Aiming for a manufacturing site that anyone can create.
Among them, the value of "human technology" remains unchanged
Factory Symposium Manufacturing Engineers: Part 2
The field talks about the evolution of manufacturing.
What does it mean for automation, AI, IoT, and data utilization?
For the second part, the roundtable discussion was held at Seimitsu's Fujisawa Plant. The Fujisawa Plant is home to the V7 Building, a state-of-the-art facility built on the concept of automation. Some of the members of this team were leaders who were involved in the launch of the V7 building, and they will talk about the evolution and future of manufacturing using their stories as hooks.
The founding members talk about the V7 building. Successful unmanned production
ー Just like last time, the participants all toured the Fujisawa Plant which manufactures Precision Machinery Company's products. After that, the roundtable discussion began, and the topic turned to the V7 building.
The three members of Fujisawa who participated in this roundtable discussion were in charge of the launch of the V7 building. They talked about the concept of this facility.
Nishiyama (Fujisawa): Building V7 is a facility that began planning in 2017 and started operations in March 2020. The concept was automation, with the ultimate goal to be able to automate production even during the middle of the night. We are taking on the challenge of reducing our dependence on human work as much as possible.
Oshima (Fujisawa): We have already started working on automated production, and in 2022, we will try to operate the factory unmanned not only at night but also on holidays. We started planning at the beginning of the year and successfully tried.
Nakayama (Fujisawa): Automation is supported by IoT and data linkage technologies. A system is connected from the stage when sales orders are received, to the subsequent production plan and to the production site. The main point is that we have realized "connected production" through systematization.
Nishiyama (Fujisawa): What we want to aim for in the future is to make more effective use of the data accumulated by IoT. Currently, we still can’t say that we are using the data maximally. That said, we wanted to establish various data collection mechanisms with the installation of equipment. We didn't want to delay the introduction just because we couldn't use the data yet. You will be able to see how to use it effectively even when you actually use it. In that sense, it was good that we were able to introduce it so quickly.
ー The other members who toured the V7 Building expressed various views, and were eager to apply the technologies to their plants as soon as possible.
Furukawa (Sodegaura): What I thought was amazing was that there were almost no people using grinders. Normally, there are people who grinder for the final touches, but the fact that there are few means that most of the finishing is done by machine.
Kazami (Sodegaura): The number of people in the V7 building is small, and I think this is what the future will look like. Although the products we make are different from our factory, there should be some things that can be used as a reference.
Watanabe (Futtsu): Even though the size of the products we make is different, the way we manage them is the same. I would like to incorporate the parts that can be incorporated.
The evolution of manufacturing enhances the ease of working and the value of factories
―― Based on these topics, the theme of the roundtable discussion was "The Evolution of Manufacturing." One example is automation such as at the V7 Building.
Oshima (Fujisawa): After all, it makes it easier to work. If production can be done automatically during the night and on weekends, people can take a break. It should also be easier to take paid leave. Earlier, I mentioned that we tried to run the factory unmanned in the V7 building, but as a person in the field, I want to take paid leave so that it does not affect the production plan.
Nishiyama (Fujisawa): In addition to ease of working, I think automation has its advantages. For example, it should enable the plant to flexibly change its production numbers. The Fujisawa Plant manufactures semiconductor-related products, but demand for semiconductors fluctuates wildly depending on the time of year. Even in our plant, production numbers are constantly increasing or decreasing. If there’s a lot of work that relies on people, such fluctuations have to be managed by the same number of people. On the other hand, if automation can reduce human-dependent work, it should be easier to increase or decrease production.
Nakayama (Fujisawa): In the past, there were few women in our processes, but now more than half of our processes are women. I would like to continue to create a line that can accommodate a lot of women and silver people.
ー What do other plant members think about this kind of evolution? Futtsu and Sodegaura mainly produce large products, and most of them are "one-of-a-kind", so it is not possible to proceed in the same way as Fujisawa.
However, among them, there is a movement to lower the "hurdles to manufacturing" through technology.
Maeda (Futtsu): My idea of what a factory should be is that anyone, from young people to veterans, can build products, regardless of gender. If we create simplified manuals and procedures for this purpose, our productivity will increase. That's why I want to convert "tacit knowledge" such as technology and skills into data so that anyone can create it.
ー Meanwhile, the development of technology will not make the skills and knowledge of the people involved in monozukuri unnecessary. The following opinions were also heard at the roundtable discussion.
Nishiyama (Fujisawa): It would be ideal to eliminate dependence on people and create a line that anyone can do. However, we still need the skills of the people on site, otherwise we can’t control these lines. I don't want to mislead you here.
Furukawa (Sodegaura): It's important to pursue automation and efficiency, but at the same time, if you don't learn the technology, you won't have the know-how to know where to make changes when something irregular happens. For example, we play an important role in properly adjusting older types of machines. This requires individual know-how. Ebara believes that the value is that we can handle old things responsibly.
In the past, I used to have a drink after work and have my seniors teach me a lot of things. It's difficult to do that now, so we have to come up with something to do with it.
Watanabe (Futtsu): There used to be a vocational training school in Ebara. It lasted until 1975, and its last graduates reached retirement age in 2019. Back then, people learned their skills while also picking up know-how from their seniors in the hierarchical relationships within the school. I think we need to think of alternatives to that now, but I think digital and IT can be used here as well. For example, a database of technology and knowledge could be compiled and made available on-demand at onsite. I would like to create such a system.
What I want to do with young people is to aim to be the best factory in the world.
ー The round-table was to talk about the future of monozukuri such as automation and passing on know-how. Toward the end, the discussion extended to a topic on the next generation.
Suda: As a manufacturer, it is an important role and responsibility to use our advanced technology and manufacturing capabilities to finish actual products. That's why I think it was good to hear the voices of everyone who is sweating at the manufacturing site. Could you give us a message about the future of Ebara's manufacturing?
Nakayama (Fujisawa): If you're in Ebara, I want you to take on the challenge. Ebara does a variety of things, from large to small manufacturing, and from one-of-a-kind products to mass production. It is a company where it’s easy to find what we want to do, and I think we should challenge ourselves more and more. There are many people who support me in taking on this challenge.
Nishiyama (Fujisawa): I would like to integrate the experience and know-how of not only employees who have been at Ebara for a long time, but also those who joined the company mid-career, and evolve manufacturing together. For us, the experience of mid-career hires is really valuable. They have different perspectives and experiences from what we have seen. In that sense, every newcomer at Ebara, whether a new graduate or a mid-career, is important for making us stronger. I would like to see all kinds of people work together.
Kazami (Sodegaura): Personally, I would like to have young people do the start-up of the factory and its operators. I had gained confidence from an experience that I started up an overseas plant before I joined Ebara. I think that experience is a big one.
Watanabe (Futtsu): I would like young people to think about how this factory can make more profits and how to make it more profitable. For example, how can we make a machine shop "the best machine shop in Japan"? I want to be the best in Japan, not the best in Ebara. For young people, it would be more interesting to go beyond the boundaries of Ebara. I'm sure you'll come up with some unconventional ideas.
ー This roundtable discussion brought together those engaged in monozukuri at Ebara, and they talked on a wide range of topics. While there were differences due to the different factories, there were also many points in common. One thing we can say is that we all envision a future in which young people play an active role. In order to achieve this, we will continue to work hard to practice "enthusiasm and sincerity" and make things.
