These technologies have been widely utilized in the chemical and environmental industries, playing a critical role in applications such as bioethanol production, solvent recovery, and wastewater treatment.

Distillation equipment, by nature, separates and purifies components of liquid mixtures by leveraging differences in boiling points, which consumes significant energy. To address this, the company is committed to developing systems that minimize energy consumption and leverage renewable energy sources. In particular, the use of wood pellets as biomass fuel is central to their efforts to create distillation systems that reduce environmental impact.

Wood pellets are biomass fuel made by compressing dried wood and are commonly used as fuel for stoves and boilers. They are environmentally friendly and made from renewable resources.

The “Dream Pizza Oven” Born from Biomass Technology

The company’s hit product, the “Pizza Oven,” emerged as a result of trial and error during the pursuit of innovation.
“While developing a wood pellet combustion furnace for heating distillation equipment, we came up with the idea of adapting it into a pizza oven. We used transparent glass with a heat resistance of up to 1000°C, allowing the flames inside the combustion furnace to be visible. Although using glass slightly reduces temperature performance due to heat radiation, being able to see the flames while cooking adds excitement,” they explained.

As a key selling point, the pizza oven highlights its transparent glass design, which reveals the combustion furnace’s interior. Combined with an outdoor-friendly aesthetic, the product creates a dynamic experience for users, enhancing their enthusiasm and purchase intent. It did not take long to commercialize the pizza oven in this direction.

The original idea came from Mr. Horita.
“The concept of a biomass-fueled plant was the president’s idea. He wondered if there was a way to generate heat without relying on machines as before. For example, distilling water produces clean water. Imagine bringing distillation equipment to places where people have no choice but to drink dirty water, turning it into clean, drinkable water. People would be overjoyed. However, in such locations, electricity or gas is often unavailable. This led to the idea of creating a system powered by locally available resources to make distillation possible,” he explained.

Mr. Horita is recognized as someone who not only brings a technical perspective but also sows the seeds of ideas and leads his engineers forward.
“He keeps an eye on what kind of technologies would be convenient in the world and constantly inputs new information. He shows interest in our ideas and actions, provides proactive advice when we consult him, and works alongside us,” said the engineers with satisfaction.The pizza oven received a great response when it was first exhibited, with attendees even requesting related products like stoves and saunas.
“Considering the cost, we currently focus on sales to corporations, but we’re also exploring products for individual consumers in the future. What started as a casual idea eventually resulted in the completion of the pizza oven. While we call it a pizza oven, it’s actually a multi-oven that can cook a variety of oven dishes,” he proudly remarked.

Business Strategy and Future Outlook

Yuka Engineering Co., Ltd. aims for further growth by expanding its product lineup and entering new markets, with plans to venture not only within Japan but also into overseas markets.

While the industry as a whole faces challenges such as labor shortages and the decline of skilled technicians, leading to difficulties in passing down expertise, the company is committed to business expansion with a select group of highly skilled personnel.

By combining advanced technical capabilities with environmental consciousness, Yuka Engineering Co., Ltd. will continue striving to contribute to a sustainable society both domestically and internationally.