What Kind of Company Is RHEON? The Japanese Pioneer of Encrusting Machines

A Japanese Company That Started with "Wrapping Bean Paste"

RHEON, commonly called Lei-en (雷恩) in the Taiwanese industry, is known in Japanese as Rheon Automatic Machinery Co., Ltd. (レオン自動機), with its headquarters in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Founder Torahiko Hayashi developed the world's first automatic encrusting machine in 1961, and in 1963 he founded the company in Utsunomiya with capital of 5.2 million yen.

In other words, RHEON is a Japanese company; the Taiwanese name Lei-en is simply a transliteration of RHEON.

Where the Name Comes From

The name RHEON comes from rheology (レオロジー in Japanese), the science of how materials flow and deform. The official company history makes it clear: the science that Torahiko Hayashi relied on when developing the encrusting machine was rheology, and this became the origin of the company name. Getting a machine to wrap "solids that flow," such as dough and bean paste, consistently depends precisely on a command of their rheological properties; see Rheology and Encrusting.

Why Is RHEON So Well Known?

1. Pioneer of the automatic encrusting machine
When the first commercial machine, the N101, was released in 1963, the Japanese media called it a "dream machine." Three months later, orders had reached 270 units, while monthly production at the time was only 10. The Model 105 of 1966 spread to confectionery shops all over Japan and was recognized as Mechanical Engineering Heritage by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2015; see The World's First Automatic Encrusting Machine.

2. The KASEIJIN series
In 1987, RHEON released the computerized KASEIJIN (火星人) CN100 encrusting machine, followed by successive models including the CN120, CN500, CN580, and CN700. According to the company, it is the best-selling series among all its food forming machines; see The KASEIJIN Series.

3. Bread-making technology that does not damage dough
In 1974, RHEON developed the "Stress Free" dough sheeting device, and later developed automatic lines for croissants, Danish pastries, sandwich bread, and more; see Bread Lines and Stress Free.

4. International from early on
In 1968, five years after its founding, the company began exporting and signed a long-term contract with an American bakery company for 500 units a year. In 1974, it established local subsidiaries in the United States and Germany. Orange Bakery, established in the United States in 1979, was a model factory, and the company says it drove the American croissant boom of the 1980s.

Company Size and Locations

• Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1987, promoted to the First Section in 1989, and listed on the Prime Market since 2022.
• Its main factory is the Kamikawachi Plant, opened in 1988, which obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2018.
• In 2021, it opened the "Rheon Solution Center" at its headquarters, offering new-machine testing and factory planning consultation.
• Overseas, it has bases in the United States (headquarters in California and a branch in New Jersey) and Europe (Düsseldorf, Germany). In Asia, its website lists a Taiwan branch and a Shanghai office as service locations, while machine quotes are handled by the RHEON ASIA contact; see RHEON Service Locations in Taiwan.

RHEON's Product Lines

• Encrusting machines: the single-row KASEIJIN series (called CORNUCOPIA overseas), the multi-row two-row KASEIJIN, Mega Former, and Multi Confectioner, plus various options; see CORNUCOPIA (KN Series) and Multi-Row Encrusting Machines.
• Bread-making machines: the V4 sandwich bread line, VM system, HM pastry line, and more.
• Others: sandwich cookie machines, pizza sheeters, steamers, and more.

Dong-Yih's Machines

Dong-Yih Machinery manufactures models in Tainan including the DY-201 Automatic Steamed Bun and Mantou Machine and the DY-528MS/DY-528M dividing machines. To find out whether they suit your product, call us at 06-257-4644 or leave a message on our Contact page.

FAQ

Q: Which country is RHEON from?
A: Japan. Its Japanese name is Rheon Automatic Machinery (レオン自動機), its headquarters are in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, and it was founded in 1963.

Q: Why is RHEON famous?
A: Founder Torahiko Hayashi developed the world's first automatic encrusting machine in 1961, and the later KASEIJIN series and bread lines that do not damage dough have also spread worldwide.

Q: Where does the name RHEON come from?
A: From rheology. The founder developed the encrusting machine on the basis of rheology, and the company says this is the origin of its name.