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Afag Automation vs NITTA Corporation
Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation are both end effectors & dexterous hands companies. Their verified profiles differ on headquarters, country, industry focus, founding year, company size and markets served. The table below sets out only those rows; everything else is on each company's own profile. Facts verified 9 November 2026.
Where they differ
| Company | Afag Automation | NITTA Corporation |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Zell, Switzerland | Osaka, Japan |
| Country | Switzerland | Japan |
| Industry | Components — End Effectors & Dexterous Hands | Components — End Effectors & Dexterous Hands (soft gripper line filed; wider group is belts / mechatronics) |
| Founded | 1956 | 1885 |
| Company size | More than 300 employees in Switzerland, Germany, China and the US (company-stated at its 2023 acquisition) | Approx. 3,000 employees (published company-profile figure) |
| Markets served | Global; battery manufacturing, automotive, packaging, medical, life sciences, electronics and watchmaking | Global; Japan, Asia, Oceania, North and South America and Europe; logistics, automotive, semiconductor, electronics and food industries |
How Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation differ
Start with corporate structure, because these two end-effector suppliers sit inside very different ownership stories. Afag Automation, headquartered in Zell, Switzerland, was acquired by Emerson in 2023, with the transaction completed in September that year, and continues as a brand with independent operation. NITTA Corporation, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is listed in its own name on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under 5186. Afag specialises in electric linear motion, feeding and handling automation, an assembly automation focus it traces back to its founding in 1956. NITTA was founded in 1885, beginning as Japan's first manufacturer of power transmission belts, and its filing here covers a soft gripper line within a wider belts and mechatronics group. Reported scale favours NITTA: approximately 3,000 employees, against more than 300 employees for Afag across Switzerland, Germany, China and the United States, company-stated at its 2023 acquisition. Their served industries overlap in automotive and electronics but diverge elsewhere. Afag names battery manufacturing, packaging, medical, life sciences and watchmaking globally, while NITTA names logistics, semiconductor and food industries across Japan, Asia, Oceania, North and South America and Europe. Assembly handling projects fit Afag; wider industrial supply relationships fit NITTA.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation?
Afag Automation is based in Zell, Switzerland and NITTA Corporation in Osaka, Japan; they also differ on country, industry focus, founding year, company size, markets served. The table above sets out both companies' entries row by row.
Are Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation in the same country?
No. Afag Automation is based in Zell, Switzerland and NITTA Corporation in Osaka, Japan.
Can one sourcing request reach both Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation?
Yes. Afag Automation can be reached through afag.com and NITTA Corporation through nitta.co.jp, or post one sourcing request and let both answer if they fit.
Does GlobleMatch rank Afag Automation above NITTA Corporation, or NITTA Corporation above Afag Automation?
Neither. There is no pay-to-rank and no paid placement in comparisons; order and content come from verified profile facts only.
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Full profiles, with every fact and its source: Afag Automation and NITTA Corporation. Profile facts last verified: Afag Automation on 9 November 2026, NITTA Corporation on 9 November 2026.